Napa Valley Register
Published July 6, 2005

Help preserve Napa's Cedar Roughs

By DIANE DILLON

Those of us living in Napa County value our natural treasures. Our soil and water produce the grapes for world-class wines. Visitors come to share our climate and scenic countryside. Now, with the help of Congress, we can preserve a wonderful sample of our original landscape -- a true wilderness area for Napa County.

Congress is considering legislation by Rep. Mike Thompson to protect areas throughout his congressional district. This proposed "Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act" already has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's endorsement. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have championed an identical Senate bill.

The Napa County Board of Supervisors is unanimously in support of this bipartisan legislation. Here's why:

Among the many acres of existing federal land that the bill would protect is the 6,350-acre Cedar Roughs area, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. This proposed wilderness area is in our county and in my supervisorial district. The unique location includes the world's largest grove of rare Sargent cypress and one of the last wild populations of black bear in Napa County. Wilderness protection means that through all the future, this area will remain a haven of wildness, and a symbol of our county's natural diversity -- most of which we have thoroughly remodeled to serve human needs.

The "Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act" has already won unanimous bipartisan approval from a Senate committee and is poised to pass the full Senate in the near future. House Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Tracy), has pledged his commitment to hold a hearing on the bill this summer. People of all political persuasions and diverse economic interests, including many local businesses, have enthusiastically joined to support the bill as it moves toward becoming law.

Preservation of wilderness areas has always been popular in California; our elected representatives have worked across party lines for four decades to protect more of it. A great California Republican senator, Thomas Kuchel, was a sponsor and champion of the original Wilderness Act from the day it was proposed almost 50 years ago.

People from all walks of life want to see more of these special areas preserved for the most selfish -- but also most altruistic -- reason possible: As our gift to future generations. Some of my ancestors -- the Conn family -- came to Napa County in the mid-1840s. For five generations we have played our part in reshaping most of the original wild landscape to suit human needs. It is also incumbent upon us to have enough respect for those who will come after us to leave some of the original California landscape for them as nearly untouched and wild as possible.

Wilderness serves human needs. Wilderness areas have value to us as fountains of clean water, as sanctuaries for wildlife and air-filtering trees, and as playgrounds where families leave their motors and machinery behind to experience the earth on more natural terms. As much as we value wilderness areas, think how much more our grandchildren's grandchildren will treasure them. Think about how grateful they will be to us for our wisdom in leaving these wild places as our bequest of the natural landscape to them.

For now, I thank Reps. Thompson and Pombo for their service to us by their bipartisan collaboration on this important legislation. I look forward to the President's signature on the bipartisan law as soon as it arrives on his desk. What a great moment that will be for future generations to come.

© Copyright 2005 by Napa Valley Register