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NREPA
Designations
The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act differs
from traditional state-by-state wilderness bills by offering a variety
of designations designed to work in concert to achieve one goal:
protection of an entire, functioning ecosystem. These designations
are based on the best science on ecological and watershed features—not
arbitrary political boundaries.
Wilderness
NREPA affords America's pristine roadless lands with their highest
level of legal protection—designation under the 1964 Wilderness
Act. These designations (20,572,147 acres) complete the visionary
work enacted by previous Congresses and fill important ecological
gaps overlooked when our understanding of conservation biology was
less advanced.
National Park & Preserve Study Areas
NREPA establishes two potential additions to our national park system:
Hells Canyon-Chief Joseph National Park & Preserve Study Area
(1,439,444 acres) along the Oregon/Idaho border and the Flathead
National Preserve Study Area (285,078 acres) adjacent to Glacier
National Park. Preserve status prohibits developments which impair
natural and scenic values, while traditional uses such as hunting,
fishing, and firewood gathering and some motorized uses, would continue.
Wild & Scenic Rivers
NREPA protects 1,810 miles of headwaters rivers which feed three
different oceans. Wild, Scenic and Recreational River designations
will protect these rivers and safeguard ancient migration routes
for numerous species of salmon, steelhead, and native trout including
bull trout. World-class rafting and boating opportunities will also
be preserved while assuring steady flows of high quality water for
downstream users.
Biological Linkage Corridors
NREPAsafeguards against habitat fragmentation by establishing a
system of Biological Linkage Corridors to connect the region's core
wildlands into a functioning ecological whole. These areas would
be protected as wilderness and as special management zones (3,476,118
acres) where development is limited, but not prohibited.
National Wildland Recovery System
NREPA establishes a pilot system of Wildland Restoration Areas (1,022,769
acres) and creates jobs restoring damage caused by unwise resource
extraction practices. Efforts will focus on removal of excess and
unneeded roads, reduction of soil erosion, and restoration of native
vegetation and water quality. Native fisheries and wildlife populations
will be rejuvenated while boosting the economy in rural communities
formerly dependent on resource extraction.
Native American Religious & Treaty Rights
NREPA respects and honors the rights and religious practices of
our first citizens. The Badger–Two Medicine area adjacent to
Glacier National Park is designated The Blackfeet Wilderness where
traditional Native American uses and treaty rights are fully protected.
All areas designated through NREPA explicitly recognize and protect
these rights.
On to Map of NREPA Designations
Back to NREPA Index
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