A pair of bills that would protect mountains and rivers in northwest Wyoming were bundled into a larger package of conservation measures and introduced Thursday into the U.S. Senate.

The Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act would protect 387 miles of rivers and streams in the Snake River drainage under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

It was originally introduced by Sen. Craig Thomas.

The Wyoming Range Legacy Act would prohibit further energy leasing in the Wyoming Range south of Jackson Hole and would allow conservation groups to buy and retire existing energy leases.

Like the wild and scenic bill, protecting the Wyoming Range was a priority for Thomas before his death.

Both bills are now part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act — S 3213 — a bipartisan collection of 90 bills that have passed through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during this Congress. It was read for introduction into the Senate by Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, who heads the committee.

The bill includes other additions to the wild and scenic river system, additions to wilderness areas and national parks and other land-management actions.

Bingaman was successful in pushing through a similar package of bills known as the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, which was signed into law in May.

Introduction is the first step toward consideration of the bill by the full Senate. However, Washington insiders have speculated that the bill may not receive attention until after the Senate’s August recess.

Those close to the process who did not want to speak on the record said the package could pass the full Senate more quickly than if the Snake and Wyoming Range bills had been left on their own because it will appeal to a larger number of senators. Those same sources also cautioned that the addition of the other bills could bog down the process if there are objections to many bills that are part of the package.

Both the Snake and Wyoming Range bills cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in early May.

At that time, the Snake bill drew strong opposition from Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho. Craig argued at the committee hearing that the bill did not go far enough to protect Idaho irrigators’ water rights to the Snake River and Jackson Lake.

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming has said the bill already contained explicit language protecting the status quo operation of Jackson Lake Dam and the senior status of Idaho water rights to the Snake River.

At that time, aides to Craig said the senator hoped he could work out his concerns with Barrasso before the bill came to the Senate floor for a vote. They did not rule out putting a hold on the bill, which would essentially stop it in its tracks.

Barrasso hailed the bill as a victory for multiple-use protection of Wyoming’s natural resources.

Though less controversial to date than the Snake Headwaters Act, the Wyoming Range bill has been opposed by Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from Louisiana, because she said it cuts access to significant energy resources.