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Pamela Flick, 916-203-6927
Josh Buswell-Charkow, 530-902-1436
Wild Heritage Campaign Applauds North Coast Wilderness and Wild River Bill Reintroduction
SACRAMENTO - Proving that permanently protecting some of California's last wild places remains a high priority, Representative Mike Thompson (D-Napa Valley) and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have reintroduced the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act. The bill covers more than 300,000 acres and 21 river miles of Northern California's remaining wild federal public lands and streams in Thompson's North Coast district.
In December, the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act cleared a major hurdle by passing the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent during the waning hours of the last Congress.
Peter Windrem, a hunter and equestrian from Lake County said, "This wild lands conservation bill was crafted by using a thoroughly inclusive approach. Congressman Thompson and Senators Boxer and Feinstein adjusted the boundaries to ensure that people like me could still drive horse trailers right up to the edge of the proposed wilderness. What's more, wilderness designation will permanently protect these spectacular areas to make sure future generations will be able to enjoy quality hunting, fishing and riding in the backcountry."
The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would designate key landscapes as wilderness in Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, and protect segments of the Black Butte River as a Wild and Scenic River. Areas of special value include the King Range, which includes the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States, and the Cache Creek area in Lake and Napa counties, which contains the second largest wintering bald eagle population in the state.
"This carefully crafted conservation bill is broadly supported by a wide spectrum of constituents, both at a local and statewide level," stated John Woolley, Humboldt County Supervisor who represents the county's third district. "We greatly appreciate the sponsors of this legislation for their leadership in taking such a crucial step to make sure these areas are permanently preserved so future generations can enjoy them just as we do today."
The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act has received unprecedented bipartisan local and statewide support from a wide variety of interests, including hunters, anglers, scientists, members of the logging industry, conservation groups, local elected officials, wineries, and business leaders. Dozens of meetings and numerous public hearings were held over the last three years to make certain that all interested local stakeholders had an opportunity to shape the legislation.
"Many of us choose to live in California because of our quality of life, and our state's unique wild places have so much to do with that," stated Ed Robey, a Lake County Supervisor. "Now's the time to protect these lands and rivers - before it's too late - for the sake of clean water and air, countless recreational opportunities, and to leave a lasting legacy of wild California."
According to the California Wild Heritage Campaign, over the last 20 years, 700,000 acres of potential wilderness have been lost to development and destruction. At that rate, 90% of our remaining public wild lands will be lost within the next century if not permanently protected now.
For more information on the wild places included in this legislation, please visit www.californiawild.org.
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The California Wild Heritage Campaign is a statewide coalition of more than 400 member groups that includes The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, Friends of the River, California Trout, Republicans for Environmental Protection, National Hispanic Environmental Council, American Whitewater, and the Northern California Council Federation of Fly Fishers.
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Copyright © 2004 by California Wild Heritage Campaign.