U.P. acreage preserved in Senate bill

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MUNISING - The U.S. Senate convened in a rare session Sunday, moving forward a massive lands bill, which includes wilderness designation for 11,739 acres at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Overall, the measure would set aside more than 2 million acres in Michigan and eight other states as wilderness.

The legislation to protect the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks was introduced last week by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Southfield, and co-sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, before being added into the lands bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.

Congressional Beaver Basin Wilderness Area designation is one component of the General Management Plan at Pictured Rocks, completed and approved in 2004, after five years of planning and extensive public involvement.

During Sunday's session, majority Democrats assembled more than enough votes to overcome GOP stalling tactics in an early showdown for the new Congress. By a 66-12 vote, with only 59 needed to limit debate, lawmakers agreed to clear away procedural hurdles despite partisan wrangling that had threatened pledges by leaders to work cooperatively as the new Obama administration takes office.

Senate approval of the lands bill is expected later this week. Supporters hope the House will follow suit.

''Today is a great day for America's public lands,'' Bingaman said. ''This big, bipartisan package of bills represents years of work by senators from many states, and both parties, in cooperation with local communities, to enhance places that make America so special.''

Republicans complained that Democrats did not allow amendments on the massive bill, which calls for the largest expansion of wilderness protection in 25 years.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats said the bill - a holdover from last year - was carefully written and included measures sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats.

The measure - actually a collection of about 160 bills - would confer the government's highest level of protection on land ranging from California's Sierra Nevada mountain range to Oregon's Mount Hood, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and parts of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.

Land in Idaho's Owyhee canyons and Zion National Park in Utah also would be designated as wilderness.

In addition to the Pictured Rocks wilderness legislation, the omnibus lands bill also includes two additional U.P.-related measures introduced by Levin.

The first provision would amend the National Trails System Act to clarify federal authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers for the North Country National Scenic Trail.

The second proposal would decrease the matching funds requirement and authorize additional appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park.

The bill would designate the childhood home of former President Bill Clinton in Hope, Ark., as a national historic site and expand protections for dozens of national parks, rivers and water resources.

Reid said about half the bills in the lands package were sponsored by Republicans. Most had been considered for more than a year.

''I am happy that after months of delay we will finally be moving forward,'' Reid said.

The bill's chief opponent, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., denounced what he called Democratic bullying tactics.

''I am disappointed the Senate majority leader has refused to allow senators the opportunity to improve, amend or eliminate any of the questionable provisions in his omnibus lands bill,'' Coburn told fellow senators.

''When the American people asked Congress to set a new tone, I don't believe refusing to listen to the concerns of others was what they had in mind,'' Coburn said. ''The American people expect us hold open, civil and thorough debates on costly legislation, not ram through 1,300-page bills when few are watching.''

Coburn and several other Republicans complained that bill was loaded with pet projects and prevented development of oil and gas on federal lands, which they said would deepen the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Environmental groups said the bill set the right tone for the new Congress.

''By voting to protect mountains and pristine wildlands, Congress is starting out on the right foot,'' said Christy Goldfuss of Environment America, an advocacy group. ''This Congress is serious about protecting the environment and the outstanding lands that Americans treasure.''