03/30/09 Bend
 
President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Bill into law at noon Monday. 
 
03/12/09 Bend
 
A discussion about the recent failure of a bill that would've included protecting the Badlands.
 
OR-S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 came up just two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the US House under suspension of the rules Wednesday, with 282-144 members voting in support of the lands bill. House leaders will now look at other options for bringing the bill up again.
 With nearly twice as many members in favor of the bill as those against it, supporters say that it is a matter of when and how - not "if" -- S. 22 will move forward.  Containing more than 160 bills, including measures to designate the Oregon Badlands and Spring Basin as Wilderness, S. 22 would protect over 2 million acres of Wilderness in 9 states. Despite the disappointment of the vote, local supporters of the Badlands and Spring Basin Wilderness expressed optimism about the future of the bills.
 "While we're disappointed that these important measures will be delayed, we remain confident that these areas will be protected very soon thanks to overwhelming local support," said Brent Fenty, Executive Director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association.