LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Following the success of a series of October events celebrating a decade of protection for Northern California wilderness, communities and land managers are adding two new events to the roster of local festivities.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act, which was signed into law on Oct. 17, 2006.
“A decade later, our communities continue to benefit from the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act,” said Ryan Henson, senior policy director for CalWild, one of the organizations helping to support these events. “These benefits include clean water, the preservation of iconic wildlife, and access to recreation activities like hiking, fishing, boating, and hunting.”
This legislation protected 273,000 acres of Wilderness and 21 miles of a Wild & Scenic River, and set aside approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Area for off-highway vehicles, mountain bikes, and other recreational activities.
These public lands are located in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties, and include the Black Butte River in Mendocino County and the Cow Mountain Recreation Area in Mendocino and Lake counties.
To mark this significant anniversary, communities and land managers throughout Northern California are extending the series of events they kicked off in October, including hikes and restoration projects with students, veterans, members of local Native American Tribes and more.
These activities aim to encourage local families and residents to explore these special places and highlight the local commitment to protect these public lands for future generations.
In Lake County, a field trip has been added for the Cache Creek Wilderness Area from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Fourth- and fifth-graders from Lower Lake Elementary School students will trek into the Cache Creek Wilderness, setting off by bus to the Redbud Trailhead at the forest’s Northern border.
BLM and Tuleyome staff and volunteers will lead the interpretive hike and teach students about fire recovery biology in an area burned in the 2015 Rocky fire.
Students will also learn about archaeology, hydrology, geology, and recreation resources in the area.
Volunteers can visit http://tuleyome.org/volunteer/. For more information about the event, contact Bill Grabert of Tuleyome, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 530-350-2599.
Farther up the North Coast, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, beginning at 8:30 a.m., there will e dozer line repair work on the Cahto Peak/Black Oak Mountain Trail.
River Recovery Project volunteers, the Cahto Tribe and Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office in appreciating and caring for a beautiful landscape at the top of the South Fork Eel wilderness.
Attendees will take a “hike with tools” to evaluate and update work performed last fall to retain soil and protect streams. Hikers will meet in Laytonville and carpool to Cahto Peak. Hand tools and gloves will be provided. Contact Bruce E. Hilbach-Barger, Eel River Recovery Project, for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-983-6169.
This 10th anniversary coincides with the National Park Service Centennial and the 70th anniversary of the Bureau of Land Management, which manages many of these public lands. These milestones provide perfect occasions to recognize the incredible value these public lands contribute to our lives.
“It’s a perfect time to recognize the Congressional leaders that championed the protection of these special places: Congressman Mike Thompson, Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein. Their legacy can be seen in the beauty of the Black Butte River, the redwoods of Elkhorn Ridge, and the bald eagles and elk in Cache Creek,” said Sara Husby, executive director of Tuleyome, an organization that is also celebrating these events.
“Looking to the future, we urge our Congressional and regional leaders to continue making the protection and funding of our public lands a priority,” added Henson. “Together, we can ensure that future generations will enjoy Northern California’s outdoors in its wildest form.”
Community partners are proud to host these events and work in stewardship with land managers from the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service.
To learn more, visit http://tuleyome.org/northcoastwildernessbill/ .
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