John Muir Proposed Wilderness Additions
 Size:
Approximately 131,620 acres.
Managing agency: Inyo National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Bishop Resource Area.
Location: 8 miles west of Highway 395 through the Owens Valley.
Description: These potential additions to the John Muir Wilderness would move the current wilderness boundary farther down the eastern slope to include more of the steep Eastern Sierra scarp. The boundary adjustments would protect the lower elevation habitat and trout-bearing streams which flow down into the Owens Valley. The potential additions are currently threatened by a growing network of off-road vehicle routes, mining and potential ski area development. Wilderness designation would preserve the magnificent eastern scarp, while maintaining access to popular car camping, hunting and fishing sites.
The habitats of the eastern scarp are currently unprotected. Wilderness designation would protect critical deer winter fawning habitat and migration routes, along with lower elevation meadows, lakes and creeks. The eastern escarpment provides critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, one of America's most endangered species. Riparian habitat along the eastern scarp streams and meadows provides vital summer nesting habitat for migratory songbirds, up from their wintering grounds in Central America and Mexico.
The Laurel Canyon-McGee Creek area, in the northern section of the potential wilderness additions, contains the oldest fossils found in the Sierra Nevada.
Wilderness designation would protect the watershed which supplies much of the Owens Valley's municipal drinking water. Disturbance within the watershed could have detrimental effects on water quality.
The eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada forms the picturesque backdrop for Owens Valley and Long Valley residents. This rugged, undeveloped scarp is a vital part of the Eastern Sierra's tourist appeal.
Increasing the size of the John Muir Wilderness would help to ease some of the congestion in this heavily used wilderness. The eastern additions provide excellent opportunities for ski mountaineering, backpacking, day hiking and other forms of primitive recreation. These activities would undoubtedly increase with wilderness status.
While some routes would be closed, access has been preserved to popular local sites, especially in the Coyote Plateau. The Wheeler Ridge Mine Road, East Fork Coyote Creek Road (7S10), Coyote Ridge Road (8S09), and the Laurel Canyon Road are all unaffected. access to private property could continue. Current grazing levels would not be affected, and access to grazing improvements would continue.
Rapidly spreading off-road vehicle use is the main threat to the ecological integrity of the eastern slope, cutting routes in fragile meadows and punching through riparian willow thickets. Potential mining operations could scar the 395 viewshed and pollute local domestic water sources. Wilderness designation would protect these streams, meadows, wild ridges and canyons while still maintaining traditional access to locally popular fishing, hunting and car camping sites.
For additional information, please contact:
Sally Miller
The Wilderness Society
Phone: (760) 647-1614
Email: sally_miller@tws.org
Or contact:
Paul McFarland
Friends of the Inyo
P.O. Box 64
Lee Vining, CA 93541
(760) 647-0079
Email: pmcfarland@qnet.com
Web site: www.friendsoftheinyo.org
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Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
