Help Score a Big Win for Wild Steelhead in Congress
This week the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are planning to vote on a bill that, if passed, will resolve a number of issues the Wild Steelhead Coalition has been working on—alongside key partners—for years, as well as a score of other critical wins for anglers. This legislation, S. 47 the Natural Resources Management Act, has been years in the making and is on the verge of becoming law this week, so please take a minute to email your members of Congress and encourage them to vote “yes” on this important bill.
This federal legislation is perhaps the most important bill for wild steelhead and the public lands and waters they inhabit that has reached the Senate floor in years. Specifically, the Natural Resources Management Act:
Establishes the Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Special Management Area and protects 99,653 acres of steelhead habitat in the North Umpqua watershed
Finalizes a mineral withdrawal for the headwaters of Washington’s Methow River and the Chetco River in Oregon, protecting these steelhead rivers from harmful mining proposals
Creates 256 miles of Wild and Scenic River designations for tributaries of the Rogue River, Molalla, and Elk rivers in Oregon
In addition to the protection of these steelhead waters, the Natural Resources Management Act also scores a number of other major wins for anglers. From the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund – the nation’s largest and most important conservation program that provides hundreds of millions of dollars annually to secure the purchase and protection of public lands – to protecting the Yellowstone River from a dangerous gold mining project, S. 47 is a major win for all sportsmen.
Help the Natural Resources Management Act become law by emailing your member of Congress and encouraging them to vote “yes” on this vital legislation. By doing so, you can help secure a generational congressional win for wild steelhead and sportsmen across America.