'Bush Signs Wilderness Act Most of Protected Land in Mendocino County'
October 27, 2006
Willits News
It's official. President George W. Bush signed the Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (H.R. 233/S. 128) into law on Tuesday, October 17. "Today marks the largest addition of wilderness to California in more than a decade," said bill author Congressman Mike Thompson (D-California, District 1). "After more than five years of hard work and tremendous support from hundreds of environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts, businesses and government officials, this beautiful and unique land has received the highest protection the law allows."The bill that designates about 273,000 acres of Northern California protected wilderness, about 224,335 of them entirely or partially within Mendocino County, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July and the Senate on September 29.The act increases protection of the Eel River, declares about 21 miles of the Black Butte River "Wild and Scenic," and designates approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Management Area for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes. The 117,323 acres of protected wilderness completely within Mendocino County include: About 27,036 acres in the Middle Eel River/Yolla Bolly area containing up to half of the state's summer steelhead run and the Travelers Home National Recreation Trail; Acreage along the south folk of the Eel River containing rare plant species and the state's last non-hatchery, long-run Coho salmon population; Twenty-one miles of the Black Butte River, which provides habitat for endangered fish species; and About 8,000 acres in the Elkhorn Ridge area, which contains the South Fork Eel River canyon and forests sheltering endangered species. The 107,043 acres partially in Mendocino County include: The recently-named 53,887-acre Yuki region (nearly all in this county), which surrounds much of the remaining Middle Fork Eel River and extends into Lake County; The King Range, about 42,585 acres mostly in Humboldt County with the longest stretch of undeveloped beach and coastal bluffs in the United States outside of Alaska; and About 10,571 acres mostly in this county and extending into Lake County containing Sanhedrin Mountain, rare plant species, and old-growth forests.Wilderness is also protected within Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Napa counties. The House version of the bill, H.R. 233, was sponsored by Thompson; the Senate version, S. 128, by Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Among those actively involved in passage of the bill were Mendocino County Supervisor Jim Wattenberger, Willits Mayor Tami Jorgensen, former Mayor Karen Oslund, representatives of the Willits Environmental Center, and other local conservationists who flew to Washington D.C. to deliver in-person messages of support. Working from home, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors passed three resolutions endorsing the bill. Supervisor Hal Wagenet championed the wilderness bill during his first campaign for office and continued to work for passage once on the board. The Willits City Council also sent a letter of strong support. "This bill will preserve some of Mendocino's best wilderness areas for generations to enjoy," Wattenburger said. "I am also very excited that the designation provides land managers with an enhanced ability to protect these areas from catastrophic fires."
It's official. President George W. Bush signed the Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (H.R. 233/S. 128) into law on Tuesday, October 17. "Today marks the largest addition of wilderness to California in more than a decade," said bill author Congressman Mike Thompson (D-California, District 1). "After more than five years of hard work and tremendous support from hundreds of environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts, businesses and government officials, this beautiful and unique land has received the highest protection the law allows."The bill that designates about 273,000 acres of Northern California protected wilderness, about 224,335 of them entirely or partially within Mendocino County, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July and the Senate on September 29.The act increases protection of the Eel River, declares about 21 miles of the Black Butte River "Wild and Scenic," and designates approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Management Area for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes. The 117,323 acres of protected wilderness completely within Mendocino County include: About 27,036 acres in the Middle Eel River/Yolla Bolly area containing up to half of the state's summer steelhead run and the Travelers Home National Recreation Trail; Acreage along the south folk of the Eel River containing rare plant species and the state's last non-hatchery, long-run Coho salmon population; Twenty-one miles of the Black Butte River, which provides habitat for endangered fish species; and About 8,000 acres in the Elkhorn Ridge area, which contains the South Fork Eel River canyon and forests sheltering endangered species. The 107,043 acres partially in Mendocino County include: The recently-named 53,887-acre Yuki region (nearly all in this county), which surrounds much of the remaining Middle Fork Eel River and extends into Lake County; The King Range, about 42,585 acres mostly in Humboldt County with the longest stretch of undeveloped beach and coastal bluffs in the United States outside of Alaska; and About 10,571 acres mostly in this county and extending into Lake County containing Sanhedrin Mountain, rare plant species, and old-growth forests.Wilderness is also protected within Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Napa counties. The House version of the bill, H.R. 233, was sponsored by Thompson; the Senate version, S. 128, by Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Among those actively involved in passage of the bill were Mendocino County Supervisor Jim Wattenberger, Willits Mayor Tami Jorgensen, former Mayor Karen Oslund, representatives of the Willits Environmental Center, and other local conservationists who flew to Washington D.C. to deliver in-person messages of support. Working from home, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors passed three resolutions endorsing the bill. Supervisor Hal Wagenet championed the wilderness bill during his first campaign for office and continued to work for passage once on the board. The Willits City Council also sent a letter of strong support. "This bill will preserve some of Mendocino's best wilderness areas for generations to enjoy," Wattenburger said. "I am also very excited that the designation provides land managers with an enhanced ability to protect these areas from catastrophic fires."
Issues:Energy & Environment