New wild areas benefit all

After spending several years in the political wilderness, conservationists are gaining ground in efforts to expand the number of acres of natural areas under federal protection.

In recent weeks, Congress has approved or advanced a dozen measures that would designate as much as 2 million acres of publicly owned land as wilderness areas, according to The Washington Post. The designation offers the strictest level of protection, with access generally limited to hiking and fishing; motorized vehicles are prohibited, except in emergencies.

Last month, President Bush signed a bill protecting more than 106,000 acres of old-growth forests and mountain peaks in the Wild Skykomish region in Washington state. Other measures under consideration would expand protections for 43,000 acres in southwest Virginia's Jefferson National Forest and more than 35,000 acres in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, plus acreage in Colorado, New Mexico, California, Oregon and several other states.

The wave of activity stands in stark contrast to recent years, when Republican leaders like former U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo of California blocked efforts to add wilderness areas. The expansion also is a departure from repeated decisions by the Bush administration to open public lands to logging, mining and other uses.

After the Democrats won control of Congress in the 2006 elections, the new majority party and conservation-minded GOP leaders took up the cause of preservation anew.

Bipartisan compromise has been a hallmark of the revived effort, with proponents making concessions to snowmobilers, hunters and others who wanted to retain access to specific areas that had been eyed for wilderness designation. Local business groups were also drawn into the process, and many now see the protective measures - and resulting ecotourism - as a viable form of economic development.

Critics are raising concerns about adding wilderness areas, which can entail additional patrols and maintenance costs, at a time when federal resources are already strained. The National Forest Service currently has a backlog of projects totaling several billion dollars, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., points out.

Those concerns are justified, but they should not be insurmountable if the spirit of cooperation prevails once the designations are complete.

The federal government cannot - and should not - undertake preservation entirely on its own. But the job can be accomplished in partnership with environmental groups, business alliances and state conservation officials.

They've fought for years to create additional protections for natural areas. Now they can work to ensure their efforts last.