A public lands bill that would protect nearly 2 million acres in nine states, including portions of the Wyoming Range and the Snake River , is heading to the president.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill, which has already received Senate approval, Wednesday on a 285-140 vote.

Included are the Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act, which would protect 387 miles of rivers and streams in the Snake River drainage under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, which would prohibit further energy leasing on 1.2 million acres in the Wyoming Range, Salt River Range and Commissary Ridge areas south of Jackson Hole and allow conservation groups to buy and retire existing energy leases.

The overall public lands bill also would protect nearly 2 million acres in nine states as designated wilderness areas.

The legislation now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign the bill into law.

Former Sen. Craig Thomas, of Wyoming , championed the effort, which was subsequently pushed through the Senate by his successor, Sen. John Barrasso. Both Barrasso and Sen. Mike Enzi, of Wyoming , voted for the lands bill last week.

Wyoming ’s only U.S. representative, Cynthia Lummis, voted against the bill. Lummis said she wanted to change some boundaries in the Wyoming Range Legacy Act and had other concerns.

Conservation groups, sportsmen groups and local politicians lauded the bill’s passage, calling it a victory for hunters, anglers, wildlife and local businesses.

Tim Preso, staff attorney for the Earthjustice office in Bozeman , Mont. , said the effort to protect the Wyoming Range has come a long way since the original proposal to allow oil and gas drilling on 170,000 acres there, including 90,000 acres of roadless areas.

“There was a lot of public concern and opposition,” Preso said. “But I think people felt pretty powerless.”

Still, Preso said a broad coalition of people, “from snowmobilers to the [Greater Yellowstone Coalition] folks” came out from all over Wyoming to protect the mountain range.

Tom Reed, a spokesman for Trout Unlimited, called the bill’s passage an affirmation of the public’s desire for a balance between developing fossil fuels and protecting pristine country.

“When you look at the Wyoming Range , it is pretty clear what is most important, and that is hunting and fishing,” Reed said. “We need a place where we can get away and listen to the natural world.”

Both Reed and Preso pointed out that 44,700 acres of the Wyoming Range remains unprotected and could be leased for oil and gas developments. Bridger-Teton National Forest officials are expected to make a decision on the land this spring.

“The 44,000 acres are not valid leases,” Reed said. “That is our contention. We don’t feel that they should have ever been offered on the table.”

Campaign for the Snake Headwaters Executive Director Tom Patricelli called the vote a testament to the vision of Thomas and the dedication of Barrasso and Enzi.

“Craig envisioned his bill not only as a legacy that would protect some of Wyoming’s most special places for future generations, but also as a tool that Wyoming outfitters, business owners and our state’s tourism industry could use to attract visitors from around the world,” he said, also praising Thomas’ wife, Susan, for continuing her husband’s effort. “John Barrasso has really come through for Wyoming . A Wild and Scenic designation is the holy grail of river protection, and the Snake Headwaters legislation is the biggest wild and scenic designation passed in a generation.”

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