Wild Sky: Preserving a future

After a breathtakingly up and down ride, a congressional bill creating the Wild Sky Wilderness Area is finally heading to President Bush's desk for a signature. The expansion of wilderness protection to lower-lying forests, streams and valleys in Snohomish County is a signal achievement that ought to point toward more preservation of critical lands.

The White House did not immediately say if Bush would sign the measure, which includes Rep. Jay Inslee's excellent Bainbridge Island memorial to Japanese-Americans interned during World War II and a host of other items. But the Bush administration has spoken favorably about Wild Sky.

Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen succeeded in Wild Sky efforts by listening to the public, working with others in Congress and making principled compromises. The Democrats worked with fair-minded Republicans but wisely stood firm when extremists tried to undo the parts of the bill that accomplish the most for people, wildlife and the environment.

The accomplishments set the stage for further protection in lower forests. Eastside Republican Rep. Dave Reichert, who was helpful on the Wild Sky bill, has proposed an Alpine Lakes Wilderness expansion. After a final House vote, Murray and Larsen didn't mention Reichert (it's apparently considered gauche among Democrats to miss a chance to slight him while the party holds hopes of unseating him). Bipartisanship was part of the Wild Sky formula and it will be needed again to create and protect more wildernesses.