Wild Olympics Act Designates 126,000 Acres of New Wilderness and Protects Hundreds of Miles of Rivers

This legislation, dubbed the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, is a massive conservation move for Washington State. In short, it permanently protects over 126,000 acres of the Olympic National Forest by designating them as official Wilderness Areas, and it locks down hundreds of miles of key rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This bill is about taking huge chunks of the Olympic Peninsula and giving them the highest level of federal protection available, making them off-limits to development.

The Wilderness Upgrade: No More Motorized Vehicles

For those of us who appreciate getting away from it all, Section 2 is the big news. It adds roughly 126,554 acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This isn’t just a name change; it means the land is managed under the Wilderness Act. Think of it as putting a permanent ‘Do Not Develop’ sign on the map. Areas like the new Lost Creek Wilderness (7,159 acres) and expanded areas like the Buckhorn Wilderness (adding 21,965 acres) will be managed to preserve their natural state. For the average person, this means no new roads, no motorized vehicles, and no permanent structures. If you’re a backpacker, angler, or just someone who relies on clean water from these watersheds, this is a major win for long-term preservation.

River Protection: Keeping the Water Flowing

Section 3 tackles the waterways, adding a massive list of rivers and their tributaries—including the Elwha, Dungeness, and Quinault—to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This designation is crucial because it generally prevents the federal government from licensing dams or other water resource projects that would negatively affect the river’s free-flowing nature. For example, about 29 miles of the Elwha River are designated as “wild.” If you live downstream, this protection is essentially a long-term guarantee of water quality and natural flow. The bill even allows for specific river restoration activities, such as projects aimed at helping threatened species recover, which is good news for local salmon populations.

Who Pays and Who Gets Shut Out?

While the bill is focused on conservation, it has real-world implications for certain industries. Section 4 explicitly withdraws the newly designated federal lands from being claimed, sold, or leased under public land, mining, or mineral leasing laws. If you’re a developer looking for geothermal resources or mineral deposits, these lands are now permanently off the table. This move provides certainty for conservationists but closes the door on future extractive industries in these specific areas. However, the bill is careful to respect existing arrangements: any valid rights, privileges, or contracts that were already in place when the bill passes remain totally safe and unchanged.

Protecting Tribal Rights and Existing Deals

The legislation makes two important commitments regarding existing rights. First, Section 5 ensures that nothing in the Act diminishes, abrogates, or affects the treaty rights of Indian Tribes, including rights to hunt, fish, and gather resources. This is a critical safeguard, making sure that conservation doesn't come at the expense of long-established cultural and legal rights. Second, the bill explicitly states that it won't dictate how the Washington Department of Natural Resources manages or sells state lands, keeping state-level land management separate from the new federal designations. This clarity is important for avoiding legal conflicts down the road.

The Fine Print: Where the Buffers End

One detail worth noting is the explicit language in Section 2 regarding boundaries. The designation of these new Wilderness Areas will not create any special protective borders or buffer zones around them. This means that activities happening just outside the boundary—say, a logging operation or a loud quarry—are still completely allowed, even if you can hear or see them from inside the protected Wilderness Area. While the core land is protected, the surrounding environment doesn't get the same shield. This is a common feature in these types of bills, but it’s a reminder that conservation is often a jigsaw puzzle, not a solid wall.