On March 30, 2009 President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, a group of 160 bills declaring 2 million acres of new Wilderness areas and designating more than 1,000 miles of scenic rivers in nine states.  In California three bills were included that protects 700,000 acres of wilderness - 

(adapted from www.leaveitwild.org)

Riverside County Wilderness

Introduced by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act permanently protects some 190,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness, add 31 miles of four rivers to the Wild and Scenic River System and expands by 5,000 acres the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

Some of the country's most important and well-known public lands lie within Riverside County, including Joshua Tree National Park and the North Fork San Jacinto River, along with Beauty Mountain, and Cahuilla Mountain.

For more information visit: www.desertmountainwild.org

Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wilderness

The Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act was introduced by Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).  This legislation permanently protects more than 450,000 acres of wild mountain tops, open spaces and alpine meadows.  The bill also designates 73 miles of rivers as Wild and Scenic.

From the 14,000-foot peaks in Mono County's White Mountains to the Amargosa River in Death Valley, the wilderness includes some of the region's most beloved wild gems, including the new White Mountains Wilderness and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest home to the world's oldest living trees.

The wilderness also includes close to 40,000 acres of wild lands in northern Los Angeles County including the Magic Mountain and Pleasant View Ridge areas and seven miles of Piru Creek.

For more information visit: www.easternsierrawild.org

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness

The bipartisan Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness Act permanently protects almost 85,000 acres of wilderness in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, including a section named the John Krebs Wilderness, after the former Congressman and conservationist who fought to protect these lands in the Mineral King Valley.

Also protected in this area is Redwood Mountain Grove, the largest stand of Gian Sequoia within the park, as well as California's largest cave and the Old Hockett Trial.  The land is home to many wild animal species, including the California spotted owl and the Golden eagle.

The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Jim Costa (D-CA) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) and in the Senate by Barbara Boxer (D-CA).