WILDERNESS LAND TRUST PURCHASES
800 ACRES IN OWENS PEAK WILDERNESS
Owens Peak viewed from the parcel
purchased by the Wilderness Land Trust
Named for the highest peak in the
southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Owens
Peak Wilderness is one of 17 National Parks and Wilderness Areas
crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail as it traces
the spine of the Sierra through California’s
wildest mountain range. Here “through hikers,” trekking
from Mexico to Canada, begin to experience the dramatic
transition from Great Basin and Mojave Desert landscapes
to the signature granite peaks and alpine scenery
of the High Sierra. The lower elevations of this
74,000-acre wilderness are dotted with cactus and
Joshua trees, while higher up gray pines and their
massive cones weighing up to 5 pounds give a hint
of the truly giant conifers to be seen elsewhere
in the Sierra.
There are several pieces of private
land (inholdings) within Owens Peak
Wilderness, including an 800-acre parcel with a
year-round stream lined by towering cottonwoods.
This parcel is accessible by a jeep track crossing
miles of surrounding public land. Although motorized
vehicles are not allowed within wilderness areas,
this parcel was granted an exception after Congress
designated the wilderness in 1994. Wilderness inholdings
frequently receive special permits for mechanized
access in order to protect private property rights.
The Wilderness Land Trust addresses
the threat to wilderness areas posed
by inholdings by buying them outright. The Trust
then transfers the land to the federal government
to be managed as wilderness in perpetuity, permanently
eliminating the need to allow motorized access inside
wilderness areas. The Trust is pleased to announce
that it has completed the purchase of this 800-acre
parcel, bringing the total area protected directly
by the Trust in California to 15,260 acres – nearly
24 square miles
