Washington Wild 2015 Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions

Washington Wild successfully led a coalition of conservation and recreation groups to develop local support for permanently protecting more than 22,000 acres of rare low-elevation forest land as Wilderness adjacent to the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness area and nearly 30 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and 10 miles of the Pratt Rivers as Wild & Scenic. This legislation was signed into law on December 19, 2014.

Now, Get Out & Explore Your Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions using the recreation map linked below!

Click for full resolution.

These additions are the second national forest Wilderness designation in Washington State in 30 years, and we have deep gratitude to our congressional partners. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA08) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA01) introduced and passed legislation through both the House and Senate, and it was ultimately signed by President Barack Obama. To the right you can see the commemorative art artwork created by local artist Roy Hughes in honor of the passage of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions.

Bill Text (H.R. 361 and S. 112)
Legislative History

Local Support

Fact Sheets

Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions passed in December of 2014. Click to see full resolution PDF.

Bessemer Mountain in Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo Courtesy of WA Wild.

Media List

Some links may no longer be available.

12/28/14 – SNOQUALMIE VALLEY HERALD – Legislation flows to protect Pratt and Snoqualmie Rivers
12/27/14 – EVERETT HERALD (Letter) – Grateful to state’s land champions
12/24/14 – EVERETT HERALD EDITORIAL – Alpine Lakes addition marks Wilderness Act’s 50th
12/19/14 – Q13 FOX NEWS – New law expands Alpine Lakes Wilderness, preserves Hanford’s B Reactor as national historic park
12/15/14 – MAPLE VALLEY REPORTER – Reagan Dunn commends the passing of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Bill
12/15/14 – PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE – Christmas Comes Early for Alpine Lakes Supporters
12/14/14 – PENINSULA DAILY NEWS – Congress expands Alpine Lakes Wilderness northeast of Seattle
12/14/14 – EVERETT HERALD (SUNDAY) – Wilderness addition protects popular recreation area
12/12/14 – KOMO NEWS – Manhattan Project park bill passes
12/12/14 – EVERETT HERALD – Congress votes to expand Alpine Lakes Wilderness, protects 3 rivers
12/10/14 – SNOQUALMIE VALLEY RECORD – Alpine Lakes bill almost there: North Bend wild-area protection efforts pass U.S. House, on to Senate
12/04/14 – BELEVUE REPORTER – DelBene praises House passage of Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions
12/05/14 – KPLU NPR – House Passage Of Defense Package Has Conservation, Rec Groups Celebrating
12/04/14 – Issaquah Reporter – Reichert ‘thrilled’ by House passage of Alpine Lakes legislation
12/03/14 – Seattle PI – Washington set to get new national park, more wilderness protection
12/04/14 – Seattle Times – Odds grow in Congress to enlarge Alpine Lakes Wilderness
09/07/14 – Seattle Times OPED – Protect more land with the 50th anniversary of Wilderness Act
08/01/14 – Everett Herald, EDITORIAL – Wilderness in our back yard
07/31/14 – KPLU – Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area Expansion Bill Clears Key Committee In Congress
07/31/14 – WA News Service – Alpine Lakes Bill Takes Another Step
07/31/14 – Snoqualmie Valley Record – Alpine Lake expansion takes strong step toward reality
07/31/14 – Voice of The Valley. Dunn: Alpine Lake expansion takes strong step toward reality
07/24/2013 – Everett Herald, EDITORIAL – The Good, Bad and Ugly
07/23/2013 – Seattle Times – High Hopes for Bill to Expand Alpine Lakes Wilderness
07/23/2013 – Maple Valley Reporter,Reagan Dunn Testifies in Support of Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Scenic River Designations
07/23/2013 – Seattle PI – Alpine Lakes Bill Gets Bipartisan Boost
07/18/2013 – Seattle PI – At Long Last, Alpine Lakes Bill Gets House Hearing
07/10/2013 – SnoValley Star – Senate Unanimously Passes Alpine Lakes Bill
06/26/2013 – The Columbian, EDITORIAL – Protecting Our Treasures
06/24/2013 – Seattle PI COLUMN (Joel Connelly) – Alpine Lakes: in the hands of a hostile House
06/21/2013 – Public News Service – US Senate Gives Unanimous Thumbs-Up to Alpine Lakes Protection
06/20/2013 – Bothell/Kenmore Reporter – Senator Murray Announces Senate Passage of Alpine Lakes Wilderness Legislation
06/12/2013 – Press Release from Congressman Dave Reichert’s Offce – Reichert, DelBene Applaud Committee on Natural Resources Decision to Consider Alpine Lakes Wilderness Legislation
06/12/2013 – Seattle PI COLUMN (Joel Connelly) – What’s up, Doc? Alpine Lakes bill finally gets hearing
04/10/2013 – SvoValley Star – Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Rivers bill clears key U.S. Senate committee
03/14/2013 – Seattle PI COLUMN (Joel Connelly) – Alpine Lakes: A Milestone and a Millstone
02/13/2013 – SnoValley Star Alpine Lakes Bill reintroduced in U.S. Congress
02/05/2013 – Seattle Times, LETTER (Meg Town) – Alpine Lakes Should be Expanded
02/03/13 – Spokesman Review,Alpine Lakes bill back in Congress
01/30/13 – Everett Herald, EDITORIAL – Bipartisanship at its best
01/29/13 – Seattle Times, EDITORIAL – Expand Alpine Lakes, wilderness for all
01/29/13 – KBAI 930 AM – Alpine Lakes Reintroduced
01/29/13 – WA News Service – Another Try for Alpine Lakes Wilderness Expansion
01/27/13 – Examiner.com – Protecting Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness draws bipartisan effort
01/25/13 – Seattle PI COLUMN (Joel Connelly) – Bipartisan drive to protect King County wild places
04/02/12 – Public News Service – Some in GOP Push for Conservation Causes
12/05/11 – The Columbian, EDITORIAL – Victories for Nature
11/13/11 – Seattle Times, EDITORIAL – Congress can protect two of Washington’s treasures
02/10/11 – Seattle Times – “Bill to expand Washington’s Alpine Lakes reintroduced”
03/18/10 – Seattle Times – “Alpine Lakes Wilderness expansion finally near?”
11/04/09 – SnoValley Star – Senate subcommittee considers expanding Alpine Lakes Wilderness, protecting rivers
10/30/09 – Seattle PI – Congress is moving to protect Middle Fork – Snoqualmie
09/05/09 – Seattle Times – Hiker helps turn dumping ground into scenic gem
04/28/09 – Bellevue Reporter, “City council supports alpine wilderness expansion
04/17/09 – SnoValley Star – Mayors onboard with Valley wilderness protection
04/15/09 – SnoValley Star, EDITORIAL – Pratt River, Middle Fork get preservation nod
04/14/09 – Snoqualmie Valley Record – Lawmakers tout Middle Fork wilderness
04/10/09 – King 5 – Bi-partisan effort to expand Alpine Lakes wilderness
04/10/09 – Seattle PI, COLUMN (Joel Connely) – Protect Seattle’s backyard mountain valley, but fix the road
04/10/09 – Seattle Weekly – Murray, Reichert Seek To Expand Alpine Lakes Wilderness
04/04/09 – SnoValley Star – Valley areas may receive federal protection
03/31/09 – Snoqualmie Valley Record – Legislators announce wilderness bills
03/31/09 – Seattle Times, LETTER (Beth Anderson) – More land for Alpine Lakes Wilderness
03/27/09 – Seattle Times – More land sought for Alpine Lakes Wilderness
03/27/09 – Public News Service – WA – Some New Wilderness for WA, Too?
03/26/09 – Seattle PI – Murray Reichert team up for wilderness bill
02/25/09 – Snoqualmie Valley Record, “Pratt River Valley federal protection plan gets new life
02/16/09 – Snoqualmie Valley Record – Pratt River wilderness proposal gets second look
06/10/08 – Seattle PI – 2 Democrats back Reichert wilderness bill
06/05/08 – Seattle Times – Reichert gets Dems help on wilderness bill
11/16/07 – Seattle Times EDITORIAL – Reichert bill done right
08/09/07 – Seattle Times – Reichert has plans for Pratt River
08/09/07 – Seattle PI – Pratt River fans try to protect it as wilderness
08/09/07 – Seattle PI, COLUMN (Joel Connelly) – Reichert’s Pratt River valley idea is right on

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