Senate approves Wild Sky wilderness

WASHINGTON — For the fourth and what supporters hope is the final time, the Senate has approved a bill to create a Wild Sky Wilderness northeast of Seattle. If approved by the House and signed by President Bush, the bill would be the first new wilderness area in Washington state in more than 20 years.

The bill, introduced by Washington Sen. Patty Murray, would designate 167 square miles in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of Sultan, Snohomish County, as wilderness, the government's highest level of protection.

The Senate approved the plan 91-4 Thursday as part of a massive bill affecting public lands from coast to coast.

The bill combines 62 separate proposals related to public lands across the country.