It's a big thing. Omnibus. Your help is needed.
For all the diaries on Climate Change, we rarely see the very base of Carbon Sequestration mentioned. Trees. Big, mature trees. Intact forest.
Here's a bill that is extremely important, yet virtually overshadowed by the all powerful Technology.
It's S. 3213, and it needs our help! This is what we're talking about.
What do we want our country to look like?
I think we have plenty enough of this.
And not quite enough of......
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 - Authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture concerning, among other things, national wilderness preservation, boundary adjustments, national rivers, the national landscape conservation system, national conservation areas, land conveyances and exchanges, watershed management, watershed restoration and enhancement, wildland firefighter safety, forest landscape restoration, national trails, paleontological resources preservation, national parks, studies, national heritage areas, national heritage corridors, and water projects.
Among the individual bills is one near and dear, The Virginia Ridge and Valley Act. Sponsored by Rick Boucher, we started work on this over 7 years ago. It passed the House. Finally. Was roadblocked.
Now time is running out.
This?
Or this? 
Campaign for America's Wilderness has an editable letter:
I urge you to support Senator Jeff Bingaman's Omnibus Public Lands Bill and contact Senate leadership asking them to bring it up for a vote when the Senate reconvenes for a post-election session next week.
This bipartisan package includes 15 wilderness bills, spanning eight states, and would protect 2 million acres of wilderness. Local coalitions have worked for many years to see these wild lands protected, and I hope you will support the bill.
Please work to see this public lands legislation taken up in the Senate, and communicate your support to Senator Harry Reid.
Phone calls have more clout. Find your numbers here, and please call!
Update: 11/17- from willyr's comment below, things are not looking so good for this year.
Chances slim for omnibus lands bill this week (11/17/2008)
from : Energy & Environment Daily, November 17, 2008 (subscription required)
Noelle Straub and Eric Bontrager, E&E Daily reporters
Chances have dimmed that an omnibus package of more than 150 public lands, water and resources bills will be approved this week.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had said before Congress adjourned for the elections that the Senate would take up the package during the lame-duck session. But with lawmakers focused on efforts to address the country's economic woes, it appears unlikely they will have time to address the omnibus measure.
There are enough votes to pass the omnibus, according to Energy and Natural Resources Committee spokesman Bill Wicker, but time is the main enemy.
Sad. Just too sad.