lands, National Park System lands, and public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming possess outstanding natural characteristics which give them high values as wilderness, parks, and wild and scenic rivers and will, if properly preserved, be an enduring resource of wilderness, wild land areas, and biodiversity for the benefit of the American people. (2) The Northern Rockies Bioregion contains the most diverse array of wild lands remaining south of Canada, providing sanctuary for a host of species listed as threatened or endangered under section 4(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1533(c) ). These national interest public lands are among the most popular wild lands in the United States, embracing greater ecosystems and national treasures such as the Greater Yellowstone, Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide, Greater Hells Canyon/Wallowa, Greater Salmon/Selway, and Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystems. (3) The natural ecosystems in the Northern Rockies Bioregion are largely dependent on National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and the ecological productivity and diversity of resources these Federal public lands provide. Conservation of roadless areas on these public lands, which produces clean water, protects native fisheries and native flora and fauna, and provides scenic and recreational qualities, also preserves options for sustainable economics through activities such as hunting, fishing, and wilderness-based recreation. (4) The headwaters of several major river systems, including the Columbia, Snake, Green, Missouri and Saskatchewan Rivers, originate in the Northern Rockies Bioregion, and these rivers send their waters to three different oceans. These waters are of tremendous economic importance to farming and ranching operations, municipal water supplies, and water-based recreation, including fishing and boating. Protection