After reading Jil Stark’s biography, you may wonder where she finds the time to work to protect California’s wild places. In addition to advocating for the protection of wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains near her Claremont home, she is on the board of directors of the largest county fair in America — Los Angeles County’s, and on the town council in June Lake, California. But it doesn’t stop there. Jil is also on the board of Scripps College, is Chair of the Mt. San Antonio Gardens board, and Development Chair for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.
Jil’s passion and enthusiasm for her work comes through in every word she speaks. Just talking with her is inspiring. For the past 32 years she has had a home on Silver Lake near the town of June Lake in the Eastern Sierra. It was here that she realized that “it would take more than good will to protect wilderness,” becoming actively involved in ensuring June Lake remains a place where people can fish, hike, and ski. She has fought resort development projects and serves on the June Lake trails committee in order to “get people out of their cars and mobile homes and enjoy the outdoors by walking or biking.”
Jil was a supporter of the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, legislation that passed earlier this year and protected more than 470,000 acres of wilderness and 52 miles of wild and scenic rivers in California’s Eastern Sierra and northern San Gabriel Mountains.
“As a longtime second home owner in the Eastern Sierra, Jil was a stalwart supporter of our efforts to pass Eastern Sierra wilderness legislation,” says Sally Miller, The Wilderness Society’s senior field representative in the Eastern Sierra. “She assisted with our outreach to staff from Congressional offices and was outspoken in favor of protecting the Owens River Headwaters wilderness in her backyard. Her support was extremely important in helping this legislation to pass.”
In addition to supporting and promoting educational opportunities for youth, Jil also understands the need for wild places for young people. She references Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, and talks about how there is a disconnect between children and nature, and that children need nature as much as nature needs children. She points out that you don’t have to pay an entrance fee to get into the San Gabriel Mountains to enjoy a walk in the wilderness. “Who can be against getting outside for peace and quiet, to look at the stars, and take a walk?” asks Jil. “Especially for young people, whose lives can be so frantic and busy, what could be better than a walk in wilderness?”
The San Gabriel Mountains are the landmark feature of the Angeles National Forest and serve as the recreational "backyard" for more than 17 million Southern Californians. The Angeles is also an irreplaceable natural resource that gives Los Angeles County 70 percent of its open space, provides 35 percent of the region’s drinking water, and feeds clean air to a polluted region. The forest also serves as critical habitat for many endangered and sensitive plant and animal species.
Jil explains that she is awed by the fact that she can drive only a few minutes from Claremont into the mountains and to a place in Los Angeles County where you can actually “see the stars.” She says, “That’s why I got involved in working to protect wilderness for the San Gabriel Mountains; you can get into the wilderness practically for free. You don’t need to be in a national park — you can be in your own back yard to see amazing places, streams, and rivers you didn’t know were there.”
And get involved she did. Jil has played an integral role with the San Gabriel Mountains Forever Campaign (SGMF) to generate support for wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in the San Gabriel Mountains foothill communities. San Gabriel Mountains Forever is a partnership of local business owners, residents, faith and community leaders, recreation groups, health and social service organizations, and conservation groups who have come together to protect wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in the San Gabriel Mountains.
“Jil’s contribution to this campaign has been invaluable,” states Daniel Rossman, Southern California Regional Associate with The Wilderness Society. “She not only gives sound political counsel and communicates directly with members of Congress, she has recruited other community leaders who have played essential roles in this campaign and who, in their own right, are deserving of recognition as well.”
Jil’s accomplishments include helping to secure support from multiple city governments, prominent business people, and community leaders, meeting with Members of Congress and more. All the while she claims she has not done much.
“My theory is that wilderness should be something that Americans expect from their country. We should be encouraged to enjoy these amazing natural places,” says Jil. “Everyone should have a natural area where you can feel like the first person to have ever been there.”
We agree, and this month we celebrate all that Jil has done to protect California’s wild places.
