Senate Passes Historic Lands Bill

Senate Passes Historic Lands Bill
Protects hundreds of thousands of acres of wild lands and rivers in the Golden State.
Praised by elected officials and business leaders.

January 15, 2009.  The U.S. Senate today approved, by a vote of 73 to 21, a large public lands bill that includes three widely supported California wilderness measures. Together, these provisions would protect some 700,000 acres of California wilderness and nearly 105 miles of rivers and streams. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (S. 22) is similar to a bill introduced late in the last session of Congress.

The three California measures would protect public lands and rivers in the San Jacinto Mountains, the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Mountains, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks by designating new wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers. It would also protect the Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert. The Riverside and Sequoia-Kings Canyon bills passed the U.S. House of Representatives during the last Congress, and the Eastern Sierra/San Gabriel bill was approved by a key Senate committee in September.

"These bills received broad support across the state," remarked Sam Goldman of the California Wild Heritage Campaign, a coalition of over 500 businesses and organizations. "The bipartisan effort demonstrated by the sponsors of the California bills was crucial to the success of today’s historic vote." When signed into law, this will be the fourth largest designation of wilderness in California since the Wilderness Act was established in 1964.

Senator Barbara Boxer worked diligently with Representatives Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs), Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Devin Nunes (R-Visalia) to develop and introduce the bills. Senator Dianne Feinstein cosponsored all three measures.

Members of California's business community were supportive of the lands package. From Bishop in the remote Eastern Sierra, Allan Pietrasanta, Sales Manager at J. Rousek Toy and Pencil Company, said "It's refreshing to the spirit that leaders like Congressman McKeon and Senator Boxer can reach across ideologies and with the passage of this bill do something courageous to honor and protect the land. What a great legacy for the Eastern Sierra, its many visitors, and the American people."

Support was equally strong from Riverside County. Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce President Bill Triplett said, "The Idyllwild economy and community will see a huge benefit from the wilderness protection legislation. People come here to explore our forests and enjoy the solitude of wilderness, and I am so pleased that wilderness will be a continued presence for generations to come."

"We can rest a little easier now, knowing that some of the County’s most outstanding natural and cultural resources and scenic landscapes have been permanently protected by Representative Bono Mack’s landmark legislation," said Geary Hund, Associate Director of the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy. "From mountain meadows graced with lemon lilies, to vast desert landscapes, these lands will provide residents and visitors alike with unparalleled opportunities to experience true wilderness."

Many of the special wild places included in this historic bill are threatened by rampant off-road vehicle abuse and unchecked sprawl. The broadly-backed omnibus public lands conservation bill will ensure the highest form of protection for some of the nation’s most beloved remaining wild places, including:
 
• The Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act. This bill will preserve more than 450,000 acres of wilderness and four wild and scenic rivers totaling 73 miles near Santa Clarita and in the magnificent Eastern Sierra, including the White Mountains and the headwaters of the Owens River.

• The California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act. This bill will protect approximately 190,000 acres of scenic and ecologically sensitive land in Riverside County as wilderness, including parts of Joshua Tree National Park, and four wild and scenic rivers totaling 31 miles.

• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness Act of 2008. This bill will preserve close to 90,000 acres of wilderness, including the new John Krebs Wilderness, named for the former Congressman and conservationist who worked to protect these lands in the Mineral King Valley.

Support was strong from public officials from across the state: "As an elected official, I strongly believe one of the most important things we can do is to preserve open space and wilderness for future generations,” said Councilwoman Marsha McLean, City of Santa Clarita. “I am extremely grateful for Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon's and Senator Barbara Boxer's commitment to bring forth the Wild Heritage legislation."
The U.S. House of Representatives next takes up the package.

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