In The News
Conservation a team effort, officials told
By Cory Golden July 8th, 2010
Enterprise staff writer
How resource conservation gets done is changing, Obama administration officials said at an event held Wednesday on the UC Davis campus that gave them a chance to hear from citizens working with government and private landowners to protect places they care about.
Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, representatives of the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said such projects are less likely to be about large tracts of land taken over by one government agency and more like the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area: community bringing nonprofit organizations and government agencies together.
“I grew up in an era where if you were going to do conservation, a government entity came in and did it,” said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who led the session.
“Those days are gone. Government entities have to be part of it but it takes a very participatory private sector to even start the process.”
The partnership in the bypass has yielded a key regional flood-control feature managed by the State Department of Fish and Game in a way that supports both wildlife habitat and agriculture. It attracts millions of birds and with them thousands of hunters, bird watchers and, through the Yolo Basin Foundation's educational outreach programs, schoolchildren each year.
The administration hopes to lay out a new agenda soon after for conserving natural resources, historic sites and farmland while encouraging Americans to spend more time outdoors and build new urban and community parks.
Said Sutley, “It's about communities coming together to protect places that are special to them and how we as the federal government can support those efforts as part of an overall land-conservation agenda. Those iconic pieces of land and parks and historic places are still very important, but we're building this from the community level up.”
Wednesday's event drew more than 250 people to the Mondavi Center's Vanderhoef Studio Theatre. It was the fifth session held across the country since President Obama announced his “America's Great Outdoors” initiative in April. Another 15 to 20 sessions will be held before cabinet members sign off on a report due on Obama's desk in November.
Will Shafroth, principal deputy secretary for the Department of the Interior, said a theme was emerging about “private landowners — whether it be ranchers, farmers or foresters — and their interest in stewarding their land for the long-term ... Whether it's in the wetlands of South Carolina or the big ranch lands of Montana or the Chesapeake Bay region, that theme is consistent around the country.”
At UCD, officials heard from: the California Rice Foundation and Ducks Unlimited about the importance of privately held wetlands to millions of birds migrating along the Pacific flyway; Andy Beckstoffer, who grows thousands of acres of grapes in Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties on conservation easements; and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which has worked with landowners and state and local governments across California to conserve and improve habitat, including the Cache Creek Natural Area.
They also took comments on a myriad issues of local concern from 27 members of the audience, not least a large contingent from Tuleyome.
The Woodland-based environmental organization is pushing for the bringing together of 470,000 acres of public land — from Solano County's Blue Ridge mountains past Lake Berryessa to the Snow Mountain area in Lake, Glenn and Colusa counties 100 miles to the north — as the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area. Audience members talked up its promise as a recreation area for the millions of people living in the Bay Area and Sacramento region and its importance for everything from native plant to fish species.
A Family Water Alliance representative countered that neighboring landowners oppose the project because they're worried about the trespassing, poaching and fire hazards posed by a new designation for the land, which they see as sufficiently protected.
Dave Feliz, who manages the bypass for Fish and Game, asked that officials make room at the table for those who live and work in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the discussion about that fragile ecosystem's future.
Robin Kulakow of the Yolo Basin Foundation said its education programs need grant funding to hire staff, but she also urged support for curriculum standards requiring outdoor education and transportation money so that school districts without buses can take advantage of similar programs.
Steve Greco, an associate professor of environmental design at UCD, talked about the increasing isolation of wildlife areas nationally and, locally, the need to connect habitat areas linking the Sacramento River to the Coast Range, while Jim Thorne, a UCD environmental science and policy analyst, explained the good for wildlife that can be done by planting live oaks along roadways and the need for regional conservation planning.
Others spoke on such subjects as the pros and cons of off-road vehicles, supporting conservation corps as a way to provide jobs and a connection to the environment for youth, the need for improved trail systems for hiking and biking, reducing hurdles and increasing funding for land trusts and using fishing and storytelling as ways to get kids excited about the outdoors.
For more about the “America's Great Outdoors” initiative or to send comments, see http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors. —
Reach Cory Golden at cgolden@davisenterprise.net or 747-8046. Track him at http://twitter.com/cory_golden
California Wilderness Coalition shows Robert Redford Conservation Film in Escondido
The film Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness, screened last night at the Stone Brewery in Escondido, by the California Wilderness Coalition. Narrated by Robert Redford, the inspiring film introduces the viewer to the ever increasing need for wilderness preservation in California.
Since 1964 when President Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into legislation, over one million acres of pristine desert land has been preserved and protected. In 2009 Congressman Darrell Issa introduced the Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act. This proposed bill will add thirteen thousand acres of land to the Beauty Mountain Wilderness and seven thousand acres to Agua Tibia. Both of these areas lie in the northern region of San Diego County. Please reference the attached map regarding HR 4304. This bill will not only preserve the land, it will also enhance the local economy and tourism as well. Continue reading this article....
ConservationNEXT Backyard Collective Kicks off 2010 Schedule with Event in the Presidio of San Francisco
Bend, Ore. (April 19, 2010) — ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, will organize the second annual Bay Area Backyard Collective Friday, April 23 at the San Francisco Presidio. After a successful inaugural event in the Bay area last year, ConservationNEXT is excited for the region’s second year that will bring together outdoor industry employees and Conservation Alliance grantees for a hands-on environmental stewardship event. . This year employees from The North Face, CamelBak, Mountain Hardwear, CLIF Bar, and Ahnu Footwear will be volunteering for the day. 
“This is a great way for our Bay Area member companies to celebrate Earth Day,”said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “We look forward to a great turnout!”
The April 23rd event will support a three-phase restoration project of San Francisco Presidio, organized by the California Wilderness Coalition and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The event will also feature a volunteer fair at which local Conservation Alliance grantees will share information on their current conservation initiatives. Complementing the volunteer fair will be a celebratory catered BBQ lunch served from 12-1pm, in between two volunteer work sessions. The entire event will be from 9am to 4pm.
The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor industry companies that fund conservation organizations. The Alliance launched ConservationNEXT in August 2008 to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the group. ConservationNEXT.com provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get their “hands dirty” for the sake of conservation.
Check out more photos from the event on our Facebook Page
About the Conservation Alliance:
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.
Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.
Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed nearly $8 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 49 million acres of wildlands; 27 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 16,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.
For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.
About The ConservationNEXT Backyard Collectives
ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, announced the launch of the Backyard Collective in 2008. The initiatives goal is to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the Alliance through the online forum, www.ConservationNEXT.com. This initiative provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get involved at the grassroots level and help further the conservation efforts within their communities.
In 2009, The Conservation Alliance hosted seven Backyard Collectives with their 22 participating grantees, 34 participating member companies, and more than 400 volunteers. These seven events allowed the volunteers to help clean up their communities’ recreational areas by removing trash, eradicating invasive species, restoring and building trails and re-planting marsh lands. Learn more about these initiatives by visiting www.ConservationNEXT.com and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out more Pictures from the Backyard Collective on our Facebook Page
Feinstein Introduces California Desert Land Protection Bill- 12/21/09
Bill would designate important wilderness in the California Desert and protect lands for recreation, wildlife and tourism
The California Wilderness Coalition along with community, business and conservation leaders from the California desert region are applauding a new proposal by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would increase protection for 1.6 million acres of desert landscapes celebrated both for their contributions to America’s national heritage and to the local economy.
The proposed legislation, known as the California Desert Protection Act of 2010 S. 2921, will designate 394,807 acres of wilderness from the Avawatz Mountains near Death Valley to the largest Sonoran woodland in North America along the Colorado River. The legislation would also create two new national monuments—the Mojave Trails and the Sand to Snow—and expand Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve. It will also protect important waterways such as the Amargosa River and Deep Creek as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
“We applaud the leadership, foresight and vision that Senator Feinstein has shown in finding a common-sense way to protect our valuable desert wilderness for people and wildlife,” said Monica Argandoña, the San Bernardino County based Desert Program Director at The California Wilderness Coalition. She also noted that the proposal has strong local support from a diverse group of stakeholders throughout the desert region. “This proposal has truly been a local grassroots effort and has something for everyone.”
Read the rest of this article here and show your support for this important bill by writing a letter to Senator Feinstein
Issa Introduces Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Bill - 12/16/09
On December 14, 2009 Representative Darrell Issa (Republican, Vista), who represents northern San Diego County, introduced the "Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act of 2009" (HR 4304). CWC and local residents strongly support this bill because it would protect two of southern California's most important areas of open space as wilderness.
The Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act of 2009 would add over 7,796 acres to the existing Agua Tibia Wilderness and would expand the Beauty Mountain Wilderness by an additional 13,635 acres. Representative Issa's bill would build on successful legislation sponsored earlier this year by Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) and Representative Mary Bono Mack (Republican, Palm Springs) whose "California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act" established the Beauty Mountain Wilderness and enlarged the Agua Tibia Wilderness that was established in 1975.
Click here for details about the bill and to write a letter thanking Darrell Issa
CWC Plans for Desert Wild Spaces
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA.: Saving our wild lands was the theme. The California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) held an important planning meeting at the 29 Palms Inn on September 23 through September 27, 2009. The board meeting and staff retreat dealt with legislation to protect California’s wild lands and building constituencies to protect those lands, particularly the California desert. Artist Mary-Austin Klein of Twentynine Palms is the president of the CWC board.
The deserts of California currently face challenges in dealing with an onrush of corporate efforts to use vast areas of open and untouched wild areas for solar power and wind power sites. Alternative energy is an important national priority. The CWC’s efforts focus on cooperative community planning for these sites so that they satisfy our nation’s needs for alternative energy without damaging our wildlife and scenic areas which are so important to our economic and environmental values.
Curt Sauer, Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent, and Stephanie Weigel, Regional Land Use Planner with the Sonoran Institute, discussed local land use issues. They emphasized the importance of maintaining wildlife links between Joshua Tree National Park and the Twentynine Palms Marine Base.
Paul Smith of the 29 Palms Inn and the Innkeepers Association, shared his thoughts on the need to protect our wilderness tourism assets which attract over 1,200,000 visitors each year to Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding desert wild areas. These visitors are attracted by the untouched open spaces of the desert. Their economic effect on tax revenues, property values, and local business income is substantial.
Check back here for developments in desert wilderness protection from the California Wilderness Coalition.
Watch the film Forever Wild on KQED to celebrate 45 years of Wilderness!
Duration: 56:46 minutes CC Stereo TVG
Forever Wild is a First Light Films production that captures the immense beauty and benefits of America's protected wilderness. This film celebrates the legacy of the Wilderness Act of 1974 during its 45th anniversary year. From the wild lands that have been designated as wilderness to those citizens who have devoted their lives to protecting wild lands, this film explores and celebrates all that wilderness has provided for our country. Tune in this week on KQED and see CWC's very own Ryan Henson featured in this film for his long term work in protecting California's wilderness.
Watch the trailer for Forever Wild here
9/3/2009
CWC Celebrates the 45th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964!
Today marks an important conservation milestone in American history! On September 3, 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law this historic legislation, which changed everything about wilderness preservation. This legislation created the Natinal Wilderness Preservation System,ensuring that those who wish to fish, hike, ski, hunt, camp, ride horses, look at birds and flowers, or simply relax in peaceful surroundings, will always be able to do so in the places that they love.
For over 30 years we’ve been leading the fight to safeguard the wildlands of our state. CWC has helped protect more than 12 million acres by spearheading numerous conservation campaigns. Most recently, CWC has championed efforts to preserve over 700,000 acres of wilderness in California through the passage of Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, signed into law on March 30, 2009, by President Obama.
Today, in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, please make a special donation to CWC. The California Wilderness Coalition is the only statewide organization that brings together individuals and organizations for the vigorous defense of California’s remaining wildlands. The generosity of our members allows our staff to dedicate their time and talents to building the coalitions of support that are necessary to preserve California’s wild spaces.
Suggested Anniversary donations:
$19.64 (recurring monthly donation)
$45
$1,964
Click here to donate through our secure website.
7/12/2009 - San Diego County Wilderness Additions Proposed
Yesterday, Congressman Darrell Issa (Republican, Vista) who represents northern San Diego County announced his intention to introduce the "Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act of 2009," a bill strongly supported by the CWC and other conservation groups because it would protect two of southern California's most important areas of open space as wilderness.
The Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia Wilderness Act of 2009 would add over 7,796 acres to the existing Agua Tibia Wilderness and would expand the Beauty Mountain Wilderness by an additional 13,635 acres. Representative Issa's bill would build on successful legislation sponsored earlier this year by Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) and Representative Mary Bono Mack (Republican, Palm Springs) whose "California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act" established the Beauty Mountain Wilderness and enlarged the Agua Tibia Wilderness that was established in 1975.
Characterized by deep canyons and rugged coastal sage scrub, Agua Tibia is enjoyed by thousands of hikers and equestrians each year who travel through the region via the rugged Cutca Trail. As its name implies, Beauty Mountain is a scenic jewel draped in chaparral, fascinating rock formations and oak woodlands. Both of these areas provide endless recreational opportunities as well as priceless habitat for endangered wildlife. Both areas serve as critical plant and wildlife corridors between Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the coastal mountains of Riverside and San Diego counties.
Representative Issa toured the areas and agreed to help protect them both for their scenic and habitat values and also because they provide excellent recreation opportunities for his constituents and others. Representative Issa has posted a copy of his draft legislation and his wilderness proposal maps on his website at the following links:
Proposed Beauty Mountain Legislation (Draft)
Map of Agua Tibia Proposed Wilderness Additions
Map of Beauty Mountain Wilderness Additions
The congressman is seeking public input until August 17, 2009 on the idea of protecting the areas. As he says on his website, "I'm asking for the public to review and share their ideas so that this wilderness area is created in full consultation with those who will enjoy the benefits of protecting this land and live near it."
Please take a moment to e-mail Representative Issa at beautymountain@mail.house.gov to thank him for his efforts to protect these beautiful places. If you have visited either of them or if you are one of his constituents, please share that information with him as well.
Sample letter:
Dear Congressman Issa: I strongly support your efforts to protect the Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia areas.
Protecting these areas enhances the local tourism and recreation-based economy, and ensures that their magnificent scenery, outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities, and rich wildlife habitat are conserved for future generations to visit and enjoy. Thank you again for introducing this important bill. If there is anything that I can do to help pass this legislation, please let me know.
Sincerely, etc.
2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act Facts
