In what could be a great boost for protecting threatened places in the Northern Forest and the Central Appalachian Highlands, the US Senate passed late last year the American Wildlife Enhancement Act (S. 990). This bill, introduced by Senator Bob Smith (NH), would provide states with much-needed funds for the protection of significant natural areas, as well as the protection of wildlife and endangered species. It is now up the the House and the President to ensure the passage of this important legislation.

Senator Smith points specifically to the Northern Forest and the Highlands as places that could benefit from this legislation. The bill comes at a critical time for the 26-million acre Northern Forest of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, where over 6 million acres of land have changed hands in the last two and a half years. The Northern Forest is the largest undeveloped forest in the East and is the source of most of New England's major rivers. The bill would provide a federal fund from which one or more states could draw in order to protect natural areas of regional or national significance.

In the Central Appalachian Highlands of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, sprawl and industrial development threaten prized outdoor recreation areas. Here, forested ridges, rocky crags, and hundreds of lakes and ponds provide habitat for black bear, river otter, eagles, and trout. Federal funds like those provided by this bill will be critical for the protection of these unique natural areas.

In order to pass, the American Wildlife Enhancement Act will need support from everyone who cares deeply about protecting natural areas and the wildlife that inhabit them. Tell your representatives that you support a House version of S. 990 and ask them to co-sponsor the legislation. Your letters, emails, and calls will all make a difference in getting this bill passed into law!