Building ties and strengthening bonds in the California desert
Building ties and strengthening bonds in the California desert https://www.calwild.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC01843_MaricelaRosales-scaled-e1674674559750-1024x682.jpg 1024 682 California Wilderness Coalition https://www.calwild.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC01843_MaricelaRosales-scaled-e1674674559750-1024x682.jpgStory by Andrea Iniguez Spending time in nature is a great way to connect with the land and with others. People unfamiliar with the desert…
The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act is the product of years of discussion and negotiation, led by Representative Carbajal, involving business leaders, conservationists, elected officials, ranchers, mountain bikers, and other stakeholders interested in the use and well-being of these iconic lands. Included in the proposed legislation are iconic oak woodlands and chaparral-draped coastal mountains in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
Much like our incredibly diverse landscapes, California’s wildest rivers range from the seasonal flows of the Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert to the mighty Klamath River watershed that cuts across northern California. CalWild has been involved in the protection of virtually every National Wild & Scenic River in California since 1984. With over 2,000 miles already designated, we’re aiming to grow that inventory to 6,000 miles by 2028. 
The Sierra Nevada is an iconic, contrasting region of high peaks and desert, rich conifer forests, oak woodlands, chaparral ecosystems, alpine lakes, and free flowing rivers. CalWild is engaged in the Forest Service’s review of National Forests Land and Resource Management Plans is the most immediate opportunity to potentially preserve a million acres of new wilderness and 1,000+ miles of wild & scenic rivers.
Stretching from Point Reyes to the Oregon border, this land of redwoods, fog, rain, salmon streams, rolling grasslands, and pounding surf is magical. CalWild is working protect 260,000 acres of wilderness and 480 miles of important wild rivers like the upper South Fork Trinity River, the Little South Fork Elk River, the Mattole River and tributaries, and parts of the Upper Eel River Basin.
The spectacular San Gabriel Mountains provide a natural backdrop for the entire Los Angeles metropolitan area – stretching from Santa Clarita to San Bernardino. The majestic mountains are the recreational “backyard” for more than 17 million southern Californians. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument was designated in 2014, offering some protection to the wild areas and waterways surrounding the Southland. CalWild and its allies are working to provide even stronger protection for the potential wilderness and wild and scenic rivers on the National Forest lands within and adjacent to the Monument.
From painted mountains to hidden springs, from world-famous wildflowers to majestic herds of desert bighorn sheep, Americans have long been drawn to the stark beauty of California’s desert. CalWild is working on a new conservation bill in Riverside County with Rep. Ruiz and defending recent protections such as the “Desert Plan” and the 2019 CA Protection and Recreation Act.