By Ed Robey
For many years the natural wealth and recreation opportunities found here in Lake County and the surrounding counties has gone largely unrecognized. The nearly one hundred miles stretching from Lake Berryessa to Snow Mountain in the Mendocino National Forest is a crown jewel of Northern California’s Inner Coast Range. Those of us who live here know well the tremendous value of the Berryessa Snow Mountain region and have been working to see it permanently protected for years.
Congressman Thompson too has championed this place, holding town hall meetings and talking with local leaders and residents about how best to preserve Berryessa Snow Mountain for our continued enjoyment. What has emerged is a proposal to safeguard the area as a national monument. With President Obama’s recent designation of Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado, Pullman National Monument in Illinois and Honouliuli in Hawaii, as well as previous designations here in California—including the San Gabriel Mountains just last year, it’s clear that a national monument designation is a viable way to protect Berryessa Snow Mountain.
A national monument designation would protect the area’s natural beauty and resources, enhance recreational opportunities, help boost local economies, and provide the support needed to accommodate the positive growth such a monument designation will bring.
It’s a proposal that has tremendous support. At a public meeting held by Congressman Thompson recently that support was crystal clear. Hundreds of people attended the meeting to voice their preference for protecting Berryessa Snow Mountain as a national monument. They joined more than 200 businesses, all five counties included in the monument proposal, and a wide variety of outdoor and conservation groups ranging from the Blue Ribbon Coalition to the Sierra Club, already standing behind the monument proposal.
The diversity of support is a reflection of the importance of this area for a wide variety of users. Its proximity to the Bay Area and Central Valley make Berryessa Snow Mountain an accessible outdoor playground. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy everything from bird watching and photography to white water rafting and kayaking. The area’s unique and vast array of plants and animals, in addition to the spectacular scenery, provide an outdoor experience unlike any other.
In California we know the value of outdoor recreation, not just for our quality of life, but for our economy. In my time as a County Supervisor I also saw the importance of protected public lands at the local level for residents’ families and their livelihoods. The Berryessa Snow Mountain region currently supports over 600 jobs and provides $55.3 million in economic benefits for our local counties. A national monument designation will draw additional visitors— visitors that will eat at local restaurants, stay at local lodgings, and shop at local stores. An economic report released by the Winters Chamber of Commerce found that a national monument designation could generate up to an additional $50 million for economies of counties surrounding the monument, including Lake County, over five years.
Designation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a national monument is a move that will benefit our local communities. It will also finally give this national treasure the recognition it deserves. I hope that the Obama administration will act quickly to make a Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument a reality. Here’s to a bright future for our communities and our public lands.
Ed Robey is the chair of the Sierra Club Lake Group and a retired Lake County Supervisor
