The Press Democrat - PD Editorial: A monument to nature, persistence

President Barack Obama's announcement last week that he would designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain area a national monument represented another golden moment in the rich history of land preservation in Northern California. The action assures the protection of roughly 350,000 acres of rolling, oak-dotted hills stretching from the shores of Lake Berryessa in the south to Snow Mountain and wilderness areas northwest of Mendocino National Forest.

The announcement also is a tribute to the hard work of many environmentalists and lawmakers who have pressed for years trying to get special recognition for this remote swatch of land. Among those is Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who had authored a bill to designate the land as a national conservation area. Despite broad support from businesses and leaders in the five counties touched by the area — Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Solano and Yolo counties — the legislation was bogged down by a polarized Congress.

Obama made the designation of this and two other areas using his executive authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The act, which has been used by many presidents to protect unique natural areas and structures, from the Grand Canyon to the Statue of Liberty, was used in adding the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands in Mendocino County to the 1,100-mile California Coastal National Monument last year.

The Berryessa area, which includes the Cache Creek Wilderness, the Eel River Headwaters, the Knoxville Wildlife area and Mount Konocti, is no secret to hikers, mountain bikers and biologists. The region offers a rich diversity of plant and animal life, including bald and golden eagles, black bears, mountain lions and tule elk. Although much of the Berryessa-Snow Mountain region is already public land, supporters say its protection and oversight was at risk due to it being governed by a hodge-podge of federal agencies. It's loose structure also has prevented its promotion as a tourist destination.

The economic activity expected to come from this decision will be in the millions. But the long-term benefits will be far more valuable. Well done.