Congresswoman Mary Bono (R-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today announced the introduction of the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, which would designate 191,000 acres throughout Riverside County as wilderness, and designate 31 river miles of the North Fork San Jacinto River, Bautista Creek, and Palm Canyon as wild and scenic.
Mike Matz, Executive Director of the Campaign for America’s Wilderness, praised Congresswoman Bono and Senator Boxer for introducing legislation to protect vital public lands and waters in southern California.
“Some of our country’s most important and well-known public lands and waters lie within Riverside county, including the Agua Tibia, Joshua Tree, and San Jacinto wilderness areas, along with Beauty Mountain, Cahuilla Mountain, and North Fork San Jacinto River. Thanks to this visionary proposal, these natural treasures may yet be protected for future generations to enjoy,” said Matz.
“The partnership between Congresswoman Bono and Senator Boxer has yielded tremendous results,” Matz said. “They have worked together effectively in Riverside County, reaching out to a diverse group of stakeholders to build a strong coalition in support of protecting Riverside’s wild places. Together, Senator Boxer and Congresswoman Bono identified and added to their proposal important desert areas that are also deserving of protection.”
Riverside County stretches 210 miles across southern California, from the outskirts of Los Angeles to the Colorado River border with Arizona.
