CalWild

The latest heat wave may shorten the spring wildflower season but we found some nice displays this week along the Hite Cove Trail on the Sierra National Forest west of Yosemite National Park (https://www.calwild.org/hite-cove-trail/). It was hot but we hiked two miles along the South Fork Merced Wild and Scenic River in the Devil Gulch-Ferguson Ridge roadless area. This area may be threatened by the Trump Administration's proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (https://www.calwild.org/noroadlessrollback/). We expect a draft decision on the repeal from the Trump Administration any day now. Meanwhile, enjoy the wildflowers!

Join in the fun!

Celebrate One Year of Chuckwalla National Monument! 🥳

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and make a difference! Join us for the Chuckwalla Anniversary Cleanup Event and help care for the land that makes Chuckwalla so extraordinary. Connect with community members, advocates, and public land stewards as we celebrate this historic milestone together.

Date: Saturday, January 24
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Chuckwalla National Monument
Co-hosted by: Protect California Deserts Coalition & Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

RSVP now to secure your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chuckwalla-anniversary-cleanup-event-tickets-1980508619595

Let’s honor Chuckwalla’s first anniversary by giving back to the land we love!

PROTECT ROADLESS AREAS! This is the upper San Diego River Gorge in the Eagle Peak Complex Inventoried Roadless Areas on the Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County. This area is known for its spring-time waterfalls. The trail to Cedar Creek Falls is so popular the Forest Service requires a permit. In contrast, a visit to the trail-less San Diego River Gorge and its waterfalls requires high initiative, fitness, and self-reliance. The Eagle Peak area is also one of the four most popular rock-climbing sites in the county. The entire area represents some of the best remaining low elevation ecosystems in the region, supporting many rare and vulnerable wildlife and plant species, including arroyo toad, southwestern pond turtle, and the San Diego milk-vetch. The Kumeyaay people gather culturally sensitive plants from this area.

The Eagle Peak Complex roadless areas are currently administratively protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which the Trump Administration is proposing to repeal. Keeping this area roadless lowers the risk of destructive wildfires (far more fires start in roaded areas), supports healthy watersheds that produce clean water, offers outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, and provides refuge and habitat for at-risk fish and wildlife species. Our National Forests already have more roads than the Forest Service has resources to maintain. Please act today to oppose President Trump’s proposal to repeal this simple protection for the last remnants of America’s once vast wild heritage. The public comment deadline is Sep. 19.

Click here to learn more about areas throughout the state threatened by the Roadless Rule Repeal: https://www.calwild.org/critical-roadless-areas-across-california/.

To email a comment supporting protection of the Eagle Peak Complex roadless areas and opposing the repeal of the Roadless Conservation Rule, click here: https://www.calwild.org/roadlesscommentshere/.

PROTECT ROADLESS AREAS! This is the South Fork Trinity Wild and Scenic River in the Underwood Inventoried Roadless Area on the Six Rivers National Forest in Trinity County. The South Fork and its tributaries provide critical habitat for threatened spring chinook salmon and endangered coho salmon. The Underwood roadless area is a key refuge for these at-risk fish species and its old growth forests are home to the threatened northern spotted owl. The South Fork Trail follows the river, which also offers class III-IV whitewater boating. The Underwood roadless area is proposed for wilderness protection in Rep. Jared Huffman’s Northwest California Conservation and Recreation Act.

The Underwood roadless area is currently administratively protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which the Trump Administration is proposing to repeal. Keeping this area roadless lowers the risk of destructive wildfires (far more fires start in roaded areas), supports healthy watersheds that produce clean water, offers outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, and provides refuge and habitat for at-risk fish and wildlife species. Our National Forests already have more roads than the Forest Service has resources to maintain. Please act today to oppose President Trump’s proposal to repeal this simple protection for the last remnants of America’s once vast wild heritage. The public comment deadline is Sep. 19.

Click here to learn more about areas throughout the state threatened by the Roadless Rule Repeal: https://www.calwild.org/critical-roadless-areas-across-california/.

To email a comment supporting protection of the Underwood roadless area and opposing the repeal, click here: https://www.calwild.org/roadlesscommentshere/.

PROTECT ROADLESS AREAS! This is the North Fork American River in the North Fork American Inventoried Roadless Area on the Tahoe National Forest in Placer County. The North Fork is a National Wild and Scenic River and a state designated Wild Trout Water. Encompassing much of the river’s headwaters, the roadless area ranges from mid-elevation river canyon to sub-alpine peaks and lakes near the Sierra Nevada crest. Rich in American Indian cultural and values and Gold Rush history, the area is known for its hiking, backpacking, camping, class IV-V whitewater boating, fishing, and hunting opportunities. Scientists identified the North Fork American watershed as possessing a high level of ecological integrity, in part to the unroaded nature of its watershed. The North Fork is a major source of clean water for downstream communities and farms.

The North Fork American roadless area is protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which the Trump Administration is proposing to repeal. Keeping this area roadless lowers the risk of destructive wildfires (far more fires start in roaded areas), supports healthy watersheds that produce clean water, offers outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, and provides refuge and habitat for at-risk wildlife species. Our National Forests already have more roads than the Forest Service has resources to maintain. Please act today to oppose President Trump’s proposal to repeal this simple protection for the last remnants of America’s once vast wild heritage. The public comment deadline is Sep. 19.

Click here to learn more about areas throughout the state threatened by the Roadless Rule Repeal: https://www.calwild.org/critical-roadless-areas-across-california/.

To email a comment opposing the repeal, click here: https://www.calwild.org/roadlesscommentshere/.