Oregon Public Broadcasting

U.S. House Democrats fell two votes short Wednesday of protecting more than 2 million acres of public lands.

Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports the bill would have had far-reaching impact in the Northwest.

The bill would have set aside more than 100,000 acres around Mt Hood, and would have protected miles of land around Idaho’s Owyhee River.

Gena Goodman-Campbell is with the Oregon Natural Desert Association.

Her group has been pushing to protect 30,000 acres of the ‘Badlands’ east of Bend for decades. She says she thought one of the biggest hurdles would be winning over Hood River Republican Greg Walden.

Gena Goodman-Campbell: “We were all standing around the computer watching the votes come in. And it was an incredibly close vote. We were happy to see Congressman Walden vote for the bill. And I think without and wilderness bills in Washington, the Washington legislators didn’t have as much at stake.”

Washington Republicans Cathy McMorriss-Rodgers and Doc Hastings were the only two Northwest legislators to vote against the bill.

Supporters needed to reach a high bar -- two-thirds of the votes -- to pass the measure because of the way it was being voted on.