U.S. House Approves More Than 273,000 Acres of Protected Wilderness in Northern California

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act (H.R. 233). The bill, introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), designates more than 273,000 acres of northern California as wilderness and approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Management Area for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes. If signed into law, it will be the largest wilderness designation in California in more than a decade.

Click here to hear Congressman Thompson's floor speech.

Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, who have been very instrumental in the bill's development, previously introduced this bill in the Senate. It was passed twice by the Senate prior to being revised in consultation with the House Resources Committee. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

“For more than five years, I have worked with my constituents and colleagues in Congress to protect the invaluable and extraordinary wilderness of northern California, and today we are much closer to reaching our goal,” said Thompson. “As anyone who has enjoyed the beauty of northern California's coasts and forests can attest, this land deserves the highest level of protection we can afford it.”

This bill would protect public land in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa Counties as wilderness and designate the Black Butte River in Mendocino County as a wild and scenic river. In addition, it would maintain all existing roads, private lands and grazing rights, and it would designate a Recreation Management Area in Mendocino County for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes.

“Working in an unprecedented manner with conservationists, businesses and outdoor enthusiasts, I believe we have developed a carefully-crafted bill of the highest quality,” said Thompson. “Through this bill, we ensure that northern California's wilderness can be enjoyed in its natural state for generations to come.”

This floor speech can be obtained using the following time codes: 07/24/06, Start time: 15:48:16, End Time: 15:53:20.