Associated Press
Published December 7, 2004

NorCal wilderness bill clears Senate, misses House passage

By George Lauer

WASHINGTON - A bill to designate 300,000 acres in California's northern coastal counties as wilderness lands passed the Senate Tuesday in the final hours of the congressional session. But the House wrapped up its legislative business without passing the bill, so it won't become law this year.

Nonetheless, California lawmakers welcomed Senate passage and promised to try again during the 109th Congress that begins in January to get the bill through both houses of Congress and to the president for his signature.

"The House had an opportunity to approve a package of bills, including this one, in the closing hours of their session but unfortunately failed to do so," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said in a statement. "I intend to introduce this bill again on the first legislative day of the 109th Congress and I am very optimistic of its passage.

" The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would give wilderness protection to some of California's most remote and beautiful areas, including portions of Mendocino National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest as well as a long stretch of undeveloped beach and coastal bluffs in Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

The bill never got a hearing before the House Resources Committee, where chairman Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, has objected to expanding wilderness areas. But the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, is optimistic he can work with Pombo to move the bill forward next year, said spokesman Matt Gerien.

"Time has run out in the House, but the bill continues to be U.S. Rep. Thompson's top priority and he looks forward to working with U.S. Rep. Pombo to get it passed in the 109th congress," Gerien said.

© Copyright 2004 by Associated Press