Salazar stands up for wilderness

Last month, Interior Secretary Salazar issued a Secretarial Order ending the Bush-era "no more wilderness" policy, which prevented federal agencies from protecting wilderness-quality lands across the West from destructive oil and gas drilling. More than ten million acres of western lands have wilderness characteristics but have not been designated as wilderness, including Utah's Upper Desolation Canyon, Wyoming's Adobe Town and New Mexico's Otero Mesa. In the wake of Salazar's order, we are hopeful that these spectacular lands will now be afforded the protection they need. Thanks to all the BioGems Defenders who made their voices heard on this issue.