WASHINGTON - The House as early as today
will extend a rare honor to former Fresno-area congressman John Krebs, as
lawmakers are expected to give final approval to establishing a 39,740-acre
John Krebs Wilderness in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Few of the nation's other 700-plus
designated wildernesses have been named for living individuals. The 82-year-old
Krebs, though, has persistent allies on his side and some interesting history
in his corner.
"I feel humbled," Krebs said in
a telephone interview Tuesday, "but I'd be less than honest if I didn't
also tell you I'm very pleased for my family."
Krebs explains: During his time in
Congress, and before that in his other public offices, he was frequently
absent, traveling or late for family functions. Now, he figures, recognition
for one is recognition for all.
The new wilderness designation that will
go to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature covers land
already protected as part of Sequoia National Park. Neither visitors nor nearby
property owners will see much difference in land management. Nonetheless, the
new wilderness serves as symbol and as case study.
It's a symbol of respect for a former
congressman who lost his job because of the protections he won a generation ago
for the Mineral King Valley. And it's a case study of the time, persistence and
negotiations that legislating demands.
Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced
the first John Krebs Wilderness effort in May 2002. It would have designated
68,480 acres as protected wilderness.
Since then, the wilderness size has been
cut by 42%. Mineral King Valley cabin owners have carved themselves out of the
wilderness area. Commercial horse-packing operations have been protected. The
wilderness bill itself has been folded into a 1,248-page public lands package.
Some of the revisions alarmed some park
advocates, including within the park service itself, but in the end the
compromises were the price lawmakers paid.
"That's the legislative
process," Krebs said. "It's like trying cases; you win some, you lose
some."
The wilderness bill was originally
scheduled for a vote today. While it might be postponed several days, its final
passage is certain. The Senate already approved it on a 73-21 margin.
An attorney, one-time Fresno County
planning commissioner and then county supervisor, Krebs served in the House of
Representatives from 1975 through 1978. As a congressman, the achievement for
which he is most known was the inclusion of Mineral King Valley in Sequoia and
Kings Canyon national parks.
The park status established in 1978
fended off the Walt Disney Co., which had plans for a big ski resort in the
region. It also drew conservative opposition, well-funded by the local building
industry among others. This led directly to Krebs' defeat in 1978 by Republican
challenger Charles "Chip" Pashayan, who attacked Krebs for having
cost the San Joaquin Valley jobs. Pashayan's congressional seat is now held by
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, who worked for Krebs in 1975 and 1976.
"He took on a lot of interest groups
at the time," Costa said Tuesday, "and it showed a great deal of
political courage."
Costa originally proposed naming a Sierra
Nevada peak after the former congressman, but renaming geographic features
presents difficulties, including a standard policy that the individual being
honored be dead for at least five years.
When first introduced, the Krebs
Wilderness bill faced a conservative chairman of the House Resources Committee,
Tracy Republican Richard Pombo, who was not inclined to approve new wilderness
areas.
Even after Democrats regained
congressional control in 2007, negotiations grew occasionally testy over the
three key issues of homes, horses and hydropower. The fact that the affected
region was in a congressional district represented by Rep. Devin Nunes,
R-Visalia, brought in a new voice to reckon with.
Mineral King Valley cabin owners wanted
to avoid inclusion in federal wilderness, which can limit use of machines.
Negotiators eventually excluded the cabins, and at Nunes' insistence provided a
larger-than-usual buffer area around them.
Southern California Edison wanted
continued access to check dams that are part of the utility's hydropower
network. They got it.
Finally, backcountry horsemen wanted to
retain access to popular trails in the region. Eventually, after taking a stab
with legislative language, lawmakers simply excluded from wilderness most of
the major areas used by horsemen.
"There was good compromising all
around," Costa said.
