Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
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Support for Wilderness Bill Grows Dave Reckess | |
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2005 has proven to be a good year for wilderness on the North Coast. In addition to Governor Schwarzenegger signing into law a measure that adds 31 miles of Cache Creek in Lake and Yolo Counties to the California Wild and Scenic River System, the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (H.R. 233/S. 128) made key advances in the halls of Congress. The bill, sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson and Senators Boxer and Feinstein, was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate in July. Also in July, a hearing was held for the bill in an important House subcommittee. And letters from wilderness advocates streamed into Sacramento throughout last winter, culminating in Governor Schwarzenegger's official endorsement of the bill in February. All of these successes are a great testament to the broad support that the bill enjoys, and could not have been accomplished without the tireless work of Sierra Club members and wilderness volunteers throughout the state. Washington lawmakers continue to be impressed by this kind of grassroots and bi-partisan support for the North Coast wilderness bill, and advocates look forward to building on this year's successes to pass the bill in 2006. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act will designate as wilderness over 300,000 acres of pristine public lands, and will designate wild and scenic status for 21 miles of the Black Butte River, all contained within Congressman Thompson's 1st Congressional District. The bill will add to existing wilderness areas such as the steep and rugged Siskiyou Wilderness Area in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, and create new wilderness areas, such as the 40,000-acre Yuki Proposed Wilderness Area in Mendocino and Lake Counties. It will protect prime habitat for a great diversity of plants and animals, from the carnivorous pitcher plant to the rare Sargent cypress, from bald eagles to black bears, and will provide needed protection for critical streams and watersheds for the area's world-renowned salmon and steelhead fisheries. The bill will ensure that some of our area's best backcountry hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and fishing spots remain wild for future generations to use and enjoy as we do today. |
As we head into the holiday season and prepare for the coming new year, please take a moment to send season's greetings and thanks to our wilderness champions, Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Congressman Thompson, for their work to protect our treasured North Coast wild places. What You Can Do: Let Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Congressman Thompson know how much you appreciate their efforts to pass the North Coast wilderness bill, and that you hope they make the passage of this bill a priority for 2006. The Honorable Mike Thompson
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
For a complete listing of areas included in the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (H.R. 233/S. 128), or to find out more about volunteering, visit www.californiawild.org, or contact Dave Reckess at dreckess@calwild.org. Best wishes for a happy and wild new year! |