Conservation News: Copper Salmon wilderness moves forward

The proposed Copper-Salmon Wilderness area in the headwaters region of the Elk River in southern Oregon came another step closer to becoming a reality yesterday.  The bill came out of committee in the House of Representatives as a clean bill with no amendments offered.  A similar bill has already come out of committee in the U.S. Senate and therein lies the only rub.  The precise area designated for immediate wilderness designation differs in the House and Senate versions of the bill.  This means that the bills will have to be reconciled before being eventually signed into law.  I guess it is an example of the legislature working like it was intended but it will cause a delay and I’ve waiting to pop the cork for a long time already.