Wild Olympics Bill Passes House Committee

Photo: L t R: Sen. Murray, Rep. Kilmer, Tim McNulty

QUILCENE, Wash. (December 5, 2019) – The Wild Olympics Coalition today cheered the passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 2642) out of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee. The legislation was introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) in May, and would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries—a total of 464 river miles—as Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Designed through extensive community input to protect ancient forests and clean water and to enhance outdoor recreation, the legislation would designate the first new wilderness in the Olympic National Forest in nearly three decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. Click to see the press release and to see a video of supporters.