California has 15,229,528 acres of BLM lands and 20,754,825 acres of National Forests. The last wilderness areas designated in California were in 2006: Cache Creek, Cedar Roughs, King Range, Mount Lassic, Sanhedrin, South Fork Eel River, Yuki
Media Campaigns
This media campaign ran in several California papers to hilight how diverse supporters of wilderness are, illustrating that wilderness is our common ground. Click each photo to view the respective print ad (PDF), or visit the campaign page [4].
Bills
Sequoia-Kings Canyon
- Bill title:
- The Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Act of 2007
- Bill number:
- H.R. 3022 / S. 1774
- Sponsors:
- Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
- Summary:
- The bipartisan Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Act will permanently protect 115,000 acres of wilderness in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, including 69,500 acres to be named the John Krebs Wilderness after the former congressman and conservationist who fought to protect these lands in the Mineral King Valley. Also protected in this area is Redwood Mountain Grove, the largest stand of Giant Sequoia within the park, as well as California’s largest cave and the Old Hockett Trail. The land is home to many wild animal species, including the California spotted owl and the Golden Eagle.
- More info:
- California Wilderness Coalition [5]
- The Wilderness Society [6]
© Joe Fontaine
Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Mountains
- Bill title:
- Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act
- Bill number:
- H.R. 6156 / S. 3069
- Sponsors:
- Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
- Summary:
- This legislation would permanently protect more than 470,000 acres of wild mountain tops, open spaces and alpine meadows. The bill would also designate nearly 52 miles of rivers as Wild and Scenic. From the 14,000-foot peak in Mono County’s White Mountains to the Amargosa River in Death Valley, the proposal includes some of the region’s most beloved wild gems, including the new White Mountains Wilderness and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the world’s oldest living trees. The bill also includes 40,000 acres of wild lands in northern Los Angeles County including the Magic Mountain and Pleasant View Ridge areas and seven miles of Piru Creek.
- More info:
- California Wilderness Coalition [7]
- The Wilderness Society [8]
Bonnie Lake; © John Dittli
Riverside County
- Bill title:
- California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act of 2007
- Bill number:
- H.R. 3682 / S. 2109
- Sponsors:
- Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
- Summary:
- Legislation introduced to permanently protect some 191,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness, add 31 miles of four rivers to the wild and scenic river system and expand by 5000 acres the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Some of the country’s most important and well-known public lands lie within Riverside county, including Joshua Tree National Park and North Fork San Jacinto River, along with Beauty Mountain, Cahuilla Mountain, and others. Riverside County stretches 210 miles across southern California, from the outskirts of Los Angeles to the Colorado River border with Arizona.
- More info:
- California Desert and Mountain Wilderness Campaign [9]
- California Wilderness Coalition [10]
- The Wilderness Society [11]
Beauty Mountain; © Doug Steakley
Wild Heritage
- Bill title:
- California Wild Heritage Act
- Bill number:
- S. 493 / H.R. 860
- Sponsors:
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA)
- Summary:
- Legislation introduced to permanently protect 2.4 million acres of scenic wilderness throughout the state and designate more than 20 rivers as wild and scenic, ensuring clean water, free flowing rivers, and quality fish and wildlife habitat. It would protect some of the state’s most extraordinary wild lands, including Eagle Peak – an area critical to San Diego’s water supply, and Duncan Canyon – home to one of the best old-growth groves in the Tahoe National Forest. The measure would also protect the Clavey River, one of only four remaining free-flowing rivers in the Sierra Nevada.
- More info:
- California Wilderness Coalition [12]
- The Wilderness Society [13]
Duncan Canyon; © Jim Rose
Campaigns
San Gabriel Mountains/LA Basin
- Summary:
- Efforts underway to protect extensive portions of the Angeles and western section of the San Bernardino National Forests, including the scenic San Gabriel Mountains through wilderness and wild and scenic river designations. The national forest land of the San Gabriels is the nation’s largest “urban” forest, making up 80 percent of Los Angeles County’s open space and within an hour’s drive of some 10 million people. Home to bighorn sheep, bobcats, mountain lions, and sensitive species like the California spotted owl, desert tortoise, and ferruginous hawk, the region includes steep, rocky ridges, numerous canyons, and scenic waterfalls.
- More info:
- Sierra Club [14]
- Friends of the River [15]