CLEARLAKE — More than 150 area residents joined Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) at a community meeting Feb. 23 to discuss the future of public lands between Lake Berryessa and the Snow Mountain Wilderness.
Business owners, farmers and local elected officials all urged the congressmen to permanently protect the area, which is a prime recreation spot and home to a wide array of rare plants and animals, according to Sara Husby-Good, Tuleyome Organization executive director.
“Designating our nearby public lands as a National Conservation Area would bring added economic vitality to gateway communities — including many here in Lake County — through tourism and job creation,” District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said. “Permanently protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain region makes good business sense.”
The Berryessa Snow Mountain region is one of the largest tracts of relatively undisturbed public lands in California, according to Husby-Good, whose organization is spearheading the conservation effort.
The area provides habitat for dozens of iconic California wildlife species, including black bear, mountain lion, Pacific fisher and one of the state”s largest populations of wintering bald eagles.
“It is home to so many kinds of plants and animals that it has been named a ”biodiversity hotspot,”” Husby-Good said.
According to former California Cattle Women President Judy Ahmann, creating an easement to build a short segment of trail across her Napa County ranch will connect two parcels of public lands, providing more than 100 miles of continuous hiking opportunities.
“We want to allow access for people who like long hikes with beautiful views,” Ahmann said. “We feel strongly that protecting this area from development is the right thing to do for future generations, so they can enjoy it just as we do today.”
The Berryessa Snow Mountain area is a major outdoor recreation destination in Northern California.
Whether it is Lake Berryessa”s world-renowned bass fishery, the whitewater rapids of Cache Creek or the horseback riding through wide-open spaces, the area has something for everyone, Husby-Good said.
“Our community has greatly benefited from enhanced access to public lands and waterways, for example the restoration of Putah Creek,” Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, mayor pro-tem for the City of Winters, said. “Residents appreciate these expanded opportunities to recreate in their own backyard, while those traveling through our community boost our small town economy. It”s truly a win-win for everyone.”
Dozens of elected officials, several government entities and thousands of individuals have supported permanently protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain region, Husby-Good said.
“An overwhelming majority of comments made at (the Feb. 23) community meeting also expressed strong support for protecting the region as a National Conservation Area, which would provide better-managed recreation opportunities and safeguard the unique natural beauty, wildlife and rare plants found there,” she said.
“From day one, I have been committed to an open and transparent process for the possible designation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Conservation Area,” Thompson said. “That is why I joined more than 150 folks from across the region for a community meeting. There were great questions and we had a productive discussion. I look forward to continuing the conversation as we move ahead.”
