November 10, 2010 The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable John Boehner Speaker Minority Leader United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Boehner: We write to respectfully request that, in the waning days of the 111 th Congress, you prioritize the consideration of pending legislation affecting America s citizens, our communities, public lands and waters. As you know, the relevant House and Senate committees have passed dozens of bills that would establish new parks, monuments, wilderness, battlefields and heritage areas; support water supply and conservation projects and protect key river segments; facilitate necessary land exchanges and conveyances; and improve the management of America s public lands. These bills are the result of extensive collaboration and enjoy broad support from local elected officials, non-profit organizations, businesses, and other community leaders. These measures will bring great benefits to communities across the nation by facilitating economic development, creating jobs, preserving essential components of America s national heritage, and protecting key natural resources. Despite their importance, the vast majority of these legislative initiatives are still pending before the Congress, and await consideration by the House or Senate. On behalf of the organizations and individuals we represent, we respectfully request that you make the consideration of these significant proposals a priority before the adjournment of the 111 th Congress. Further, we ask that you not couple these important conservation measures with other proposals, like Sealaska, that would harm our natural environment. Sincerely,
Alabama Rivers Alliance (AL) Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation (Nat.) Alliance for Historic Wyoming (WY) American Hiking Society (Nat.) American Rivers (Nat.) American Society of Landscape Architects (Nat.) American Whitewater (Nat.) America's State Parks - the National Association of State Park Directors (Nat.) Appalachian Mountain Club (Reg.) Arizona Wilderness Coalition (AZ) Arizona Wildlife Federation (AZ) Arkansas River Coalition (KS) Audubon Maryland/DC (MD/DC) Audubon Minnesota (MN) Badlands Conservation Alliance (ND) Berkshire- Litchfield Environmental Council (CT) Californians for Western Wilderness (CA) California Wilderness Coalition (CA) Canaan Conservation Coalition (CT) Cascadia Wildlands (OR) Center for Biological Diversity (Nat.) Center for Large Landscape Conservation (Nat.) Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition (CO) Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Nat.) Cherokee Forest Voices (TN) Citizens Campaign for the Environment (NY) Citizens Organizing for Resources and Environment (TX) Citizens for Pennsylvania s Future (PA) Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy, Inc. (Nat.) Coconino Rural Environmental Corps (AZ) Colorado Environmental Coalition (CO) Colorado Mountain Club (CO) Colorado Wild (CO) Colorado Wildlife Federation (CO) Connecticut State Chapter of the Highlands Coalition (CT) Conservancy of Southwest Florida (FL) Conservation Alliance (Nat.) Conservation Corps North Bay (CA) Conservation Northwest (WA) Cook Inlet Keeper (AK) Cooks Creek Watershed Association (PA) The Corps Network (Nat.) Croto Watershed Clean Water Coalition (NY) Delaware Nature Society (DE) Delaware River Greenway Partnership (PA) Environment America (Nat.)
The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County (IL) Environmental League of Massachusetts (MA) Environment Ohio (OH) Environment Oregon (OR) Environment Protection Information Center (CA) Float Fishermen of Virginia (VA) Florida Wildlife Federation (FL) Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (OR) Friends of Allegheny Wilderness (PA) Friends of the Desert Mountains (CA) Friends of the Great Swamp (NY) Friends of the Gauley River (WV) Friends of Gold Butte (NV) Friends of Ironwood Forest (AZ) Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (MI) Friends of the Minnesota Valley (MN) Friends of Nevada Wilderness (NV) Friends of Red Rock Canyon (NV) Friends of Scotchmans Peak Wilderness (ID) Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument (AZ) Friends of the Inyo (CA) Friends of the River (CA) Friends of the Rivers of Virginia (VA) The Georgia Conservancy (GA) Georgia ForestWatch (GA) Georgia River Network (GA) Georgia Wildlife Federation (FL) Green Mountain Club (VT) Great Old Broads for Wilderness (CO) Greater Yellowstone Coalition (MT) Green Mountain Conservation Group (NH) Hells Canyon Preservation Council (OR) Hudson Highlands Land Trust (NY) Idaho Conservation League (ID) Idaho Rivers United (ID) Idaho Wildlife Federation (ID) International Federation of Fly Fishers (Nat.) Izaak Walton League, Pennsylvania Division (PA) KAHEA: The Hawaiian- Environmental Alliance (HI) Kentucky Resources Council (KY) Klamath Forest Alliance (CA) Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (CA, OR) The Lands Council (WA) Land Trust of Danbury (CT) Litchfield Environmental Council (CT) Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative (CT)
Lower Columbia Canoe Club (OR) Maine Audubon (ME) Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MD) Michigan Karst Conservancy (MI) Middle Fork Outdoor Recreation Coalition (WA) Milwaukee Riverkeeper (WI) Minnesota Conservation Federation (MN) Montana Conservation Corps (MT) Montana Wilderness Alliance (MT) Mountaineers (WA) National Park Trust (Nat.) National Trust for Historic Preservation (Nat.) National Wildlife Federation (Nat.) Natural Resources Council of Maine (ME) Nature Abounds (Nat.) Neponset River Watershed Association (MA) New Fairfield Land Trust (CT) New Jersey Recreation and Park Association (NJ) New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NM) New Mexico Wildlife Federation (NM) New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NY/NJ) Nevada Wilderness Project (NV) North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NC) Ohio Environmental Council (OH) Orange County Land Trust (NY) Oregon Kayak and Canoe Club (OR) Oregon National Desert Association (OR) Oregon Wild (OR) Palisades Interstate Park Commission (NJ) Partnership for Smarter Growth (VA) Pennsylvania Council of Churches (PA) Project Amiga (CA) The Potomac Conservancy (MD) The Public Lands Service Coalition (Nat.) Putnam County Commission to Preserve Open Space (NY) Range of Light Group, Toiyabe Chapter, Sierra Club (CA) Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes (IN) Rivers Unlimited (OH) Republicans for Environmental Protection (Nat.) Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO) Salisbury Association Land Trust (CT) San Juan Citizens Alliance (CO) Save our Canyons (UT) Sharon Land Trust (CT) Sheep Mountain Alliance (CO) Sierra Club, Loo Wit Group (WA)
Sierra Club, Maine Chapter (ME) Sierra Club, Massachusetts Chapter (MA) Sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter (NV) Sierra Nevada Alliance (CA) Siskiyou Project (OR) Sitka Conservation Society (AK) Soda Mountain Wilderness Council (OR) South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition (SD) South Dakota Wildlife Federation (SD) Southwest Conservation Corps (Nat.) Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (NC) Southern Environmental Law Center (VA) Spokane Mountaineers (WA) Sterling Forest Partnership (NY) Student Conservation Association (Nat.) Susquehanna Heritage (PA) Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TN) Tuleyome (CA) Umpqua Watersheds (OR) Utah Conservation Corps (UT) Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (MI) Virginia Forest Watch (VA) Virginia Wilderness Committee (VA) Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club (VT) Washington Wilderness Coalition (WA) Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition (WA) Western North Carolina Alliance (NC) West Virginia Wilderness Coalition (WV) Wild Cumberland (GA) Wildlands Network (AZ) Wild South (NC) Wild Virginia (VA) The Wilderness Society (Nat.) Wilderness Workshop (CO) Wyoming Wilderness Association (WY)