Aanestad to Oppose Wilderness Act in House Hearing

State Senator to Testify Before Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health

Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) will testify before the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, a subcommittee of the House Resources Committee, later this week in Washington D.C. The Senator will speak in opposition to H.R. 233, the “Northern California Wilderness Act.” The proposal would put several thousand acres of Northern California lands under lock and key, limiting public access.

The subcommittee hearing takes place this Thursday, JULY 14th, in Room 1334 of the Longworth House Office Building in Washington D.C. The hearing is scheduled to start at 11:30 AM, EST, and HR 233 is the first bill on the subcommittee agenda.

My message to committee members will be very clear,” said Senator Aanestad. “The people of Del Norte County stand to lose more than 40 thousand acres of public land under this bill, and they want no part of it. Wilderness designations cost jobs, rob communities of important resources, increase fire risks and present no substantial benefit for the Northern California economy.”

H.R. 233 would designate as much as 300,000 acres as “wild and scenic,” cutting off public access to public lands for a variety of uses. Off road vehicle users would be banned from trails and roads that have been historically used for off-road access, camping and other activities would only be allowed in “designated areas” and wildfire risks would increase exponentially.

Congressman Mike Thompson authored H.R. 233 earlier this year despite stiff opposition from local elected officials in Del Norte County, who turned to Senator Aanestad for assistance. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors officially requested by letter to Congressman Thompson that “no additional lands in our county be converted to wilderness.” Those concerns were ignored.

I’m pleased that Senator Aanestad will be communicating the real concerns that Del Norte County has about this proposed Wilderness Act,” said Del Norte County Supervisor Chuck Blackburn, who will also testify. “Senator Aanestad has a unique understanding of the economic challenges we face in Del Norte County, and his testimony will have quite an impact.”

Senator Aanestad says his testimony will focus on the economic hardships and job losses that have resulted from previous wilderness designations in Northern California. Unemployment rates in many Northern California counties are often double the statewide average, and Senator Aanestad believes the environmental restrictions imposed by previous wilderness act designations are largely to blame.