Wild Sky bill hits House roadblock

WASHINGTON — A powerful California lawmaker yesterday said he opposed a proposal to permanently protect a swath of Snohomish County, 48 hours before his committee was to hear testimony on the measure.

In a letter to Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Spokane, released last night, House Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Stockton, thanked Nethercutt for getting involved in the Wild Sky Wilderness Bill, which would protect 106,000 acres near Index. Pombo indicated he might consider other forms of federal protection, short of wilderness designation, for the land.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., twice pushed the Wild Sky bill through the U.S. Senate, but it languished in the House. Earlier this year, Nethercutt pledged to come up with legislation that he vowed would become law.

In the past month, staff members from Rep. Rick Larsen's office, whose district includes the Wild Sky area, met with staff from Murray's and Nethercutt's offices to hash out a compromise.

Pombo, who can block the committee from voting on the measure, objected to a portion of the proposed wilderness because it contains land that was once logged or mined.

"Approximately 16,000 acres ... have these nonwilderness characteristics and I cannot, in good conscience, move a bill that ignores this fact," he wrote. "I am, however, willing to entertain ideas for other forms of protection for these lands other than wilderness designation."

A spokeswoman for Nethercutt said his office received the letter late yesterday and had no comment.

Murray's office said other types of protection — which might allow logging and mining — would not find support among Wild Sky advocates.

"Anything less [than wilderness protection] would be a slap in the face to the people of Washington who have worked on this for so many years," said Mike Spahn, a spokesman for Murray.

Larsen spokeswoman Abbey Blake called the 16,000 acres in question the "heart and soul" of the proposal — mostly low-elevation land, accessible to casual hikers, she said.

The Washington Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities has supported Wild Sky in hopes that disabled-access trails could one day be built, she said.

Supporters and opponents of Wild Sky are set to testify before a House Resources subcommittee tomorrow.

Among those scheduled is Mark Rey, an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture who told an earlier Senate hearing that President Bush would sign the original proposal, which included the 16,000 acres.

Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com