King County Councilman Reagan Dunn today released a statement on the announcement that federal legislation expanding the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and designating both the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic had passed a significant milestone. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (H.R. 361) passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee with a favorable recommendation.

Introduced by Congressman Dave Reichert, H.R. 361 would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area by 22,100 acres of already existing federal land within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington. It would also designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and the Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers.