Wilderness Land Trust acquires 160 acres to add to the South Warner Wilderness Study Area

The Wilderness Land Trust recently donated 160 acres of formally private property to the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  The property is located along Emerson Creek in the Surprise Valley area and within the South Warner Wilderness Study Area, which is in eastern Modoc County, California, located northeast of Lassen National Park, near the town of Eagleville and the California-Nevada border.

The property was the last remaining private inholding in the South Warner Wilderness Study Area and provides habitat for a variety of wildlife including mule deer and elk.  The property also provides good public access to the Emerson Creek Trail, one of the only tails on the eastern side of the wilderness, which is managed by the Modoc National Forest. Visitors can use the trail to access Cole and Eagle Peaks and spectacular views of Surprise Valley from over 9,000 feet in elevation.  The Emerson Creek watershed flows to the Surprise Valley, and is a lifeline for people, wildlife and agriculture. 

“This acquisition makes it easier for the South Warner Contiguous Wilderness Study Area to be managed in a way that protects wilderness values.  Wildlife and people will all benefit from protection of this site,” said President Reid Haughey. 

The US Bureau of Land Management manages the section of the South Warner Wilderness Study Area containing the Emerson Creek Property. 

 “After we received the property donation, we visited the site and saw elk, an unusual sighting in this part of the South Warner Wilderness area, and fresh mountain lion tracks,” said Ken Collum of the Surprise Field Office of the US Bureau of Land Management.  “We are very pleased to now have the site in public ownership.  We look forward  to managing it for protection of its wilderness characteristics.”

South Warner Wilderness

Designated as wilderness under the original 1964 Wilderness Act, the South Warner Wilderness, managed by the Modoc National Forest, remains one of California’s most remote and least visited wilderness areas. The wilderness is located in eastern Modoc County, near the California-Nevada border, and at the southern end of the Warner Mountains and is the only wilderness area in the range. Containing 70,614 acres, the wilderness is 18 miles long and 8 miles wide. Ten lakes are found in the wilderness.  East of the Warners is Surprise Valley, a rift valley created by fault uplifting. The valley is split between California and Nevada. The area’s appearance is a rather unusual mix of high desert and alpine features. Sage, bunchgrass and mountain mahogany coexist with aspens and white and lodgepole pines. The South Warner Wilderness Study Area is contiguous to the existing, designated wilderness and is owned and managed by the US Bureau of Land Management.

The Wilderness Land Trust is a 1% for the Planet Non-Profit Partner.  Visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org for more information.