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Press Release: Groups Praise Senator McCain's Support
for Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating 40th Anniversary of the Wilderness
Act
Groups Say Now is the Time
for New Arizona Wilderness, Call on Senator to Act
Phoenix—
Today Arizona conservation groups praised Senator John McCain’s
(R-AZ) support for a
bipartisan resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness
Act, while calling on him to take action now to protect more of Arizona’s
special wild places, like the Tumacacori Highlands southwest of Tucson.
“Senator
McCain played an important role in passing the 1984 and 1990 wilderness
bills in Arizona that protected critical wildlife habitat and outstanding
recreation lands in our state,” says Matt Skroch, Field Director for the
Sky Island Alliance, a member of the Friends of the Tumacacori Highlands.
“He has shown us time and again his dedication to providing for Arizona’s
outstanding recreational opportunities and wildlife. We continue to look
to Senator McCain for his leadership and support on a popular proposal
to designate the Tumacacori Highlands as wilderness. With 2 million more
residents living in Arizona since the last wilderness was designated here,
it is time to ensure that this magnificent area will remain for future
generations.”
Introduced
today by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), the resolution calls on the Senate
to “recognize and applaud the extraordinary work of the organizations
and individuals involved in building the National Wilderness Preservation
System,” which today protects nearly 106 million acres of wild America
from urban encroachment and degradation.
The
resolution also remembers the legacy of conservation leaders, such as
former Arizona Representative Morris K. Udall, who worked closely with
Senator McCain and other congressional representatives to bring bipartisan
support to Arizona wilderness legislation in 1984 and 1990. The resolution,
in part, re-emphasizes the critical nature of Republican and Democratic
involvement in passing the original wilderness legislation:
“Whereas
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Representative
John Saylor, a Republican from Pennsylvania, originally introduced the
legislation with strong bipartisan support in both bodies of Congress;
Whereas
with the help of their colleagues, including cosponsors Gaylord Nelson,
William Proxmire, Henry ‘‘Scoop’’ M. Jackson, and Morris K. Udall, and
other conservation allies, Senator Humphrey and Representative Saylor
toiled 8 years to secure nearly unanimous passage of the legislation,
78 to 8 in the Senate, and 373 to 1 in the House of Representatives…”
Today,
conservation advocates are calling on Senator McCain to follow in Udall’s
footsteps and work to permanently protect 85,000 acres of prime jaguar
habitat in the Tumacacori Highlands, a lush, canyon-riddled maze of subtropical
meadows and forest lands. Led by a local coalition of businesses, civic
groups, nonprofits, and citizens called the Friends of the Tumacacori
Highlands, advocates for Arizona’s newest wilderness are working to protect
the largest remaining roadless area not yet designated as Wilderness in
Arizona’s National Forests. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has put forth a
proposal that would establish the first national forest wilderness in
Arizona in 20 years.
“John
McCain gives us a refreshing, overdue example of conservation leadership
that knows no party lines,” says Don Hoffman, Executive Director of the
Arizona Wilderness Coalition. “He has worked with men and women who saw
wilderness protection as a national cause—a duty to our future generations.
We greatly appreciate his voice of reason to reinforce that message with
today’s lawmakers.”
In
Arizona, wilderness protection bills after the 1964 Wilderness Act have
protected more than 4.5 million acres—gems such as Mazatzal, Four Peaks,
and Hellsgate Wilderness areas. It was former Republican President Ronald
Reagan who signed the 1984 Arizona Wilderness Act into law, creating other
outstanding natural legacies like Escudilla, Chiricahua, and Munds Mountain
wildernesses.
“John
McCain joined with Morris Udall to save some of wild Arizona when they
were both Congressman in the 1980’s,” says Joni Bosh, wilderness co-chair
of the Sierra Club’s Arizona chapter. “We hope Senator McCain will continue
that work by setting aside other special places, including the Tumacacori
Highlands, for future generations.”
Find
the full
text of the resolution here.
Contact:
Don Hoffman, Executive Director, Arizona Wilderness Coalition, 928-339-4525
Matt
Skroch, Field Director, Sky Island Alliance, 520-624-7080
Rob
Smith, Sierra Club Southwest Office, 602-254-8362
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