Legislation that would add and expand protections for more than 1 million acres of public land is poised to become law with the blessing of multiple industry associations.

The Natural Resources Management Act cleared the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday after the Senate approved the bill on Feb. 12. It now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature into law. The legislation would designate 1.3 million acres of public lands as "wilderness," giving the highest level of protection under federal law, according to National Geographic. It also would create four new national monuments. https://on.natgeo.com/2H5Y3zm

The bill has bipartisan support and has received endorsements from a wide range of business groups. More than 40 conservation groups and associations representing outdoor recreation industries urged House leaders to support the legislation in a Feb. 20 letter, among them the Archery Trade Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and National Marine Manufacturers Association.

"The comprehensive public lands package is the product of years' worth of work and negotiations by the bicameral authorizing committees," the letter states. "It is thoroughly bipartisan in nature and broad in scope, and passage of this package would be a historical step forward for public lands and conservation." http://bit.ly/2tHjheQ

Barbara Tulipane, CEO of the National Recreation and Park Association, applauded House passage of the bill, saying in a statement it put the nation "one step closer to making access to great parks a reality for all."

"After years of dedicated advocacy work, the passage of this bill is a big win for our industry, and we thank our members of Congress, especially those who sponsored it, for recognizing the importance of parks and outdoor recreation in communities nationwide," she said.

The Outdoor Industry Association also weighed in with Vice President of Government Affairs Patricia Rojas-Ungar touting what her group said is the economic benefits of public lands.

"We heard from numerous stakeholders that OIA's Outdoor Recreation Economy report was a critical resource for quantifying the economic impact of outdoor recreation across the country," she said. "When lawmakers on both sides of the aisle learned that the outdoors generate $887 billion in consumer spending and support 7.6 million jobs, there was little question about the value of our public lands."

The bill also would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which sets aside royalties paid by energy companies for oil and gas exploration for conservation purposes. Erik Milito, vice president for upstream and industry operations at the American Petroleum Institute, pointed to the fund as an example of how the oil and gas industry benefits the environment.

"This fund will allow for a permanent and substantial revenue stream for water conservation programs, wildlife habitats, national parks and outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, hunting and fishing with basically no expense to the American taxpayer," Milito said.

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