Bush Proposes N. Mexico Wilderness Swap
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KENNEBUNKPORT, Me. — President Bush on Friday proposed that 487,186 acres of federal land in New Mexico be designated as wilderness area and that an additional 420,400 acres in the state be released from federal protection.
Bush’s announcement brought a quick protest from environmentalists, already angered by the Administration’s loosening of protection for the northern spotted owl and relaxation of restrictions of the Clean Air Act.
The designation of the areas results from a lengthy study growing out of a 1976 law requiring the government to review the wilderness potential of public lands around the country. In New Mexico, approximately 908,000 acres in 50 areas were studied.
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