Welcome to The Wild Olympics Campaign!

Salmon Streams for Our Future: New Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers for The Olympic Peninsula

In spring 2025, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Emily Randall re-introduced legislation to establish new Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River protections on the Olympic Peninsula. If passed, the bill would protect the first new Wilderness designations (more than 126,000 acres) on Olympic National Forest in nearly 40 years and the first ever Wild and Scenic River designations (for 19 rivers and their tributaries constituting 464 miles of river) on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Wild Olympics Campaign enthusiastically supports the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and will continue to work to advocate for permanent protection of these wild places for future generations.

The legislation would provide durable, permanent safeguards for the Peninsula’s most priceless natural treasures; our towering ancient forests, free-flowing rivers, critical fish and wildlife habitat and our clean water. We are incredibly grateful for Senator Murray’s and Representative Randall’s steadfast leadership and tireless efforts in advancing this landmark legislation. It is truly a historic giant step in the long history of Olympic Peninsula conservation.

Peninsula residents support protecting our last remaining wild forest and rivers. A bipartisan poll found overwhelming support for the Wild Olympics proposal among likely voters in Washington’s 6th Congressional District. Nearly two out of three (64 percent) likely voters support the Wild Olympics plan. Twenty percent of the district voters polled said they were undecided. Only 15 percent are opposed.

Over the last decade, Wild Olympics has been working with neighbors in every single community on the Peninsula to build support from diverse local voices, listen to concerns and get feedback to shape the proposal. More than 12,000 Peninsula residents have written letters or signed our petition, and more than 800 Peninsula & Hood Canal area-businesses, farms, faith leaders, sportsmen groups, elected officials, conservation, outdoor recreation and civic groups have endorsed Wild Olympics. We will continue this outreach as this legislation makes its way through congress.

We invite you to DONATE to the Campaign at the link below & sign our online petition.

Thank you for your interest and we hope to hear from you!

connieSig_130

Connie Gallant Quilcene, WA

Wild Olympics Campaign Chair

Take Action Now for the Wild Olympics!

Supporter Testimonials

RoyNott_150 “As a businessman I believe that protecting our natural environment is a key to providing steady and sustainable income to our rural economies. Here in Grays Harbor, salmon sport fishing, clamming, bird watching and other forms of outdoor recreation all contribute to our local economic health and are critical to attracting and retaining the highly skilled employees that growing, technology-based companies like ours will require.” Roy Nott (Aberdeen, WA): Aberdeen Businessman
Contact: info@wildolympics.org

Wild Olympics News


Kilmer’s Wild Olympics stance unchanged

PORT ANGELES — Derek Kilmer continued to remain noncommittal this week on planned legislation that would ban logging on more than 126,000 acres of Olympic National Forest by declaring it wilderness and creating a protective buffer around Olympic National Park....

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Kilmer resurrects the congressional town hall

BREMERTON — U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, told two Kitsap County town hall audiences Wednesday he prefers overall systemic budget solutions over “Whac-a-Mole” quick fixes. Kilmer spoke to about 75 at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton on Wednesday afternoon,...

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Plant Trees

Repeat afer me: Natural systems are priceless in value, nearly impossible to replace, and cheap to maintain. All you have to do is protect them. So intoned Stuart Brand, publisher of The Whole Earth Catalog, decades ago. Now listen to [U.S. Rep.] Derek Kilmer. He says...

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Proposal could actually improve local economies

Mr. Driscoll knows better. Before being introduced in Congress, these new wilderness protections were subject to three years of unprecedented community involvement, resulting in significant changes to ensure that the proposal would foster economic growth [“The problem...

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Sen. Patty Murry plans to reintroduce Wild Olympics bill

I was encouraged to see the news report that Sen. Patty Murray plans to reintroduce her Wild Olympics legislation once again  [“Murray seeks to expand wild lands,” NWWednesday, Feb. 13]. As a photographer, I have spent countless hours capturing images of old-growth...

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Clean Water, Forests and Fish for Our Future

The Wild Olympics Campaign envisions durable, long-term protection for these sensitive forest and river watersheds: new Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers.