The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act designates approximately 25 million acres of federal public land across Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as protected wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, and wildlife corridors under the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill prohibits commercial activities including logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling on designated lands, creates roughly 2.9 million acres of biological corridors to support wildlife movement between major ecosystems, and designates over 50 river segments as protected wild and scenic waterways. Additionally, the legislation establishes approximately 1 million acres of "wildland recovery areas" requiring restoration plans to remove roads and restore native conditions, while protecting tribal cultural access and existing water rights. Supporters argue the protections will restore ecological integrity, support endangered species survival in a changing climate, and create local employment through restoration work while reducing taxpayer losses from subsidized resource extraction. The bill affects five western states and applies to federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
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