California Wilderness Advocates Celebrate the Passage
of the Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act of 2002

SACRAMENTO – The California Wild Heritage Campaign (CWHC) applauded President Bush for signing the Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act into law late yesterday. With the stroke of a pen, Bush added 56,880 acres of California public lands in Monterey and San Benito counties to the National Wilderness Preservation System, forever protecting some of the state's most wild and scenic land.

"Californians who treasure their special places say a big "Thank You" to President Bush today," said Tom Hopkins, board member of Ventana Wilderness Alliance. "He has shown that he recognizes the value of our state's wild lands to all Americans."

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Farr and strongly backed by Senators Boxer and Feinstein, permanently protects 37,110 additional acres in the Ventana Wilderness; 17,055 more acres in the Silver Peak Wilderness; and adds 2,715 new acres of wilderness land to the Pinnacles National Monument.

"This bill wouldn't have become law without the strong leadership of Rep. Farr and our two fine Senators," Hopkins continued. "Their leadership and work to see that these wonderful areas preserved for future generations is inspiring."

"We are glad that President Bush, like his father, who signed eight wilderness bills into law, stood up for our wild lands today," said Traci Sheehan Van Thull, Director of the California Wild Heritage Campaign. President Reagan also signed eight such bills, President Nixon signed nine and Gerald Ford signed 13 wilderness bills as president.

While the enactment of such a law is a welcomed step in the right direction, CWHC warns of the many special places in California that still need protection. "We are committed to working with lawmakers to pass future legislation," added Van Thull. "As California continues to grow, the need for safeguarding our state's most precious places is more important than ever."

The lands that will be protected by the Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act are also included in a larger bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in May of this year. That bill - the California Wild Heritage Act of 2002 (S. 2535) - proposes to protect over 2.4 million acres of wilderness and 400 miles of river throughout the state. That bill is expected to be reintroduced early next year.

The California Wild Heritage Campaign is a statewide coalition of more than 200 conservation, business, faith and community groups working to protect California's remaining public wild lands and rivers.