There is a VERY REAL chance that the wilderness and wild rivers in Rep. Thompson's district will actually pass both houses of Congress and be signed into law by President Bush this year.

A portion of Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Mike Thompson's California Wild Heritage Act passed the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was signed by President Bush in December 2002. The Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act designated over 54,000 acres of new wilderness along California's spectacular central coastal condor country. With this victory for a portion of the CWHA, wilderness and wild and scenic river activists have proven small wilderness bills are possible as we move forward with a California statewide bill in 2003.

We expect to see Congressman Mike Thompson introduce his 1st District bill and the Northern California portion of the statewide bill. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein are continuing to plan their statewide Senate version. We will continue to work on the statewide effort as we help our Congressman Mike Thompson move forward with our Northcoast 1st District bill. It seems to be more effective to frequently introduce small, more easily passed bills than it is to introduce large bills infrequently that take many years to pass.

If this happens, it will enable wilderness and wild river advocates to focus their efforts on protecting the remaining areas in the CWHA. The California Wilderness Coalition has decided that it will propose at least one new wilderness bill every year until all deserving wild places in the state are protected as wilderness.

What You Can Do:

First, write Dianne Feinstein expressing your support for the entire California Wild Heritage Act. Ask her to support all the wild places Barbara Boxer included in her statewide Bill and tell her why you love wilderness.

Secondly, write or e-mail Jonathan Birdsong of Rep. Mike Thompson's staff at Jonathan.Birdsong@mail.house.gov.

Let him know you're a constituent and ask him to thank Rep. Thompson for his outstanding work on behalf of Northern California's proposed wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers both inside and outside his district.

Tell him that you will do all you can to help Mr. Thompson get a wilderness bill passed this year plus other bills in the future. Express any other thoughts you may have.

Letters thanking Congressman Thompson for his work on wilderness can be sent to:

      c/o Elizabeth Murgia
      317 3rd St. Suite 1
      Eureka, Ca 95501

To become more involved in this positive campaign, call the Northcoast Environmental Center 707-822-0323.