Pleasanton City Council Endorses Permanent Protection
of California's Remaining Wild Lands and Rivers

PLEASANTON - Acting on a request by Council Member Jennifer Hosterman, the Pleasanton City Council last night unanimously passed a resolution supporting the California Wild Heritage Act of 2002 - federal legislation that would permanently protect some of our state's remaining wild public lands and rivers.

The resolution in part states, "the [California Wild Heritage] Act would preserve natural landscapes, sites associated with ancient Indian cultures and the settlement of California; and.provide opportunities for compatible outdoor recreation, such as horseback riding, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, and trail running."

If passed, the California Wild Heritage Act would permanently protect 2.4 million acres of federally owned lands as Wilderness, and over 400 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers statewide. The bill is expected to be reintroduced into the 108th Congress in the near future. Senator Barbara Boxer is the sponsor of the statewide Senate bill, while Reps. Hilda Solis (D-El Monte) and Mike Thompson (D-Napa) are the sponsors of the companion bills in the House.

In the Pleasanton City Council Staff Report dated March 18, 2003, Director of Parks and Community Services James W. Wolfe and City Manager Deborah Acosta McKeehan note, "The main purposes of the bill are to provide the following: statutorily protect publicly-owned wildland resources for current and future generations; protect wildlands from encroachment by California's continually-growing population; ensure wildfire management necessary to protect the public's health and safety in these areas; designate Salmon Restoration Areas for natural resource, economic and cultural purposes; designate rivers, or portions of rivers, as Wild and Scenic Rivers for scenic, natural, wildlife, fishery, recreational, scientific, historic and ecological purposes."

Since 2000, support for permanent protection of the state's last wild public lands and rivers has been building. Currently, more than 3,000 businesses, scientists and civic leaders, nearly 200 elected officials, and the California State Senate & Assembly believe we should act now to protect our remaining wild places.

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