Boxer Introduces Legislation to Create Pinnacles National Park

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today introduced legislation that would elevate the Pinnacles National Monument to a National Park. The legislation would also rename the current Pinnacles Wilderness as the Hain Wilderness after Schuyler Hain, an early conservationist whose efforts led to the establishment of the Monument.

Senator Boxer said, “The rugged beauty and unique wildlife of Pinnacles National Monument attract tens of thousands of visitors each year, helping support California’s tourism industry. Elevating Pinnacles to a National Park will draw even more visitors to this spectacular piece of California’s natural and cultural heritage.”

“Pinnacles is so much more than rock formations,” said Congressman Sam Farr, who introduced companion legislation, H.R. 3444, in the House of Representatives. “It’s home to the endangered California condor, it’s packed with historical significance and its geological distinctiveness is second to none. The park designation would be a major boon to an economically starved area, a huge benefit for the state’s Central Coast. Pinnacles is a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered.”

Established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, the Pinnacles National Monument was originally 2,500 acres. Now it encompasses 26,000 acres of diverse California wildlands, abundant wildlife and spectacular volcanic rock formations.

The Pinnacles are a global destination for naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds, who are attracted by the park’s scenic trails, natural resources and some of the most unique rock-climbing in the world. They are also home to diverse wildlife, including the critically endangered California condor.

The area holds cultural significance for several of California’s Native American tribes and it served as a backdrop for John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and “East of Eden.”

Supporters of Senator Boxer’s legislation include the Wilderness Society, the California Wild Heritage Campaign and the California Wilderness Project.