FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Nick Jensen, California Native Plant Society, 916-447-2677 x 278, njensen@cnps.org
Sandra Schubert, Tuleyome, 202-329-8648, sschubert@tuleyome.org
Elyane Stefanick, Conservation Lands Basis, 415-663-6278,elyane@conservationlands.org
Ryan Henson, California Wilderness Coalition, 530-365-1455, rhenson@calwild.org
July 28, 2021, Washington, D.C. — Right this moment, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA 3rd District) launched dialogue draft laws so as to add the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument. This tract of practically 4,000 acres, was inside the unique Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument boundary, however was excluded earlier than President Obama signed the Presidential Proclamation on July 10, 2015. Additionally included within the draft laws is the requirement to finish a Monument Administration Plan inside a yr.
Positioned north of San Francisco and Sacramento, Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument is a rugged and various panorama. The area is culturally vital to quite a few Native American tribes and can be notable for its number of habitats together with grasslands, outdated progress conifer forests, and woodlands. It hosts imperiled wildlife akin to northern noticed owls, Northern California steelhead, martens, and fishers.
Walker Ridge, roughly 10 miles east of Clearlake, is a jewel of biodiversity. The realm hosts historic blue oak woodlands, rugged rock outcrops, treasured meadows, rolling hills of chaparral and intensive stands of McNab cypress. It’s house to greater than 30 species of uncommon crops. “We’ve got lengthy fought for the appreciation and safety of this irreplaceable area, which is a mecca of botanical richness inside the biodiversity hotspot that’s California,” stated Nick Jensen, Conservation Program Director for the California Native Plant Society. “We’re overjoyed that Congressman Garamendi has launched draft laws to broaden Berryessa Snow Nationwide Monument to incorporate the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge.”
“Everlasting safety of this extraordinary place has been a private precedence since earlier than the Berryessa Snow Mountain marketing campaign started,” emphasised Lake County resident and Tuleyome board member, Victoria Brandon. “I’m thrilled that my very own Congressman John Garamendi has stepped up to reserve it for posterity by including it to the Monument.”
Walker Ridge notably supplies easy accessibility to quite a lot of leisure customers together with mountain bikers, hikers, OHV riders, and equestrians. Don Amador, a long-time path recreation and useful resource administration skilled, famous that, “As one of many OHV recreation companions that helped within the creation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument, I need to commend Congressman Garamendi for his proposal to regulate the Monument boundary to incorporate Walker Ridge and the numerous trails that exist in that space. The boundary adjustment additionally makes a variety of sense given the BLM has began its journey planning effort inside the Monument and this plan will make it simpler for the company to designate routes that present connectivity to extend public entry and improve recreation alternatives for all consumer teams.” By finishing a administration plan, all consumer teams will have the ability to benefit from the many wonders of this exceptional area.
“The Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument Growth Act will safeguard Walker Ridge’s pure magnificence, wildlife, uncommon crops, and indigenous treasures,” stated Tuleyome Government Director, Sandra Schubert. “It’ll additionally safe continued recreation alternatives within the space whereas offering a lift for the financial system and native communities which have lengthy referred to as for everlasting safety of the world. We assist this laws and commend Congressman Garamendi for shielding Walker Ridge and the entire Monument’s treasures.”
“Conservation Lands Basis celebrates and helps Congressman Garamendi’s aim to broaden the Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument and guarantee this particular panorama has a sturdy administration plan,” stated Elyane Stefanick, California Program Director for the Conservation Lands Basis. “The addition of Walker Ridge will assist defend the world’s wealthy biodiversity and is a step towards serving to the State of California and the Biden Administration meet the necessary aim of defending 30% of U.S. lands and waters by the yr 2030.”
“We’re very grateful that Congressman Garamendi launched this critically necessary invoice,” said Ryan Henson, Senior Coverage Director for the California Wilderness Coalition. “Walker Ridge is a pure extension of Berryessa Snow Mountain Nationwide Monument with its important habitat, uncommon species and hundreds of years of historical past in its lands. Walker Ridge belongs within the Monument.”
We invite you to affix us in thanking Congressman Garamendi for introducing this draft laws and taking an necessary step towards the long-term conservation of Walker Ridge and administration of the Nationwide Monument. People are inspired to submit suggestions on the dialogue draft laws by contacting Legislative Assistant, Tigran Agdaian, at Tigran.Agdaian@mail.home.gov.
The California Native Plant Society is a nonprofit group working to save lots of and have fun California’s native crops and locations by way of plant science, advocacy, schooling, and horticulture. CNPS has practically 10,000 members in 35 chapters all through California and Baja to advertise its mission on the native stage.
Tuleyome is a science-based conservation group working in California’s Northern Interior Coast Vary area to preserve, improve, restore, and luxuriate in lands by advocacy, stewardship, and neighborhood engagement. Tuleyome (pronounced too-lee-OME-ee) is a Lake Miwok Indian phrase which means “deep house place”, which exemplifies our connection to the environment, our communities and our regional public lands.
For greater than a decade, the Conservation Lands Basis has efficiently constructed and led a nationwide motion of community-based advocates to guard, restore and broaden locations underneath the Nationwide Conservation Lands designation. We’re dedicated to the continued work of constructing multicultural competency throughout our sphere of affect to speed up a conservation motion that’s inclusive and addresses its intersectionalities with environmental justice, social justice, and neighborhood well being.
The California Wilderness Coalition (CalWild) is a nonprofit public profit company organized underneath the legal guidelines of the State of California in 1976 and composed of conservation organizations, companies and particular person members. Via advocacy and public schooling, CalWild builds assist for the safety of California’s wildest remaining locations, primarily these managed by the federal authorities.
