Washington state’s delegation to Congress was finally able to exhale Thursday as President Bush signed a bill that established a new wilderness area in the Cascade Range.

The battle for Wild Sky Wilderness, which encompasses 107 square miles west of Stevens Pass and north of U.S. Highway 2, took six years to make it through the political thickets, but the bipartisan effort finally paid off.

The area, named for the Skykomish River, provides unusually easy access to wilderness because much of the 106,000 acres lies at lower elevations. It should quickly become a favorite for casual outdoors people, who want to wander old-growth forests and perhaps catch glimpses of salmon, bald eagles and bears.

Wild Sky would already be open if it weren’t for a single member of Congress who wouldn’t let the bill get a hearing.

Former U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, from central California, played the part of the villain to the hilt. He even had the dastardly mustache. From his perch as chairman of the House Resources Committee, Pombo had different ideas about federal land. At one point he suggested selling off 15 national parks to developers.

But as luck would have it, Pombo wasn’t a particularly ethical man. The final straw was when Pombo rented an RV, loaded up the family and went on a two-week tour of national parks. Taxpayers picked up the nearly $5,000 tab. Voters turned him out of office in 2006.

When the control of Congress changed hands, Wild Sky sailed through the House, only to find new opposition in the Senate, where it had previously won unanimous approval. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., put a hold on several bills, including Wild Sky, that required new government spending. Wild Sky gets $19 million over five years to close roads and otherwise prepare it as wilderness area. But the measure finally made it to the Senate floor for debate, and it passed.

Previous wilderness fights in Washington state have caused fierce in-state battles, but the Wild Sky bill may have established a new template for land conservation. Proponents sought heavy public input and were willing to compromise. For example, boundaries were redrawn to exclude popular snowmobile trails. Republicans Jennifer Dunn and Dave Reichert joined Democrats in supporting the bill.

The result is a gorgeous playground that will be preserved for generations to come.