September 10, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Wilderness Coalition launched to build political power & advance wilderness legislation in Washington DC

Coalition also announces the inaugural Wilderness Champion Awards – 9.10.24

Contacts:
Amanda Newman, National Wilderness Coalition Coordinator; (801) 558-0404, info@nationalwildernesscoalition.org
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org

Washington, DC – Today, a diverse coalition of local, statewide, and national conservation and environmental justice organizations formally announced the creation of the National Wilderness Coalition (NWC) in Washington, DC. The NWC will reinvigorate a diverse and powerful wilderness movement; it is made up of organizations who have come together to build political power and advance wilderness legislation. In addition to the launch of the NWC, the Coalition will be awarding the inaugural Wilderness Champion Awards to Representatives Diana DeGette, Melanie Stansbury, Raúl Grijalva, and Joe Neguse and Senators Dick Durbin, Martin Heinrich, and Michael Bennet. Additional information can be found below.  

“The National Wilderness Coalition and its members know that wilderness conservation is a critical tool for addressing interrelated crises of our time. Our work builds on decades of advocacy and organizing from communities, nonprofit organizations, Indigenous people, and Tribal Nations across the country, “ said Travis Hammill, DC Director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), a NWC member. “The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is proud to join with like-minded organizations from across the country to protect public lands and waters at this critical moment. Many of this year’s Wilderness Champions have been supporters of new wilderness in Utah, and we’re excited to see so much support for wilderness across the country.” 

Since its inception in 1964, the Wilderness Act has been used by Congress to protect 112 million acres of public lands across 44 states. Although the Act has established 800 individual wilderness areas, these areas encompass only about 5% of lands in the U.S. The National Wilderness Preservation System represents the most protective and comprehensive means to ensure public lands are protected in their natural state for future generations.

Wilderness Champion Awards

The Wilderness Champion Award is given to Members of Congress who have and continue to be partners in prioritizing wilderness conservation as a critical tool for addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity, ensuring wildland integrity, and connecting people with nature. The Wilderness Champion Awards will be presented at an invite-only evening event in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Sept. 10; if you are a member of the press who would like to attend, please email info@nationalwildernesscoalition.org for information. Members of Congress who will be receiving the inaugural awards include:

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-01) is celebrated by NWC for her long-held belief in the importance of wilderness–a belief reflected both in the legislation she has championed for decades, like the Colorado Wilderness Act, and in the time she takes to experience wilderness areas. Her advocacy for protecting BLM wildlands in land use planning and her use of oversight as a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources during the Trump administration have been exemplary. 

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) is recognized as an emerging leader in public lands issues. Her long history as a Senate Energy and Natural Resources staffer and state legislator has set her course for being a staunch advocate for wilderness in the House of Representatives. Her sponsorship of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, for example, demonstrates a willingness to take on a leadership role in advocating for wilderness at the Congressional level.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) is honored by NWC for championing many bills that would designate wilderness, conserve wilderness values, advance tribal co-management, and foster equitable access. In particular, his championship for the Great Bend of the Gila, Bears Ears National Monument, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act, and actions in defense of Oak Flat demonstrate his effective work for wilderness conservation. 

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-06) is acknowledged for his work as the lead sponsor of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act and the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act. The Coalition appreciates his support in his role as Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee and his leadership in getting underserved communities outside, including in wilderness, through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the EXPLORE Act, and other legislation. 

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is celebrated for his decades-long sponsorship of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, as well as his work to protect wilderness in the Shawnee National Forest. He was instrumental in designating over 660,000 acres of wilderness in the Emery County Public Land Management Act along with defeating legislation, time and time again, that would have been detrimental to wilderness preservation over the years.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is recognized by NWC as an exceptional and longstanding public lands champion both as a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and as a longstanding advocate for wilderness protections in the Arctic Refuge and Tongass. We also appreciate his recent introduction of a resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Gila Wilderness and the many ways he is pushing for greater protections for the Gila River and surrounding areas.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) is honored for his work designating the Hermosa Creek Wilderness and more recently for championing the CORE Act and for cosponsoring the expansion of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness. His leadership to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Gunnison County is exemplary and we’re deeply appreciative of his efforts to rename the Mt. Evans Wilderness Area and being a Senate leader for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

About the National Wilderness Coalition: 

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2024, the Wilderness Act made possible visionary and remarkable conservation efforts across the country. Yet wilderness designation has become increasingly deprioritized in Congress, due in part to political polarization and the influence of corporate interests. We also recognize that the wilderness movement has historically lacked diversity and has failed to meaningfully engage Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations which has made building and sustaining a powerful base of support difficult. 

The vision of the NWC is to reinvigorate the wilderness movement by building a more diverse, inclusive, and powerful base of support and, in doing so, prioritize wilderness conservation as a critical tool for addressing the ongoing degradation of wildlands, climate change, biodiversity loss, and the lack of access to nature. A strong, diverse, and vibrant wilderness movement is essential to address these interrelated threats. All forms of life need a healthy planet for our long-term survival. Additional information can be found online at nationalwildernesscoalition.org

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The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.