Keep the Eastern Sierra Wild

URGENT!! Your help is needed to protect wild places in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Eastern Sierra!!

Inyo County Wilderness Meetings on Eastern Sierra and San Gabriel Mountains Wilderness Bill

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors is holding two public hearings June 24 in Independence and June 25 in Bishop to receive testimony on the Eastern Sierra & Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act recently introduced by Congressman Buck McKeon and Senator Barbara Boxer.  This bill would protect more than 470,000 acres of wilderness in the Eastern Sierra and northern San Gabriel Mountains, including such places as the White Mountains, Magic Mountain , Pleasant View Ridge, and 52 miles of wild and scenic rivers.

The Inyo County Board is notoriously anti-wilderness, and off-road advocates and wilderness opponents are organizing against this bill, so it’s critical that wilderness supporters from around the state attend this meeting and speak out! Whether you live in Inyo County or visit the area’s spectacular wild lands, please come and let your voice be heard.

Representatives from Congressman McKeon’s office and Senator Feinstein’s office will be at the meetings, listening to testimony. Let them know that you support wilderness designation in the Eastern Sierra!

This bill has broad-based support. Just last week, 300 people packed the Mono County Board of Supervisors hearing in Lee Vining to speak in favor of wilderness. This was a great showing of support and helped to build momentum for the bill.  

Now the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, who voted 5-0 last year against any new wilderness designation in Inyo County, wants to hear from citizens about the proposal.  We need to show the Inyo Supervisors that wilderness is good for recreation, the economy, and the way of life in the Eastern Sierra. 

Please join us for these very important hearings! 

Independence

Tuesday, June 24th 2008, 4:00 PM

American Legion Hall, 205 S. Edwards Street (U.S. 395)

Bishop

Wednesday, June 25th 2008  4:00 PM

Tri-County Fairgrounds ( Sierra Street off Highway 395)

If you can’t make it at the start of these meetings, come by later as we expect that they will last into the evening.  However to get a seat, please arrive early.

IF YOU CAN ATTEND:

Pick up a green ribbon at the hearing from Wilderness Society staff at the meetings so you can show your support for wilderness throughout the meeting!! You will be noticed!!

IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND…

Please write a letter to the Inyo County Board of supervisors   Tell them why you come and spend your money in Inyo County ! Below you will find a sample letter, please customize it as per the examples in the letter;

Dear Board of Supervisors:

I am writing to express my hope that you will support the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act. This bill represents foresight of our legislators as well as the hard work and compromise of citizens and elected officials throughout the 25th Congressional District, and it will benefit all of us who live in this region.

As a (Southern California/Santa Clarita Valley) resident and a (fly fisher/hiker), I am very pleased that the bill includes (Magic Mountain, Pleasant View Ridge, Wild & Scenic River status for Piru Creek). I am also glad that the bill will protect (include the following or name places in Eastern Sierra–White Mtns, Granite Mtn, Bristlecone Pines: two of our state’s most prized fisheries: the headwaters of the Owens and West Walker Rivers).

I visit the Eastern Sierra to recreate in beautiful, wild places. Wilderness and wild and scenic river designation attracts visitors like me to the area, and that’s good for your economy.

Please leave a legacy of pristine wild lands for me, my family and future generations to enjoy.

Sincerely,

(Be sure to include your name and address so that the elected officials see you are a southern California resident )

Cc Senator Feinstein

     Senator Boxer

     Representative Buck McKeon

* END SAMPLE LETTER *

The June 10 meeting of the Mono County Board of Supervisors saw some 250 packed into the Lee Vining Community Center. Most attendees wore green ribbons in support of wilderness legislation. Representatives from McKeon’s and Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) offices were on-hand to present an overview of the legislation, provide maps, and to answer any questions from the general public, and a representative from Senator Diane Feinstein’s (D-CA) office was available as well.

“I am pleased that the Mono County Board and the community has been so responsive to the proposed Eastern Sierra wilderness legislation I introduced three weeks ago,” said McKeon.  “This is an issue I have been working on with local leaders and advocates for several years, and with that, I have always welcomed and encouraged public feedback.  That’s why today’s hearing was so important, both for the community and for me and my staff.”

Be a part of history in the making…

WHAT

Tuesday June 10 Mono County Supervisors public hearing and possible Board action on the McKeon/Boxer wilderness bill, the Eastern Sierra & Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act (H.R.6156/S. 3069). This is a unique hearing as we will be speaking both to the Mono Board and to the Congressional staff.

THE GOAL

Wow the Board and Congressional staff with the number and diversity of wilderness supporters in the room. Support the bill as a compromise measure that will best help move the County forward. Counter opposition with sheer numbers and by emphasizing the compromise nature of this bill.

WHERE AND WHEN

1PM Lee Vining Community Center, 296 Mattly Avenue (north of Town Park & south of Forest Service Scenic Area Visitor Center ). Arrive early to grab a seat!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Presentation by Boxer & McKeon staff on the bill (Feinstein staff will be present).
• Q&A of Congressional staff on the bill.
• Public hearing conducted by the Board. Expect 2-3 minutes testimony
• The Board will possibly take action on this item (as stated in the Board’s agenda)

BRING YOUR FRIENDS & BRING A CARLOAD!

Carpool locations & times:

BISHOP: 11:15 at Friends of Inyo office, 699 West Line St . Park on Home Street

CROWLEY 11:30 Community Center parking lot

MAMMOTH 11:45 Union Bank parking lot

WEAR A GREEN RIBBON FOR WILDERNESS (& GRAB A BEAUTIFUL WILDERNESS PHOTO TO SHOW THE BOARD & CONGRESSIONALS)

We will be setting up a table at NOON to hand out green ribbons so we can all identify ourselves (whether speaking or not) as supporters of wilderness! We’ll also help folks with last minute questions about what to say and hand out large format photos of the proposed wilderness areas mounted on foam board bfor those who wish to show the Board & Congressional staff places that are in this bill. Please come by and pick up a ribbon!

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SPEAK…

…Please come anyway! Your green ribbon will identify you as a wilderness supporter. And maybe you’ll end up feeling motivated to speak! You can also simply stand up with a photo, describe the area in your photo and ask the Supervisors to support the compromise measure. The photos speak a thousand words.

Just in time for the unofficial start of summer, Congressman McKeon introduced a long-awaited wilderness bill. Senator Boxer introduced the same bill in the Senate. McKeon announced the bill at a press conference in Bishop Friday, May 23, in front of a very receptive, and very thankful audience.

The bill includes pristine wild lands in the Eastern Sierra and in the San Gabriel Mountains of northern L.A. County–almost 500,000 acres total.

The bill represents the kind of foresight and compromise necessary to pass muster both in Washington and locally in the Eastern Sierra.

View the bill, a fact sheet and a press release here.

The Santa Clarita Signal has featured letters and op-ed pieces about preserving wild lands both in the Eastern Sierra and in Southern California.

In addition to Bill Bailey’s op-ed, a wonderful column by Dianne Erskine-Helriegel appeared on Feb. 12, and letters to the editor have echoed the writers’ sentiments. Check out Dianne’s blog at The Signal for more wilderness and hiking information.

America is overdue for new wilderness legislation. Watch and listen to an interview with Campaign for America’s Wilderness Director Mike Matz about the prospects for wilderness legislation in 2008.

People in all parts of Congressman McKeon’s district support wilderness legislation. Check out this op-ed piece from Santa Clarita realtor Bill Bailey.

If you share Bailey’s views, please write a letter to the editor of The Signal, and a letter to Congressman McKeon!