In 2009, Barack Obama faced years of stalled land bills; he signed the Public Lands Act, and more than 2 million wilderness acres and 1,000 river miles were protected

Signed into law in 2009, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act expanded protections for over two million acres of wilderness and designated more than 1,000 miles of rivers. This significant legislation aimed to improve the management of conservation lands across the U.S. Though it didn't resolve all environmental challenges, its bipartisan backing illustrated the potential for achieving collaborative conservation objectives through effective policies.