Crowdog
05-27-2002, 09:34 PM
Feds may protect huge Napa wilderness
Lands are in northeastern corner
Sunday, May 19, 2002
By NATHAN CRABBE
Register Staff Writer
More than 10,000 acres of Napa County's northeastern frontier would remain forever undeveloped under a Congressional push to protect millions of acres of public land in California.
A bill authored by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, would give federally owned land around Lake Berryessa additional protection from motorized vehicles, roads and development.
The proposal is part of a larger effort by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer to designate about 2.5 million acres of public land across California as federally protected wilderness. Portions of 22 rivers would be also designated "wild and scenic" in Boxer's legislation.
Thompson will introduce two companion bills in the House next month covering lands in his district and elsewhere in Northern California. A separate bill by another legislator will cover Southern California.
Thompson said the bill for his district -- which includes Napa, Lake and five other Northern California counties -- might fare a better chance of passage. He said the wilderness designation is important because of the state's enormous growth and pressures to develop land.
"This would just provide another layer of protection for some pretty spectacular properties," he said.
An example of development pressures is the Blue Ridge/Berryessa natural area, he said, which is included in the bill. Private landowners and public land managers have a voluntary partnership to ensure the 300,000-acre area is protected from development.
Adding the wilderness distinction would add more protection for the area's public lands, Thompson said. That would include 760 acres in Napa County east of Lake Berryessa.
In addition to the Blue Ridge natural area, the bill would cover land held by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to the north and west of Lake Berryessa. The legislation doesn't apply to the Knoxville Recreation Area, which is popular among off-roaders and target shooters.
The bill would cover 40 acres where the Cache Creek wilderness area dips into the county north of the lake. About 3,500 acres east of the lake called Berryessa Peak would also be covered. The property includes communication repeater stations, which would be excluded as would access roads.
Another 5,880 acres west of Lake Berryessa known as Cedar Roughs would be included. The land is currently designated as a wilderness study area and has been kept in a pristine state, said Phil Damon, assistant field manger of the bureau's Ukiah office.
Damon said Cedar Roughs includes a unique stand of pure and tall cypress trees. The remainder of the land is untouched wilderness except for trails, he said.
Hiking, horseback riding and camping would continue to be allowed on the land under the proposed designation, Damon said. Special rules would restrict activities that might impact the land, he said, going so far as requiring weed-free hay for horses to prevent seeds from being left.
"It sounds like it would be easy to manage but it's not," he said.
Adding to the bureau's task is the fact the bureau has three rangers patrolling more than 300,000 acres spanning eight counties. Damon said chief among its tasks will be to ensure the property boundaries are respected by those in motorized vehicles.
Save Cedar Roughs, the Napa lands covered by the bill spill into surrounding counties. In all, the protected lands make up more than 62,000 acres in Napa, Lake and Yolo counties.
Other affected lands in Northern California include parts of the Klamath, Mendinco and Shasta-Trinity national forests. In Southern California, parts of the Angeles and Inyo national forests are among the affected lands.
Napa County Supervisor Mike Rippey said the bills would increase the amount of federally protected lands in the state to 15 percent from 13 percent.
The bill has more significance for land outside of Napa County that might be more at risk of logging and mining, he said. Napa residents will likely see little visible change, he said, but that's exactly the point of the proposal.
"It won't be noticed in our county," he said of the bill, which will keep things as they already are.
Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 256-2260 or ncrabbe@napanews.com.
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What the legislation encompasses
Several bills being introduced in Congress would designate public land in Napa County as federally protected wilderness. Those properties include:
* About 5,880 acres west of Lake Berryessa known as Cedar Roughs.
* More than 9,000 acres of the Berryessa Peak wilderness area with the majority in Yolo County but 3,520 acres in Napa County east of the lake.
* Nearly 11,000 acres of the Blue Ridge Berryessa natural area, mostly in Yolo County but including 760 acres in Napa County north of the lake.
* Over 45,000 acres of the Cache Creek wilderness area, mainly in Lake and Yolo counties, also including 40 acres near the northern border of Napa County.
Source: Office of U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena
http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=C015D29D-A92B-4070-B7D2-33EBFE6337B7
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Crowdog
Lands are in northeastern corner
Sunday, May 19, 2002
By NATHAN CRABBE
Register Staff Writer
More than 10,000 acres of Napa County's northeastern frontier would remain forever undeveloped under a Congressional push to protect millions of acres of public land in California.
A bill authored by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, would give federally owned land around Lake Berryessa additional protection from motorized vehicles, roads and development.
The proposal is part of a larger effort by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer to designate about 2.5 million acres of public land across California as federally protected wilderness. Portions of 22 rivers would be also designated "wild and scenic" in Boxer's legislation.
Thompson will introduce two companion bills in the House next month covering lands in his district and elsewhere in Northern California. A separate bill by another legislator will cover Southern California.
Thompson said the bill for his district -- which includes Napa, Lake and five other Northern California counties -- might fare a better chance of passage. He said the wilderness designation is important because of the state's enormous growth and pressures to develop land.
"This would just provide another layer of protection for some pretty spectacular properties," he said.
An example of development pressures is the Blue Ridge/Berryessa natural area, he said, which is included in the bill. Private landowners and public land managers have a voluntary partnership to ensure the 300,000-acre area is protected from development.
Adding the wilderness distinction would add more protection for the area's public lands, Thompson said. That would include 760 acres in Napa County east of Lake Berryessa.
In addition to the Blue Ridge natural area, the bill would cover land held by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to the north and west of Lake Berryessa. The legislation doesn't apply to the Knoxville Recreation Area, which is popular among off-roaders and target shooters.
The bill would cover 40 acres where the Cache Creek wilderness area dips into the county north of the lake. About 3,500 acres east of the lake called Berryessa Peak would also be covered. The property includes communication repeater stations, which would be excluded as would access roads.
Another 5,880 acres west of Lake Berryessa known as Cedar Roughs would be included. The land is currently designated as a wilderness study area and has been kept in a pristine state, said Phil Damon, assistant field manger of the bureau's Ukiah office.
Damon said Cedar Roughs includes a unique stand of pure and tall cypress trees. The remainder of the land is untouched wilderness except for trails, he said.
Hiking, horseback riding and camping would continue to be allowed on the land under the proposed designation, Damon said. Special rules would restrict activities that might impact the land, he said, going so far as requiring weed-free hay for horses to prevent seeds from being left.
"It sounds like it would be easy to manage but it's not," he said.
Adding to the bureau's task is the fact the bureau has three rangers patrolling more than 300,000 acres spanning eight counties. Damon said chief among its tasks will be to ensure the property boundaries are respected by those in motorized vehicles.
Save Cedar Roughs, the Napa lands covered by the bill spill into surrounding counties. In all, the protected lands make up more than 62,000 acres in Napa, Lake and Yolo counties.
Other affected lands in Northern California include parts of the Klamath, Mendinco and Shasta-Trinity national forests. In Southern California, parts of the Angeles and Inyo national forests are among the affected lands.
Napa County Supervisor Mike Rippey said the bills would increase the amount of federally protected lands in the state to 15 percent from 13 percent.
The bill has more significance for land outside of Napa County that might be more at risk of logging and mining, he said. Napa residents will likely see little visible change, he said, but that's exactly the point of the proposal.
"It won't be noticed in our county," he said of the bill, which will keep things as they already are.
Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 256-2260 or ncrabbe@napanews.com.
------
What the legislation encompasses
Several bills being introduced in Congress would designate public land in Napa County as federally protected wilderness. Those properties include:
* About 5,880 acres west of Lake Berryessa known as Cedar Roughs.
* More than 9,000 acres of the Berryessa Peak wilderness area with the majority in Yolo County but 3,520 acres in Napa County east of the lake.
* Nearly 11,000 acres of the Blue Ridge Berryessa natural area, mostly in Yolo County but including 760 acres in Napa County north of the lake.
* Over 45,000 acres of the Cache Creek wilderness area, mainly in Lake and Yolo counties, also including 40 acres near the northern border of Napa County.
Source: Office of U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena
http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=C015D29D-A92B-4070-B7D2-33EBFE6337B7
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Crowdog