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Inslee listens to a constituent.

Montage of Wing Point in Bainbridge Island and the Edmonds Ferry.

Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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House Wild Sky Bill Reintroduced

16 February 2005

U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (WA-01) and Rick Larsen (WA-02) renewed efforts to create a new wilderness area in Washington State, something that has not been done in two decades. Larsen reintroduced the House version of the bill today with Inslee listed as an original cosponsor. Inslee and Larsen were pleased to see the Senate version of the Wild Sky bill clear a major hurdle today when the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill - the last step necessary before a full Senate vote.

Bill creators Larsen and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) originally introduced the bill May 29, 2002. In both the 107th and 108th Congress, the bill passed the Senate but fell short of House passage.

Inslee, who was recently renamed to the House Resources Committee, commented on today's reintroduction of the bill: "It is high time for the people in Washington, D.C. to fulfill the will of the people in Washington State by passing Wild Sky," said Inslee. "Our constituents in Washington State clearly want Wild Sky and I will work in a diligent and bipartisan manner on the Resources Committee to overcome roadblocks in Congress and realize this long overdue wilderness proposal."

"We are restarting the clock on Wild Sky," Larsen said. "We have done the homework and the legwork to create a 'hands on' wilderness proposal that will benefit Washington state families and businesses. Now we have to make it a reality. I will continue working with my colleagues in the House and with Senators Murray and Cantwell to bring Wild Sky to life."

Larsen pledged to work with Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (CA-11), members of the Washington State Congressional Delegation, and Wild Sky supporters at home to pass Wild Sky. "Senator Murray and I created Wild Sky to attract more families, hunters, fishers, and hikers to the area. In the past, wilderness has meant 'hands off,' but Wild Sky is designed to be 'hands on,'" Larsen said.

The Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2005 will designate over 106,000 acres of national forest in east Snohomish County as wilderness. Traditionally, wilderness has consisted solely of old growth forest at higher elevations. Wild Sky is a new approach to Wilderness and will protect approximately 14,000 acres of low-elevation old growth, protecting 25 miles of salmon streams while still making the land available for recreational use.

The area is located within 90 minutes of 2.5 million people.

The carefully crafted bill was designed after consulting with constituents and a number of interested parties. Public meetings were held in both Index and Monroe. Since 2001, staff from Murray and Larsen's office have been in constant communication with the local Forest Service. They have met with backcountry horsemen who will still be able to go horseback riding in Wild Sky. They have also worked with the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association, local tribes, Washington Snowmobilers Association, Snohomish County Emergency Responders, Washington Coalition of Citizens with disabilities.