What does it take to protect California’s wildest places?
In order for CalWild to decide what landscapes we should work to protect, whether that be as a national monument, Wilderness area, or protected river, or other protective designation or whether we work to defend them from harmful proposals, we first have to find, study, and document the existence of the special areas in the field. That’s exactly what CalWild has been doing since we organized in 1976 and published our first statewide inventory and map of wilderness quality lands that incorporated agency inventories, local conservationists’ on-the-ground knowledge, and careful map study.
This year, our team has been at it again.
Building on our comprehensive field-based Wilderness inventory that was conducted between 1997 and 2001 followed by regional updates every 5 years or so, our Senior Policy Director, Ryan Henson scrutinized land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in multiple California counties to identify areas with the Wilderness characteristics as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964. At the same time, our Wild Rivers Director, Steve Evans evaluated several new opportunities for Wild and Scenic Rivers designation throughout the state.
What Makes a Place “Wilderness-Eligible”?
Not all open space qualifies as Wilderness. The standard comes from the Wilderness Act of 1964, which defines Wilderness based on specific characteristics.
To be considered Wilderness-eligible, a landscape generally must:
- Be federally managed
- Be roadless (typically 5,000+ acres, or connected to existing wilderness)
- Remain largely undeveloped (no active roads, major infrastructure, or industrial activity)
- Look and feel natural to the average visitor
- Offer opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation
- Be manageable as Wilderness
- May contain ecological, cultural, or other important values
To evaluate these areas, CalWild combines:
- Detailed mapping and GIS analysis
- High-resolution aerial imagery
- Review of agency plans and historical data
The next step—field inventories —helps confirm what the data suggests, using on-the-ground observations and geolocated photos.
How Wilderness Inventories Help Preserve California’s Natural Landscapes and Waterways
From Wilderness to Wild and Scenic River to Monument designations, landscape protections depend on having credible, up-to-date data that shows what’s worth protecting and why. Despite the fact that the BLM and U.S. Forest Service are legally required to conduct on-going field inventories of the lands that they manage, they frequently do not have the resources or staff to be able to do so.
The information that we glean through this process will not only help us know lands we should advocate for, but also helps us inform both of the agencies about the lands that they’ve been charged with managing, so that they do a better job of protecting natural landscapes in California.
What We Found
From the landscapes reviewed, we identified more than 500,000 new acres of wilderness-eligible lands. Many landscapes were adjacent to previously identified areas.
These lands add to a much larger statewide picture that we’ve been working on for decades, and represent some of the places most in need of protection from current efforts to gut public lands protections and best remaining opportunities to permanently protect California’s wild places.
Wild and Scenic Rivers: Miles of Opportunity
In addition to land inventories, CalWild maintains a database of Potential Wild and Scenic Rivers.
This year’s update identified about 4,700 miles of rivers and streams that could qualify for protection.
These waterways are evaluated based on their eligibility under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, including their natural condition and outstanding values.
Recent updates include:
- Incorporating BLM and Forest Service recommendations
- Identifying new river segments that merit formal study
- Focusing on key regions, including upcoming congressional districts
As with Wilderness areas, the next step is fieldwork—documenting these rivers in detail to support future protection efforts.
What Comes Next
CalWild’s Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River inventories are not proposed for protection at this time. Before launching any protection effort for any land or stream, CalWild’s standard operating procedure is to engage with potentially affected Tribes, local allies, and others to identify and resolve conflicts or perceived conflicts, identify the best proposed boundaries, and build support in the counties in which the areas occur. While some of the areas in our inventory have been through this vetting process, most have not.
By identifying these landscapes now, CalWild is laying the groundwork for solid defense of our natural landscapes and the next generation of conservation victories.
Photo: Slinkard Wilderness Study Area, BLM, Bob Wick
