[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 2535. A bill to designate certain public lands as wilderness and 
certain rivers as wild and scenic rivers in the State of California, to 
designate Salmon Restoration Areas, to establish the Sacramento River 
National Conservation Area and Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, history books written about California 
always comment on the natural beauty of the State because our natural 
treasures have always been one of the things that makes California 
unique. But that beauty must not be taken for granted. That is why I am 
introducing the California Wild Heritage Act of 2002, the first 
statewide wilderness bill for California since 1984.
  This legislation will protect more than 2.5 million acres of public 
lands in 81 different areas, as well as the free-flowing portions of 22 
rivers. Every acre of wild land is treasure. But the areas protected in 
this bill are some of California's most precious, including: the old 
growth redwood forest near the Trinity Alps in Trinity and Humboldt 
Counties; 35 miles of pristine coastline in the King Range in Humboldt 
and Mendocino Counties; the Nation's sixth highest waterfall, Feather 
Falls, in Butte County; the ancient Bristlecone Pines in the White 
Mountains in Inyo and Mono Counties; and the oak woodlands in the San 
Diego River area.
  The bill protects these treasures by designating these public lands 
as ``wilderness'' and by naming 22 rivers, including the Clavey in 
Tuolumne County, as ``wild and scenic'' rivers. These destinations mean 
no new logging, no new dams, no new construction, no new mining, no new 
drilling, and no motorized vehicles. Protection of the areas in this 
bill is necessary to ensure that these previous places will be there 
for future generations. Because much of our State's drinking water 
supply is made up of watersheds in our national forest, this bill also 
helps ensure California has safe, reliable supply of clean drinking 
water. This bill would also mean that the hundreds of plant and animal 
species that make their homes in these areas will continue to have a 
safe haven. Endangered and threatened species whose habitats will be 
protected by this bill include: the bald eagle; Sierra Nevada Red Fox, 
and Spring Run Chinook Salmon among others.
  In short, this bill preserves, prevents, and it protects. It 
preserves our most important lands, it prevents pollution, and it 
protects our most endangered wildlife. That is why so many supporters 
are throwing their weight behind this bill. Thousands of diverse 
organizations, businesses, and others see the importance of this 
legislation and have given it their support. Additionally, hundreds of 
local elected officials have voiced support for the protection of their 
local areas. Unfortunately, despite the tremendous support of this 
bill, it is not without opponents. They will say this bill is too large 
and goes too far. Yet this bill is similar in size to other statewide 
wilderness bills that have already passed Congress. The 1984 California 
Wilderness Act protected approximately 2 million acres and 83 miles of 
the Tuolume River. The most recent Wilderness bill, the California 
Desert Protection Act, protected approximately 6 million acres. And 
this must be taken in context. Only 13 percent of California is 
currently protected as wilderness. This bill would raise that amount to 
15 percent.

  The question is, how much wilderness is enough? For every 
Californian, there is currently less than half an acre of wilderness 
set aside. I think this is too little. During the last 20 years, 
675,000 acres of unprotected wilderness, approximately the size of 
Yosemite National Park, lost their wilderness character due to 
activities such as logging and mining. As our population increases, and 
California becomes home to almost 50 million people by the middle of 
the century, these development pressures are going to skyrocket. If we 
fail to act now, there simply will not be any wild lands or wild rivers 
left to protect.
  We must reverse this. Many of the areas in this bill would have been 
protected by the Clinton administration's Roadless Rule, but this rule 
has been gutted by the Bush Administration, leaving these lands with no 
guarantee of protection. That just makes the need for this bill even 
greater. The other big question that has been raised is whether this 
bill will limit public access to these areas. I do not believe this 
will be the case. While wilderness designation means the wilderness 
areas are closed to mountain bikers, they remain open to a myriad of 
recreational activities, including: horseback riding, fishing, hiking, 
backpacking, rock climbing, cross country skiing, and canoeing. 
Mountain bikers and motorized vehicles have 100,000 miles of road and 
trails in California that are not touched in my bill. Furthermore, 
numerous economic studies suggest wilderness areas are a big draw that 
attract outdoor recreation visitors, and tourism dollars, to areas that 
have received this special designation.
  Those of us who live in California have a very special responsibility 
to protect our natural heritage. Past generations have done it. They 
have left us with the wonderful and amazing gifts of Yosemite, Big Sur 
and Joshua Tree. These are places that Californians cannot imagine 
living without. Now it is our turn to protect this legacy for future 
generations, for our children's children, and their children. This bill 
is the place to start and the time to start is now.
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