It was ugly and it was long and it was all too often compared to sausage making, but the U.S. Congress today finally passed the massive omnibus public lands bill, giving permanent protection to two million acres in nine states and adds greater protection to another 26 million acres in the National Landscape Conservation System. The legislation now heads down the street to President Barack Obama, who would be more likely to slow-dance with Dick Cheney than not sign it.

The law bumps the amount of U.S. wilderness from 107 to 109 million acres, and supporters were breathless is praising its final passage. “I can’t think of a single bill that has ever done more to ensure the enjoyment of, and access to, wilderness areas (and) historic sites,” said Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and was one of the bill’s sponsors.

“Passage of this bill is the greatest nationwide public lands conservation victory since the late 1980s,” said John Sterling, executive director of the Conservation Alliance. “What’s truly remarkable is that, in a bitterly divided Congress, the bill passed with huge bipartisan majorities (77-21 in the Senate; 285-140 in the House). This broad support demonstrates that when conservation initiatives start in local communities and work their way up to Congressional consideration, they stand a great chance of success.”

Greg Miller, president of the American Hiking Society, said, “Not since the National Park System was created in 1916 has a single action of Congress had a greater positive impact on our ability to enjoy, take pride in and benefit from America’s incredible trails and natural resources.”

Even the GOP got on board, some of them, anyway. “This bill is the most important conservation legislation that Congress has passed in many years,” Dave Jenkins of Republicans for Environmental Protection. “We are especially pleased that 38 Republicans from all parts of the country supported this bill. It’s a powerful demonstration of the good that can be accomplished for our country when Republicans return to their roots as the party of conservation.”

Of course, some Republicans still clung to their role as bitter, myopic white guys, calling it a “massive land grab” and failing at the last minute to amend the bill to allow loaded and concealed weapons in national parks. And tell us again why that’s a good idea? Criminy.

The final House vote was 285-140. The Senate passed the bill last week, 77-20. See how your representative voted here and your senators voted here. If by some chance you want to read the entire 1,300-page bill, go here.

Here are some of the major provisions:

CALIFORNIA
Adds 465,000 acres of wilderness and protect 52 miles of rivers in the eastern Sierra and White mountains.

Adds 77,000 acres of wilderness to Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park and protect the largest stand of giant sequoias and California’s largest cave.

Sets aside 190,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness.

Adds 31 miles to Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

Adds 5,000 acres to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

COLORADO
Converts 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain National Park to wilderness.

Creates the 200,000-acre Dominguez-Escalante Canyons National Conservation Area, with 66,000 acres of wilderness.

IDAHO
Adds 500,000 acres of wilderness to the Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands.

Adds 315 miles of waterways to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

NEW MEXICO
Creates 15,000 acres of Sabinoso Wilderness in San Miguel County.

OREGON
Adds 128,600 acres of wilderness on Mt. Hood.

Adds 40,000 acres of wilderness to the Oregon Badlands and Spring Basin.

Adds 143 miles of Rogue River to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

Adds 4,000 acres to the Oregon Caves National Monument.

Creates the 23,000-acre Soda Mountain Wilderness.

Protects 13,700 acres of pristine old-growth forest surround the headwaters of the Elk River in the Siskiyou National Forest.

VIRGINIA
Protects 55,000 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as wilderness, wilderness study or national scenic areas.

WEST VIRGINIA
Expands 37,000 acres of wilderness in Monongahela National Forest, enlarging three current wilderness areas and creating three new ones.

WYOMING
Adds 440 miles of rivers and streams of the Snake River headwaters to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

Blocks oil, gas, and mineral leases in the Wyoming Range south of Jackson.

Tagged as: public lands, wilderness