THE U.S. SENATE

THE CALIFORNIA WILD HERITAGE ACT OF 2003 (S.1555)

The California Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2003 will protect approximately 2.5 million acres of public lands in 81 different areas across California, as well as the free-flowing portions of 22 rivers. This will protect many animal and plant species from the threat of development and protect the drinking water of millions of Californians.

Funding would also be provided to establish a program to provide economic development grants to communities and to promote tourism near the new wilderness areas.

This bill protects areas which are already owned by the American people. The property rights of private land owners within the wilderness will not be impacted by the Act and access to private property is guaranteed. The bill does allow activity which is necessary to protect public health and safety, such as firefighting. It will also ensure that uses by Native American Tribes for spiritual, cultural, or subsistence practices are permitted to continue.

Why Wilderness is Needed Now

Travel and tourism is California's biggest industry, employing more than one million people. Every year, tourists flock to California to experience the solitude and tranquility of nature.

The California Wild Heritage Act achieves a balance that will allow people to enjoy these areas in their natural state. Over the past 20 years, 675,000 acres of California's wild areas have been degraded. This is roughly equivalent to the size of Yosemite National Park. As each year passes, we lose more of our wild areas.

The Wilderness Act of 1964

The Wilderness Act defines wilderness as

"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, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions..."

The original Wilderness Act of 1964 created the National Wilderness Preservation System and protected 9 million acres of public land. Subsequent acts of Congress have designated additional acres totaling over 105 million acres as wilderness throughout the United States.

Wilderness designation affects only federal land already in public ownership. Private land adjacent to or within wilderness is not affected and access to that property is guaranteed by the Act.

The Wilderness Act provides for a variety of recreational activities in designated wilderness areas including the following:

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1968. This Act protects endangered rivers from activities that could destroy their natural free-flowing character. In California, less than 1 percent of the 194,000 miles of rivers, streams and creeks have received protection.

Much of California's drinking water supply comes from watersheds in our National Forests. The California Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would provide for the protection of an additional 450 miles of rivers.