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Recreationists Ask Pombo For
Local Hearings on Wilderness
 OAKLEY,
CA – A national trail-based recreation group petitions
Congress to hold local hearings on newly announced
Wilderness proposals in Northern California.
Representative Mike Thompson (D-Napa) recently
introduced the Northern California Wilderness Act
(H.R. 234). This legislation, if enacted, would
greatly impact dispersed recreational opportunities
for off-roaders, mountain bikers, and other outdoorsmen.
Historic and legal access roads and trails used
by dispersed recreationists would be closed such
as a major segment of the Smith-Etter Road in the
King Range Wilderness proposal. Also, mountain-bike
use on trails in the Cache Creek Wilderness and
in other areas would be banned.
Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon
Coalition, said, “If hearings are going to be held,
the Coalition believes that local interests should
be heard. Last year, I testified against a similar
proposal (S.738) before the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources on a panel that was
stacked by Wilderness advocates. Out of a grand
total of six witnesses, I was the only non-government
person testifying against this legislation.”
“Organizations supporting bills such as the Thompson
proposal are often linked to national preservation
groups that have multi-million dollar budgets to
promote a Wilderness or anti-access agenda. I think
Congress should hear from the local small business
owner or construction worker who would be affected
by Thompson’s plan,” Amador, a Humboldt County native,
said.
“Chairman Pombo has a history of holding local
hearings in places such as Yosemite on travel issues,
Lake Arrowhead on forest fires, Jackson on the Sierra
Nevada Framework and Fontana on the Endangered Species
Act. These hearings heard from all viewpoints and
attracted Congressmen from both political parties,”
Amador continued.
"A local hearing is the only way that affected
interests can be heard,” Amador concludes.
Contact: Don Amador
Phone: 925.625.6287
Email:
brdon@sharetrails.org
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