The news has just broken that Congressman Jared Huffman is considering the introduction of legislation that would designate significant new federal Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic River segments along with provisions for on the ground conservation and trail creation in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties. Please check out the proposed legislation.
Congressman Huffman is holding a series of town hall meetings to take public input on this proposal -- this is our chance to find out more and to weigh in! The public meetings are free and open to everyone, but advance reservations are requested and very strongly recommended. Click the links below to RSVP.
August 14th – 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way, Eureka August 15th – 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Educational Resource Center – 400 West Harding, Crescent City August 16th – 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Trinity High School – 321 Victory Lane, Weaverville August 29th- 1:30 to 2:30 – City of Ukiah Civic Center, Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Ave, Ukiah
Written comments on the draft legislation are also invited: just send an email to ca02publiclands@gmail.com
Specifically, among other provisions, the draft legislation would:
Protect over 326,000 acres of federal public lands by expanding nine existing wilderness areas and establishing ten new ones.
Protect over 480 miles of streams on federal land as “wild and scenic rivers.”
Establish a 700,000-acre South Fork Trinity-Mad River Special Restoration Area in the heavily logged South Fork Trinity River watershed and the Forest Service-portion of the Mad River watershed in southern Trinity and western Humboldt counties.
Establish a partnership of federal, state, and local entities to restore public lands affected by illegal trespass marijuana grows.
Authorize the construction of an interagency visitor center in Trinity County.
Require federal agencies to coordinate fire management in northwestern California’s wilderness areas.
Explore the possibility of establishing a “Bigfoot National Recreation Trail."
Direct federal agencies to conduct a trails study to improve motorized and non-motorized recreation trail opportunities.
It will NOT limit hunting or fishing, close any legally open roads or trails to vehicles, or affect access to or the use of private property.