We are proud to report that The Wilderness Land Trust
has been highly successful over the last 18 months at accelerating
the rate at which we are preserving inholdings in existing and proposed
Wilderness Areas. Below are some highlights:
1. During our 2003-04 fiscal year, we transferred
a total of 800 acres of wilderness to federal ownership in California
and Colorado. These lands will be permanently protected from damaging
development. These include:
Gouldard parcel(80 acres).
A remnant of a 19th century railroad section with
recoverable minerals, located within California’s
Mt. Shasta Wilderness Area.
Marble Valley parcel(640
acres). Located in the Marble Mountain Wilderness
in California, development of this property would
have resulted in logging and road building through
the wilderness.
The Out West Placer(70
acres). A vital trailhead near Crested Butte,
Colorado, providing access to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass
Wilderness.
Israelite Lode(10 acres).
This parcel is located in Colorado’s Collegiate
Peaks Wilderness, which contains fourteen 14,000
foot peaks.
View from inholding in proposed addition to the Yolla Bolly Wilderness
in California
2. Already during the current fiscal year (July
1, 2004-June 30, 2005), in California we have acquired 13 parcels totaling
2,262 acres in proposed wilderness. We transferred 360 of these acres
in California to public ownership and are working on transferring the
remaining acres. This will be achieved through a donation agreement,
with the generous support of the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation.
This includes the following proposed Wilderness Areas:
Elkhorn Ridge proposed wilderness. Inholdings
preserved: 507 acres; 6 parcels. 160 of these acres
have already been donated to the federal government.
The Elkhorn Ridge proposed wilderness includes
old growth forests and old-growth dependent species
and numerous recreation opportunities.
Addition to Yolla Bolly Wilderness Area. Inholdings
preserved: 200 acres; 2 parcels. These properties
have already been donated to the government. The
Yolla Bolly is the oldest protected area in the
state and boasts grasslands; extensive forests
composed of red fir, white fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa
pine; and numerous bird species including eagles,
hawks and northern spotted owls.
Beauty Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA). Inholdings
preserved: 1,360 acres; 3 parcels. The Beauty Mountain
WSA is known to be habitat for several endangered
species including the California gnatcatcher and
the Quino checkerspot butterfly. This area is a
wildlife corridor that links the Cleveland National
Forest with the San Bernadino National Forest.
It includes the largest blocks of undeveloped land
in the area, however the north-south corridor in
the nearby City of Temecula is exploding with growth.
These inholdings—which would have been used
for ranchettes—were key to protecting open
space and habitat in an ever surrounding urban
area.
Timbered Crater WSA. Inholdings preserved:
195 acres; 2 parcels. This inholding was held for
the purpose of timber harvesting and ranching.
These two inholdings are approximately one mile
within the heart of the WSA and are the only inholdings
within the unit. The Timbered Crater WSA is bounded
by the Shasta Trinity National Forest, the Ahjumawi
Lava Springs State Park and private agricultural
lands. The WSA and adjacent areas possess the largest
known stand of Baker Cypress, a minor tree species
restricted to a few small groves in Northern California
and Southern Oregon.
3. We have initiated work in Arizona and Utah
at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. And we are actively
working on other projects covering 2,979 acres in Colorado, New Mexico,
Oregon, Washington and California. Below are details on projects we
are working on in each state:
Colorado: 85 acres in the Holy Cross
Wilderness and 200 acres in the James Peak Wilderness.
New Mexico: 320 acres in the West Malpais
Wilderness.
Oregon: 940 aces in the Steens Mountain
Wilderness.
Washington: a 344 acre acquisition within
the proposed Wild Sky wilderness.
California: 252 acres in the Cache Creek
proposed wilderness; 158 acres in the Yuki proposed
wilderness; 40 acres in the Elkhorn Ridge proposed
wilderness; and 640 acres in the Skedaddle Mountains
proposed wilderness.
4. A revised inventory and prioritization of
inholdings in existing Forest Service Wilderness Areas in California
has been completed. This inventory will be used to guide our future
work in the area. We are also completing by the end of the year a revised
inventory of Forest Service inholdings in Colorado.
5. We are in the process of transferring to public
ownership an additional 1,698 acres purchased during prior years. 1058
of these acres were purchased in the 2003-04 year.
View from the Troublesome Lode inholding
Troublesome Lode(200 acres). This
parcel is located in the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness
in Washington State. This key parcel, which was
purchased with the help of an acquisition fund
from the Catto Foundation, contains rugged peaks,
salmon streams and old growth forest. Last year
The Wilderness Land Trust was approached by the
Wild Washington Campaign to help with inholdings
in this proposed area.
Whitten properties(858 acres from
9 parcels). Located in the proposed wilderness
along the South Fork of the Eel/Elkhorn Ridge
in California, this purchase will assist with
the passing of the California Wild Heritage Act.
Siller Brothers properties(640 acres).
This property is located in the Trinity Alps wilderness
in California. The transfer of this property is
the final stage of a larger effort to eliminate
1,340 acres of inholdings in the Trinity Alps and
Marble Mountain Wildernesses.
