By Ledyard King | USA TODAY
A mammoth lands bill that would protect more than 2 million acres and permanently reauthorize a key land and water conservation program heads to President Donald Trump following the House’s overwhelming approval Tuesday.
The 363-62 vote to pass the Natural Resources Management Act came two weeks after the Senate approved the bill 92-8.
Years in the crafting, the measure combines more than 100 separate bills that collectively would designate 1,340,000 acres of new wilderness, 367 miles of new scenic rivers, and 2,600 miles of new national trails.
It also would create four national monuments, including the home of slain civil rights icon Medgar Evers in Mississippi, and expand three national parks, including Joshua Tree in California.
