YellowSub1962
01-22-2002, 04:52 PM
Boxer pushes new wilderness areas
Bill could include up to 250,000 acres in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties
January 22, 2002 By UCILIA WANG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Millions of acres of California's federal land, including property in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties, could become wilderness area and earn special protection under a bill being drafted by Sen. Barbara Boxer. Although it is unclear how much land throughout California will be included in the final legislation, Boxer's staff said the bill could include up to 250,000 acres in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties. The North Coast areas include the King Range in Humboldt County, Cache Creek Management Area in Lake County and the Trinity Alps, which are partly in Humboldt County, said Ryan Henson, conservation associate for the California Wilderness Coalition, which is working with Boxer's staff. In the same bill, the senator also plans to ask for the "wild and scenic" designation for some of the 2,000 miles of eligible rivers in the state.! The status protects the rivers from developments such as dam building and prohibits major diversions. Black Butte River in Mendocino County and Cache Creek, which flows from Lake to Yolo counties, are among the rivers being considered for wild and scenic status. No potential wilderness areas or wild and scenic rivers are located in Sonoma County. Boxer's bill has the potential to be the largest expansion of wilderness area in the state since the 1994 California Desert Protection Act by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. The Desert Protection Act included 7 million acres of land and doubled the size of the state's wilderness areas. Although an initial mapping effort found 7 million additional acres that could qualify for wilderness status, the final acreage will be smaller, said Henson. The senator won't include any piece of land in the bill without the support of local governments and residents, Boxer's staffers said. North Coast Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, plans to eith! er introduce a House version of Boxer's bill or legislation covering only his district, said Elizabeth Murguia, a field representative for Thompson. No decisions have been made on how many acres will be part of Boxer's bill, which is set for introduction in a few months, said David Sandretti, Boxer's communication director. "This is a major piece of legislation and something she has wanted to do for some time," Sandretti said. "Senator Boxer has been concerned for a long time about protecting our vanishing wild areas." Wilderness designation is given to federal land that has retained its natural characteristics. Development such as oil drilling, road building and logging are prohibited in wilderness areas. People can ride horses, hunt and hike in wilderness areas, but can't mountain bike or ride off-road vehicles. The state has 14 million acres of wilderness areas. Supporters say they want to protect remaining wild areas from activities that scar the environment, such as the! use of dirt bikes and jeeps. Proponents say wilderness designation also boosts tourism and fattens income from tourism. "People recognize the importance of preserving the wilderness because of who we are," said Peter Windrem, a Lake County attorney and grape grower who is working on getting county support for the Boxer bill. "For me, being in the wilderness is to connect in a deep and profound way." But critics said they don't want more restrictions on public land use. "We are happy with things they way they are," said Mo Fitch, who is part of a group of Upper Lake volunteers working to improve tourism in the area. "We encourage the continuing use of forests for mountain biking, hunting and four-wheel drive." Upper Lake is a popular gateway to the Mendocino National Forest. Wilderness advocates are hoping to turn about 50,120 acres of land in Lake County into wilderness area. The Lake County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to decide whether to support the effort in March.! Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and some individual county supervisors and residents in Lake and Humboldt counties already have written letters of support for the wilderness campaign. The proposal to designate Cache Creek as a wild and scenic river is causing concerns in Yolo County, which holds rights to water draining from Clear Lake to Cache Creek. "Local control is important. If we do this, then it will be out of our hands," said Tom Stallard, a Yolo County supervisor. "We are all environmentalists at heart. We need to take care of the needs of our county." You can reach Staff Writer Ucilia Wang at 462-6473 or uwang@pressdemocrat.com.
:usa:
Bill could include up to 250,000 acres in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties
January 22, 2002 By UCILIA WANG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Millions of acres of California's federal land, including property in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties, could become wilderness area and earn special protection under a bill being drafted by Sen. Barbara Boxer. Although it is unclear how much land throughout California will be included in the final legislation, Boxer's staff said the bill could include up to 250,000 acres in Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties. The North Coast areas include the King Range in Humboldt County, Cache Creek Management Area in Lake County and the Trinity Alps, which are partly in Humboldt County, said Ryan Henson, conservation associate for the California Wilderness Coalition, which is working with Boxer's staff. In the same bill, the senator also plans to ask for the "wild and scenic" designation for some of the 2,000 miles of eligible rivers in the state.! The status protects the rivers from developments such as dam building and prohibits major diversions. Black Butte River in Mendocino County and Cache Creek, which flows from Lake to Yolo counties, are among the rivers being considered for wild and scenic status. No potential wilderness areas or wild and scenic rivers are located in Sonoma County. Boxer's bill has the potential to be the largest expansion of wilderness area in the state since the 1994 California Desert Protection Act by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. The Desert Protection Act included 7 million acres of land and doubled the size of the state's wilderness areas. Although an initial mapping effort found 7 million additional acres that could qualify for wilderness status, the final acreage will be smaller, said Henson. The senator won't include any piece of land in the bill without the support of local governments and residents, Boxer's staffers said. North Coast Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, plans to eith! er introduce a House version of Boxer's bill or legislation covering only his district, said Elizabeth Murguia, a field representative for Thompson. No decisions have been made on how many acres will be part of Boxer's bill, which is set for introduction in a few months, said David Sandretti, Boxer's communication director. "This is a major piece of legislation and something she has wanted to do for some time," Sandretti said. "Senator Boxer has been concerned for a long time about protecting our vanishing wild areas." Wilderness designation is given to federal land that has retained its natural characteristics. Development such as oil drilling, road building and logging are prohibited in wilderness areas. People can ride horses, hunt and hike in wilderness areas, but can't mountain bike or ride off-road vehicles. The state has 14 million acres of wilderness areas. Supporters say they want to protect remaining wild areas from activities that scar the environment, such as the! use of dirt bikes and jeeps. Proponents say wilderness designation also boosts tourism and fattens income from tourism. "People recognize the importance of preserving the wilderness because of who we are," said Peter Windrem, a Lake County attorney and grape grower who is working on getting county support for the Boxer bill. "For me, being in the wilderness is to connect in a deep and profound way." But critics said they don't want more restrictions on public land use. "We are happy with things they way they are," said Mo Fitch, who is part of a group of Upper Lake volunteers working to improve tourism in the area. "We encourage the continuing use of forests for mountain biking, hunting and four-wheel drive." Upper Lake is a popular gateway to the Mendocino National Forest. Wilderness advocates are hoping to turn about 50,120 acres of land in Lake County into wilderness area. The Lake County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to decide whether to support the effort in March.! Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and some individual county supervisors and residents in Lake and Humboldt counties already have written letters of support for the wilderness campaign. The proposal to designate Cache Creek as a wild and scenic river is causing concerns in Yolo County, which holds rights to water draining from Clear Lake to Cache Creek. "Local control is important. If we do this, then it will be out of our hands," said Tom Stallard, a Yolo County supervisor. "We are all environmentalists at heart. We need to take care of the needs of our county." You can reach Staff Writer Ucilia Wang at 462-6473 or uwang@pressdemocrat.com.
:usa: