In October, anti-public lands and anti-wilderness crusader Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation that guts the Wilderness Act, potentially allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build roads, land aircraft, and install surveillance technology across America’s entire 112-million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System. Specifically, Senator Lee’s so-called “Border Lands Conservation Act” (S. 2967), would allow DHS to do the following prohibited activities in Wilderness across the entire country: - Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.
- Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology, including observation points, remote video surveillance systems, motion sensors, vehicle barriers, fences, roads, bridges, drainages, and detection devices.
- Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment.
- Use aircraft, including landings and takeoffs.
The bill also appears to open Wilderness to logging, chaining, brushing, and similar efforts to prioritize “fuels management” and create fuel breaks along the border, and the construction of new “navigable roads.” Early reporting on Senator Lee’s bill focused on the bill applying to federal public lands, including Wilderness, within 100 miles of the northern and southern borders. But Wilderness Watch’s analysis of the bill shows that while some of the bill’s provisions appear to limit its reach to border areas, the bill’s provisions that amend the 1964 Wilderness Act apply to every Wilderness in the nation.
With DHS spread across the entire U.S., a Homeland Security Secretary could concoct a border security reason to send bulldozers or aircraft or install remote video surveillance systems in any Wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System if Lee’s bill becomes law. Even if Senator Lee’s bill only applied to public lands and Wilderness closer to the northern and southern borders, the impact to Wilderness and its wildlife would be significant. According to a previous analysis, gutting the Wilderness Act along just the U.S. borders with Canada could damage 73 Wilderness areas across 12 states, affecting more than 32 million acres of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Senator Mike Lee’s anti-public lands and anti-wilderness views and policy initiatives are well known. Earlier this year, Senator Lee attempted to sell off over three million acres of America’s public lands heritage as part of legislation that passed this summer. Senator Lee has also previously introduced legislation to weaken the Wilderness Act and allow mountain bikes, strollers, and game carts in all Wilderness areas.
Please click here to contact your two senators and urge them to oppose Senator Lee’s “Border Lands Conservation Act!” You can find your senators’ contact information by choosing your state in the drop-down menu. It’s also a good idea to call your senators at (202) 224-3121. Speak in your own words, but consider making the following points to your senators. |
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As your constituent, I strongly urge you to publicly oppose S. 2967, the so-called “Border Lands Conservation Act.”
S. 2967 guts the Wilderness Act, potentially allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build roads, land aircraft, and install surveillance technology across America’s entire 112 million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System. Specifically, S. 2967 would allow DHS to do the following prohibited activities in Wilderness across the entire country: - Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.
- Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology, including observation points, remote video surveillance systems, motion sensors, vehicle barriers, fences, roads, bridges, drainages, and detection devices.
- Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment.
- Use aircraft, including landings and takeoffs.
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose S. 2967. |
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Help us protect Wilderness around the country. |
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