Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
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Wilderness Scores as 2004 Ends Vicky Hoover | |
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Wilderness got top billing in Congress for our California/Nevada region as 2004 drew to a close. Not only did Congress pass and the President sign into law major new wilderness protection for Nevada, but the Senate passed the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act (S 738), which would preserve key areas on and near the northern California coast. Senate passage of the coastal bill championed by Sen. Barbara Boxer and vigorously supported by Sen. Dianne Feinstein came as a grand last-minute surprise in the closing hours of the Senate on Dec. 7 just before adjournment. The bill, packaged with several other lands bills from other regions, passed "by unanimous consent", which means that with no Senator objecting, it was ushered through without an individual vote count. Although the last-minute Senate nod to California wilderness wasn't matched by action in the House of Representatives, the positive act boosts the momentum for the bill for nearly 300,000 acres in Rep. Mike Thompson's First Congressional district of California, and should grease the skids for action when Rep. Thompson and Sens. Boxer and Feinstein reintroduce the bill early in 2005. As Senator Boxer stated, "The House had an opportunity to approve a package of bills, including this one, in the closing hours of their session but unfortunately failed to do so. I intend to introduce this bill again on the first legislative day of the 109th Congress and I am very optimistic of its passage." The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would give wilderness protection to nearly 300,000 acres and 21 river miles of Northern California's remaining untouched federal public lands in streams. It includes remote and beautiful portions of Mendocino National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest as well as a long stretch of undeveloped beach and coastal bluffs in Humboldt and Mendocino counties. The bill never got a hearing before the House Resources Committee, whose chairman is Rep Richard Pombo, R-Tracy. But the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, is optimistic he can work with Pombo to move forward next year. "The bill continues to be Rep. Thompson's top priority," said spokesman Matt Gerien. |
In the Senate, the bill's sponsors, Subcommittee Chairman Larry Craig (R-ID) and members of the committee worked together since the bill's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing in July to resolve outstanding issues. During that hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Craig praised Senators Boxer and Feinstein and Rep. Thompson for addressing local concerns and seeking out and talking to affected constituencies. While it was Sen. Boxer who originally championed the bill, Sen. Feinstein, a member of the Energy Committee, deserves credit for assuring the bill a hearing and devoting staff time and pressure to moving it forward to passage. At the same time that we credit our legislators, we know that mainly the enormous progress toward wilderness protection resulted from the enthusiastic and relentless hard work of countless Sierra Club and California Wild Heritage Campaign volunteers and staff whose detailed field work, positive wilderness education in far-flung communities and patient DC lobbying set the stage for action in Congress. Thanks to all our volunteers and may you celebrate wilderness mightily! What You Can Do: Please help us give our Congressional wilderness champions the praise they deserve! Please take a few minutes to write Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, and Congressman Thompson, and let them know that you appreciate their hard work to protect California's last wild places. Real cards or letters are best, but if you're not able to send off a note or card in the mail, please drop each of our champions an email. Since they'll be back in-district during the holiday recess, please send your cards and letters to the following district offices: Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Congressman Mike Thompson
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