Sacramento Bee
Published November 21, 2002

Senate OKs protection of 55,000 acres
The bill to designate Big Sur lands as
wilderness is on its way to Bush's desk.

By David Whitney - Bee Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Legislation extending wilderness protection to some 55,000 acres of federal lands in the Big Sur area is on its way to President Bush's desk after passage by the Senate on Wednesday.

Environmentalists said they hope enactment of the legislation, the largest new wilderness additions in the state since the 1994 California Desert Protection Act, will build momentum next year for Sen. Barbara Boxer's 2.5 million-acre statewide wilderness bill.

"This gives us hope for next year," said Jay Watson of the Wilderness Society. "Wilderness can be a bipartisan effort."

The largest collection of new wilderness would be 34,840 acres in the Ventana Wilderness area of Los Padres National Forest. Steep canyons in this area provide a vital habitat for endangered condors.

The second-largest wilderness addition would be 17,055 acres in the Silver Peak Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest, close to the tiny town of Plaskett. Golden eagles soar over the canyons forested with virgin redwoods.

It also includes 2,715 acres in Pinnacles National Monument, a spectacular landscape of rock monoliths, spires and sheer-walled cliffs that rises out of the Gabilan Mountains east of Central California's Salinas Valley.

The Big Sur legislation adds permanent wilderness protection to most of the Los Padres National Forest that was not previously so designated. It was sponsored in the House by Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel.

The areas also were included in Boxer's sweeping California Wild Heritage wilderness bill introduced in May. That legislation didn't make any progress in the Senate this year, but Boxer, D-Calif., didn't expect it to.

But with Republicans poised to take charge of the Senate next year, wilderness advocates plan to tout the Big Sur legislation as an example of bipartisan cooperation on land protections that have broad local support.

Farr had worked with local landowners, agriculture interests and environmentalists in crafting a bill that had no vocal opposition. Some grazing areas of the forest were kept out of the bill so that that use could continue.

Boxer has been attempting the same strategy on a broader scale, and last week some 250 business leaders, most of them from rural areas directly affected by her proposed wilderness additions, joined in a letter of support.

But Boxer's bill still has strong opposition, and among the loudest critics are mountain bikers who fear access to popular trails is being restricted, since bicycles are included as mechanized travel prohibited in wilderness areas.

In addition, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has withheld endorsing Boxer's bill until the two senators reach agreement on which areas warrant protection.

Boxer said Wednesday that she was gratified that a piece of her legislation made it through Congress this year.

"This development is an important first step in our effort to protect the most important and endangered wild areas in California," she said.

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