Coalition Applauds Boxer-Solis Vision For Future California Wilderness

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Wild Heritage Campaign – a coalition of hundreds of businesses, organizations, elected officials, outdoor enthusiasts, and other Californians – praised U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representative Hilda Solis (D-El Monte) today for re-introducing the California Wild Heritage Act. The legislation outlines a comprehensive vision for protecting some of the Golden State’s last remaining wilderness and wild and scenic rivers. The bill seeks permanent protection of roughly 2.5 million acres of wilderness and grants wild and scenic status to portions of more than 20 rivers throughout California.

Preservation of our state’s wilderness and free flowing rivers provides a number of recreational, economic, public health and environmental benefits. Numerous studies have found that wilderness designation contributes to economic growth in nearby communities. One study of California wilderness found that new wilderness visitors generate an additional $44 per acre per year of spending in nearby communities. That means that every 550 acres of wilderness contribute one new job to the community.

“In urban areas like Los Angeles County, we know the rarity of finding places to recreate, picnic with our families, breathe clean air, enjoy a healthy lifestyle and celebrate our natural wonders,” said Louie Lujan, Mayor of La Puente in Los Angeles County. “Here and around the state there is long-standing, well-established support for the bill. I applaud Senator Boxer and Congresswoman Solis for having the foresight to act to protect California’s wild heritage for individuals and families of all backgrounds. Wilderness is our common ground.”

Many recreational opportunities are permitted in wilderness and on wild and scenic rivers, including hunting, fishing, hiking, rafting, camping, and horseback riding. Each year, millions of families, groups and individuals flock to wilderness areas to recreate and escape to the outdoors. Participation in wilderness camping and hiking by California residents increased 42 percent from 1990 to 1998, reaching 24 million visitor days of backpacking and nearly 64 million visitor days of hiking in 1998.

More than 60% of our state’s clean drinking water comes from California’s wild lands and free-flowing rivers. But over the last 25 years, nearly 700,000 acres of our state’s unprotected wilderness – an area nearly the size of Yosemite National Park – have been lost. Wilderness also provides critical habitat for California’s rich diversity of plants and animals. California is home to a spectacular variety of more than 5,800 plant species and 800 species of wildlife – including the majestic condor and ancient bristlecone pine trees – many of which depend on habitat found in protected and unprotected wilderness areas. In fact, more than 200 rare, threatened and endangered native plants, and over 50 threatened animals are found in California’s unprotected wilderness.

“Californians are working to protect many special wild places around the state, such as the Upper Owens River, because we know those areas are crucial to ensuring outstanding fishing and hunting opportunities today and for future generations. Healthy waterways mean thriving trout and other fish populations.  The California Wild Heritage Act has long been a priority of California’s conservation community and allows our grandchildren to inherit a true natural legacy,” stated Brian Stranko, President of California Trout, a statewide conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring wild trout and steelhead and their waters throughout California.

Many of California’s extraordinary public lands and waterways are included in the bill. Potential wilderness includes Eagle Peak in San Diego County, an area critical to the region’s water supply and to many sensitive species such as the arroyo southwestern toad, coastal rosy boa, and sensitive habitats such as the oak and sycamore woodlands/riparian areas. Potential wild and scenic rivers include the Clavey River, one of only four remaining free-flowing rivers in the Sierra Nevadas.

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The California Wild Heritage Campaign is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition of everyday citizens who share a common goal of ensuring the permanent protection of California's remaining wild lands and rivers. We are business-owners, anglers, hunters, vintners, scientists, outdoor enthusiasts, people of faith, conservation groups, and much more.  Visit us at www.californiawild.org.