LAKE COUNTY — Local proponents of the Mike Thompson-driven Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (HR 233/S 128) joined with neighboring counties on Tuesday to celebrate the news that President George W. Bush had signed the bill into law.
The conservation measure, which its supporters say is critical, designates roughly 275,000 acres of California”s North Coast as wilderness and grants epic and scenic status to 21 miles of the Black Butte River.
“It”s fabulous, it”s wonderful. These wilderness areas are really immense playgrounds, as well as serving all kinds of other purposes,” said Lakeport attorney Peter Windrem, who had worked to generate support for what has generally been referred to as the “North Coast Wilderness Act.”
“The credit goes to Congressman Thompson,” Windrem added. “In years past, wilderness areas have been a real struggle to designate. But this was much more difficult (because) there has been a lot more local review by the various interested stakeholders. What he (Thompson) did to develop a consensus of support for these areas was just extraordinary.”
As well as Windrem, Thompson”s office cited District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey and Steve DeVoto, owner of DeVoto Vineyards, as key Lake County supporters of the act, which designates key landscapes in Lake, Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino and Napa counties as wilderness areas.
Additionally, it protects segments of the Black Butte River as a wild and scenic river.
Areas of special value protected by the bill”s provisions are the King Range, which includes the longest contiguous stretch of undeveloped coastline in the U.S., and the Cedar Roughs, which shelters the world”s largest grove of the rare Sargent cypress.
Endangered species protected by the newly signed legislation include the bald eagle, the California brown pelican, steelhead trout, coho salmon, the northern spotted owl and the Roosevelt elk.
Windrem cited the Cache Creek area bounded by Highway 20 and Highway 16 in Lake County as a critical area protected by the wilderness act.
“Talk about a play area,” he said. “It has rafting on Cache Creek, as well as being an extraordinary wildlife area to preserve for the elk and other wildlife. And it attracts a lot of people. It”s one of those things that enhances the reputation of Lake County.”
Said Derek Chernow, communications director for California Wild Heritage Campaign (CWHC): “This is a special day for the people and places of Lake County. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act permanently protects areas within Cache Creek, additions to the Snow Mountain Wilderness, and creates the largest forested new wilderness with the creation of the Yuki Wilderness.”
Chernow said that “countless community, business and political leaders came forward to support the North Coast bill” in its course of progress through the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.
California Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer joined with Thompson in driving the legislation.
“The signing of the North Coast Wilderness Bill demonstrates the power of combining broad-based local support with strong political leadership,” CWHC Campaign Director Traci Sheehan said in a prepared statement.
“It took nature millions of years to create these natural wonders along the North Coast. Now, thanks to local citizens, Congressman Thompson and Senators Boxer and Feinstein, generations of people will enjoy these beautiful places in their wild state for many years to come.”
Contact John Lindblom at jlwordsmith@mchsi.com.
