Nutbar Tom Coburn still huffy on wilderness bill

One of the Senate’s top GOOP nutbars, Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn, is leading the opposition to the first major wilderness bill in years. That said, he’s joined by fellow nutbar Jim DeMint and others in opposing a vital bill to protect more western land.

Coburn’s objections are primarily to non-wilderness portions of the bill, which would put areas such as Oregon’s iconic Mount Hood under wilderness protection:

Coburn said the bill includes $3 million for a "road to nowhere" through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska; $460 million for a water project designed to save 500 salmon in California; and $3.5 million to help celebrate the 450th birthday of St. Augustine, Fla., in 2015.

I don’t know about the “road to nowhere” (funny how Coburn didn’t worry about that in Alaska – maybe Harry Reid needs to go Ted Stevens on him), but the anniversary money for St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the U.S., is not at all out of line. And, given salmon problems in California, while I’m sure the water project is not the best long-term solution, it is something.

As for the wilderness areas, if Mound Hood doesn’t say enough, go here for a complete list of wilderness areas in the bill. Beyond Mount Hood, major high desert land in eastern Oregon gets protection, as do significant chunks of Zion and Rock Mountain national parks.