"A decadelong push to protect central Idaho's Boulder-White Clouds region came to a close yesterday afternoon with the Senate's unanimous approval of H.R. 1138.

The bill by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), which passed the House last week by voice vote, now heads to President Obama's desk, where it is expected to be signed this summer.

Simpson's bill would designate 275,000 acres of wilderness, forever banning mining, logging, road building and motorized recreation in a region prized for its alpine lakes, salmon streams and towering mountain peaks."

Phil Taylor reports for E&E Daily August 5, 2015. [2]