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SENATE PASSES CALIFORNIA WILDERNESS BILL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2002

Contact: Keith Hammond, California Wilderness Coalition, 530-758-0380 ext. 109

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 20, 2002 -Early Wednesday morning the U.S. Senate passed legislation permanently protecting wilderness areas in Central California.

The Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act of 2002 (H.R. 4750) sponsored by Representative Sam Farr (D-Carmel) passed the Senate shortly after midnight with the help of Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. If signed by President Bush, the bill will add to the National Wilderness Preservation System a total of 56,880 acres of federal public lands in Monterey and San Benito counties.

"This is a great win for the wilderness and a courageous first step toward saving California's last wild places," said Mary Wells, executive director of the California Wilderness Coalition. "California voters strongly support permanent protection of more wild areas before they're lost to development. We call on the California delegation to protect many more wilderness areas in the next Congress."

The Big Sur bill will designate 37,110 acres of Ventana Wilderness additions and 17,055 acres of Silver Peak Wilderness additions within the Los Padres National Forest; and 2,715 acres of Pinnacles Wilderness additions within Pinnacles National Monument. The areas include steep mountain canyons, oak woodlands, wild creeks and waterfalls, mountain lions, and endangered California condor and steelhead trout. The areas already are owned by the American public; the legislation preserves them in their wild condition for future generations to enjoy.

Wilderness designation allows camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, and other non-motorized outdoor activities, while barring development and motor vehicles except in emergency. Fire fighting and fire presuppression activities are allowed in wilderness, and are specifically authorized by the Big Sur legislation passed Wednesday.

The Big Sur bill protects the first of many areas championed by the California Wild Heritage Campaign, an effort by nearly 200 local, regional, statewide and national conservation, business, faith and civic groups to permanently protect California's remaining wilderness and wild rivers. More than 2 million acres are proposed for wilderness designation in the California Wild Heritage Act authored by Senator Barbara Boxer and sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-TKTK) in the House of Representatives.

For more information on the Ventana, Silver Peak, and Pinnacles wilderness additions, see http://www.calwild.org/campaigns/cwhc_act/cwhc_list.php

Founded in 1976, the California Wilderness Coalition defends the pristine landscapes that make California unique, provide a home to our wildlife, and preserve a place for spiritual renewal.