WASHINGTON, D.C.— The efforts of U.S. Sen. John Barrasso to protect the Wyoming Range in perpetuity are one step closer to fruition thanks to a vote Wednesday moving the bill out of the Senate Energy and Resources Committee to the Senate floor.

The bill, the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, passed the committee by a vote of 13-9. If passed into law, it will permanently protect more than 1.2 million acres of prime fish and habitat of acute value of Wyoming’s sportsmen from further oil and gas development, and allow for buy-outs of existing oil and gas leases.

“On behalf of literally thousands of sportsmen and women across Wyoming, I want to say thank you to Sen. Barrasso for having the fortitude to stand up for Wyoming’s rich outdoor heritage,” said Tom Reed, spokesman for Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range.  “The senator truly gets it—we need to keep some places as they are but not locked up. He’s has been to the Wyoming Range and has talked to countless sportsmen who have told him about the importance of leaving some places to share and pass down through generations.  He gets it and I thank him for it.”

The bill, which will affect some 100 miles of terrain in the Bridger-Teton range will still have to be approved by the full senate, and already has it’s detractors such as Larry Craig (R)  from Idaho, who felt it sends the wrong message to oil producing countries whom the Senate has recently asked for help.  “This is a message that should not be sent to the world’s oil suppliers” he said.

Other opposition came from Senator Mary Landrieu, (D) Louisiana, who called it counterproductive at a time when oil prices are at  an all time high.  She said the area includes 8.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and potentially 331 million barrels of oil. She noted that President Bush has asked OPEC to increase production.

Governor Dave Freudenthal testified on behalf of the bill recently, flying to Washington and back in a single day to do so.

“This is a testament to the senator’s willingness to listen to the sportsmen of Wyoming,” said Walt Gasson of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. “I have seen first-hand how Sen. Barrasso has talked and corresponded with literally thousands of hunters and anglers from all walks of life during the past several months. Without exception, they are all deeply concerned about losing their hunting and fishing areas to energy development and on behalf of our organization, I would also like to extend some home-state gratitude.”

Reed, who has spearheaded the campaign to protect this sportsmen’s paradise for the past year and half, added, “When we started this hook-and-bullet effort to safeguard the Wyoming Range, we had 11 key groups offering their support. Today we have over 30 different sporting organizations representing Wyoming’s ‘way of life’.  It’s not easy being a senator, sometimes standing up for your state means you get a little bloody out in D.C., and today Sen. Barrasso proved he can not only take a punch, but he is also darn good at standing up and throwing them on behalf of his constituents.”

Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range plans to continue its efforts to protect the area as the bill reaches the Senate floor. The Senate must now pass the Wyoming Range Legacy Act to clear the measure before it moves over to the U.S. House of Representatives and on to the president for approval.