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Public Lands and Waters Protected! Natural Resources Management Act Signed Into Law

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Photo credit: Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management
The above Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks becomes wilderness on March 12, 2019.

Today, the National Resource Management Act became law as President Trump finally put his signature on the wildly popular piece of legislation.

In a politically divided world, it’s rare to find bipartisan agreement. Yet that’s exactly what fueled the passage of the Natural Resources Management Act.

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Today, this historic bill was finally signed into law by President Trump, clearing its last hurdle to legitimacy. The bill holds legislation that creates a swath of new wilderness areas across four states, provides insight into litigation against federal agencies, blocks mining in sensitive ecosystems, protects hunting and fishing opportunities on federal land, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Natural Resource Management Act Passed

S. 47 saw a huge amount of celebration and grassroots advocacy as it made its way through the legislative ranks. And that grassroots action didn’t go unnoticed by Land Tawney, CEO and president of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

“Together, the public lands grassroots nation rose up to ensure the passage of this historic bill,” said Tawney. “We wrote letters, we made phone calls, we met with our elected officials, and we traveled from across the country to Washington, D.C., and together we made our voices heard. Today we can celebrate a victory that has been years in the making.”

Twitter followed in its own victorious chorus, with bipartisan celebration from lawmakers and support from outdoor brands and advocacy groups.

“This groundbreaking legislation protects millions of acres of public land and hundreds of miles of river,” REI tweeted. “For that, we’re grateful for the dedicated, bipartisan support of lawmakers and the president’s signature today.”

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