We are on the eve of potentially great news for wild land conservation in our nation. But it won’t happen if we don’t take one simple step to push it forward.

The Senate has before it one last chance to pass a sweeping, long-awaited package of bills that would conserve hundreds of thousands of acres of new Wilderness and other special public lands and formally recognize America’s newest conservation system.

The bi-partisan package, known as the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008, has a good chance of passing, save for one small problem. Time.

On April 9th, the National Landscape Conservation Act was approved by the House of Representatives. The legislation will provide permanent protection for the National Landscape Conservation's collection of wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and archaeological treasure troves.

Next step? The Senate needs to vote on their version of the bill and then the House and Senate versions need to be agreed upon before going to the President for his signature. A few more steps to take, but we are getting closer. Please stay tuned.

Scenic America is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to preserving and enhancing the visual character of America’s communities, countryside, and public lands. Beauty is worth fighting for and our visual heritage is a public resource at risk of vanishing. Scenic America is building a national scenic conservation movement that aims to make the visual character of our country an issue of social and political significance.

The very first NCA, King Range National Conservation Area is a dramatic meeting of land and sea along the California coast. Mountains seem to thrust directly out of the surf, and it is known for black sand beaches, challenging hikes, and incredible beauty. King Range is home to the Northern Spotted Owl, king salmon, steelhead, and many other important species.