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Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail passes Congress!

03-25-09. The Trail bill has passed Congress! The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, a bundle of 164 bills, including the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail bill, was passed by the House today after passing the Senate earlier this year. In the House, of the 17 Representatives from the four Northwest states, only Hastings (WA), McMorris Rodgers (WA) and Rehberg (MT) voted "nay", apparently opposing the omnibus but not the Trail bill component. On this vote, a 2/3 majority was not required, but there it is. In the Senate, the preceding vote (3/19) was 77-20, with all 8 of the region's Senators voting in favor. It is now going on to President Obama for his expected signature.

Appropriation of money to staff the trail and create the management plan is the next task. IAFI has submitted electronic budget request materials to the primary sponsors, Senator Cantwell and Congressman Hastings. The job isn't over yet, but this is a really important milestone. Thank you to all who have helped in this long journey. Your many hours (in many cases many years) of writing letters and articles, making phone calls, talking with the public and public leaders, organizing and leading field trips and generally being cheerleaders for the Trail have done the trick.

The public lands bill will also include new protections to the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail and launch a program to study and monitor ocean acidification, a potentially devastating greenhouse gas-related development caused by the 22 million tons of carbon dioxide absorbed by the oceans daily. The legislation pulls together 150 separate public lands, parks and water bills in one package. It designates 2 million additional acres as wilderness areas in nine states--though not Washington--authorizes water projects on tribal lands, and designates new wild and scenic rivers.

The National Park Service would oversee the geologic trail, which would cost an estimated $8 million to $12 million to create.

"Our region’s ice age flood legacy is etched all over the Pacific Northwest, and this trail will serve as a valuable learning tool to educate Americans on our unique geological history as well as a boost for local tourism," Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in a statement. Cantwell originally had introduced stand-alone bills for the ice age flood trail and the Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail. The lands bill designates the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail as a National Scenic Trail, a designation that should provide additional protection and additional funding for maintenance. With scientists increasingly concerned, the public lands bill also requires a comprehensive national research and monitoring program of ocean acidification. Carbon dioxide is changing the chemistry of the oceans, threatening the food chain, from tiny marine animals to salmon.

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