Woodland Daily Democrat
Published January, 10 2004

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS

By Daily Democrat staff

DUARTE: FEDERAL PROTECTION Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., and environmental activists called on Republican congressional leaders Thursday to support bills permanently granting the strongest possible level of federal protection to more than 2 million acres of California land and more than 300 miles of the state's rivers. Designating the land as wilderness would give it a level of protection banning development, logging, off-road vehicles, mountain biking, and new mining and cattle grazing. But the Democratic-sponsored bill could have trouble in the Republican-controlled Congress. The areas affected include the White Mountains north of Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley.

Much of the land is near areas already designated wilderness, and many of the proposed new wilderness areas already have some form of federal protection, though not as stringent. The chairman of the House Resources Committee, Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., will closely scrutinize any bill seeking new wilderness protections, committee spokeswoman Nicole Andrews said.

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