It is our task in our time and in our generation, to hand down undiminished to those who come after

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It is our task in our time and in our
generation, to hand down undiminished to those
who come after us, as was handed down to us by
those who went before, the natural wealth and
beauty which is ours. -
President John F. Kennedy
Preserving Californias Wild Heritage
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California Wilderness Coalition CWC is the only
organization dedicated to protecting and
restoring California's wild places and native
biodiversity on a statewide level.
Photo by Bryn Jones
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Through advocacy and public education, CWC
builds support for threatened wild places, from
oak woodlands to ancient forests and deserts.
We coordinate our efforts with community leaders,
business people, local organizations and
policy-makers.
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When CWC formed in 1976, only 2 million acres, or
about 2, of Californias wild lands were
protected as wilderness.
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Since then, CWC has been a part of many
successful wilderness campaigns to protect areas
like Anza Borrego Death Valley Joshua Tree Mt
Shasta Cache Creek The King Range
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• Today about 14 million acres, or 14, of our
  wild lands in California are protected.

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What is Wilderness?
Photo by Barnes Miller
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Wilderness is publicly owned land that Congress
has protected and users can enjoy
through Hiking, horseback riding, camping,
fishing, hunting, rock climbing, and many other
recreational activities
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The Wilderness Act of 1964

• An area where the earth and its community of
  life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is
  a visitor who does not remain.
• An area of undeveloped federal land retaining
  its primeval character and influence, without
  permanent improvements or human habitation.

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President Lyndon Johnson signs The Wilderness Act
September 3, 1964
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What are Wild and Scenic Rivers?
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A Wild Scenic River is a river flowing over
publicly owned lands that Congress has protected
and users can enjoy through Hiking along,
fishing, kayaking, rafting, swimming, and many
other recreational activities.
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Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

• Possess outstandingly remarkable scenic,
  recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife,
  historic, cultural or other similar values
• Shall be preserved in free-flowing condition
• Shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment
  of present and future generations.

Courtesy of NPS
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California Wilderness Act, 1984
YosemiteWilderness
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California Desert Protection Act 1994
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Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act, 2002
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Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage
Wilderness Act, 2006
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Benefits of Wilderness

• Our wild lands provide clean air and water
• About 40 percent of the Inland Empires drinking
  water comes from run off from the San Gabriel
  Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains

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Recreation

• Hunters, anglers, hikers, backpackers, rock
  climbers, whitewater boaters, campers, horseback
  riders, photographers, and birdwatchers
• 24 million visitor days of backpacking and nearly
  64 million visitor days of hiking each year
• Wilderness is important for backcountry
  exploration and spiritual renewal.

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Quality of Life

• Protecting areas as wilderness provides scenic
  backdrops
• As well as a place to quickly and easily escape
  to for solitude and tranquility

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Economic Benefits

• Recreation creates five times as much economic
  activity as does national forest logging.
• Californians spent more than 7 billion on
  fishing, hunting, and wild-life viewing in 2006.
• Visitor spending contributes nearly one job for
  every 550 acres of wilderness.
• Protected land and rivers can also add to the
  value of nearby private property.
• From 1969 1997, western counties with more than
  10 of their land in Wilderness Areas or National
  Parks Monuments experienced 1.43 times faster
  income growth and 1.85 times faster job growth.

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Plants Animals

• Our wild lands are home to more than 800 species
  of wildlife and more than 5,800 plant species.
• About 600 plants are endemic to California and
  grow nowhere else.
• More than 54 threatened animal species and 200
  native plant species in unprotected wilderness.

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Cultural Heritage

• Californias wilderness is our source of wild
  heritage.
• Our remaining wild places give us history and a
  great quality of life.
• Protecting our wild lands ensures that our
  cultural heritage will remain for the benefit of
  future generations.

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Why Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers?

• Encroaching development puts increasing pressure
  on our wild lands
• Of the 172,000 miles of rivers in California,
  only one percent is protected to remain in its
  free-flowing state.

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Over the past twenty years, Southern California
has grown by over 5 million people. Riverside
and San Bernardino Counties are the fastest
growing area in California- adding nearly 700,000
in a ten-year period.
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Without wilderness protection, each day in
California 100 acres of pristine wild lands are
degraded and diminished by timber cutting,
mining, oil and gas drilling, road building,
damns, power lines, pipelines, and off road
vehicle abuse.
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Road BuildingDirectly impacts wildlife
Destroys vegetationNegatively effects the
movement of wildlifeCauses erosion
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Off road vehicles
Disrupt the homes of plants and animals
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• Dirt bikes and other motorized vehicles degrade
  the natural environment.

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Off road vehicles destroy cultural resources
National Geographic Society, 1932
Howard Wilshire, 1975
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CWCs Program

• Wilderness Legislation
• Education and outreach--Hikes Outings
• Organizing Community Support
• Defense Energy Corridors, Mining and Development

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PendingWildernessLegislation
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California Desert Mountain Heritage Act

• 191,000 acres of Wilderness
• 31.5 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers
• Passed the House of Representatives in June
• Supported by 7 local Cities and Chambers of
  Commerce as well as hundreds of citizens

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Eastern Sierra Northern San Gabriels Wild
Heritage Act

• 470,00 acres of Wilderness
• 52 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers
• Senate committee passed the bill out for full
  Senate consideration

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Theres more wilderness out there The 2001
Citizens Inventory, led by CWC staff and
volunteers across the state, found more than 7
million acres of unprotected wilderness in
California.
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• Death Valley NP Wilderness Additions
• Malpais Mesa Wilderness Additions
• Great Falls Basin Wilderness
• Slate Range Wilderness
• Surprise Canyon Wild Scenic River
• Avawatz Mountains Wilderness
• Kingston Range Wilderness Additions
• Soda Mountains Wilderness
• Golden Valley Wilderness Additions
• Cady Mountains Wilderness
• Trilobite Wilderness Additions
• Clipper Wilderness Additions
• Castle Mountain Wilderness/Mojave National
  Preserve Addition
• Deep Creek Wild Scenic River
• Big Morongo Canyon Wilderness/Joshua Tree NP
  Addition
• Vinagre Wash Wilderness
• Palo Verde Wilderness Additions
• Indian Pass Wilderness Additions
• Milpitas Wash Wilderness

Desert Wilderness Wild Rivers
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Surprise Canyon ProposedWild Scenic River

• Located on the Eastern edge of Death Valley,
  below Telescope Peak
• Rare, year-round flow of cool, rushing water fed
  by several springs
• Supports a thriving riparian habitat and a herd
  of bighorn sheep
• Hosts willow thickets, mesquite, and the rare
  Panamint Daisy

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Malpais Mesa ProposedWilderness Additions
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-East of the Sierra Nevada and West of Death
Valley-7,700 Conglomerate Mesa is the areas
central feature-Dense Joshua Tree forest at the
midlevel, Juniper and Pinon Pine at the higher
elevations-Home to wildlife like the Mojave
Ground Squirrel, Mule Deer, Desert
Bighorn-Threatened by open pit cyanide leeching
mine from an out of state mining company
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Avawatz Mountains Proposed Wilderness
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• North of Baker, easily accessed from I-15
• The Avawatz rise 6,000 feet from the Silurian
  Valley floor
• There are nine natural springs
• Habitat for bighorn sheep
• Contains Native American cultural sites and is
  still used today by members of the Timbisha
  Shoshone
• Unique geologic formations

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Cady Mountains Proposed Wilderness

• Located between the I-15 and the I-40 near
  Barstow
• One of the few places where the Mojave River
  flows above ground
• Habitat for desert tortoise and bighorn sheep
• Internationally known amongst rock collectors for
  the unique geology

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Chuckwalla in the Cadys
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Big Morongo Proposed Addition to Joshua Tree
National Park

• Located just west of Joshua Tree National Park,
  off Highway 62
• Boasts the second-highest concentration of
  nesting birds in the United States
• One of the 10 largest cottonwood and willow
  habitats in all of California
• Habitat corridor for Bobcats, black bear, bighorn
  sheep, mountain lions

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• Wilderness Act
• Wild Scenic Rivers Act
• Endangered Species Act
• NEPA/CEQA
• Clean Air Act
• Clean Water Act
• 1872 Mining Law
• Taylor Grazing Act
• -Route Designation
• -Management Plans

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Building grassroots support for desert wilderness
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What Can You Do to Help?
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Enjoy your wilderness! Become a CWC member.
Join us on a hike or camping trip. Write a
letter to your congressional representatives.
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Upcoming Outings

• Sat. March 21st
• Soda Mountains Day Hike
• Sat. April 11th
• Kingston Mountains Day Trip
• Sunday April 26th
• Castle Mountains Day Hike

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The idea of wilderness needs no defense, only
more defenders. --Edward Abbey
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Writing Letters of Support

• Address your letter to
• Senator Feinstein
• Representative_______
• Washington DC
• Write from the heart about why wild lands and
  rivers are important to you
• If youve been to any of these places or would
  like to go someday, talk about why.
• Mention proposed wilderness areas by name
  Malpais Mesa additions, Kingston Range, Avawatz
  Mts, Soda Mts, Cady Mts, Deep Creek, Surprise
  Canyon, Golden Valley, Great Falls Basin, Slate
  Range, Big Morongo Canyon, Palo Verde and Indian
  Pass additions, Milpitas and Vinagre Wash
• Urge our elected officials to craft legislation
  to designate these places as wilderness.
• Sign your full name and address (so they know you
  are a constituent).