Napa Valley Register- Thompson renews Berryessa-Snow Mountain effort
By Register Staff
Rep. Mike Thompson will try again to convince Congress to create a 360,000-acre Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument.
Thompson, D-St. Helena, and U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer announced on Thursday that they have introduced new Berryessa-Snow Mountain legislation. Among other things, it would unite federal land in the region under a single management plan, including about 62,000 acres in Napa County.
Previous efforts by Thompson to have Congress create a Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Conservation Area failed. The latest effort instead seeks national monument status.
"There's no real difference," Thompson spokesman Austin Vevurka said. "It accomplishes the same thing."
Previous legislation before the 113th Congress had to be reintroduced before the 114th Congress, he said.
Last year, Thompson asked President Barack Obama to create a Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument, something Obama could do without Congress.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell toured the Berryessa-Snow Mountain area on Dec. 19 and took part in a forum at Napa Valley College. Jewell said she prefers congressional action to form a national monument.
The Lake Berryessa Chamber of Commerce board in January voted to oppose national monument status.