Home Advocacy Wilderness
Wilderness

Andrew Molera State Park Wilderness Bill Update

   

April 16, 2010

Another local firefighter speaks out in support of Molera Wilderness.

Scott Bogen letter to The Carmel Pine Cone

April 12, 2010
The links below are to Molera Wilderness support letters from two professional firefighters highly experienced in fighting wildfires in the Ventana region.  Steve Benoit is a retired Cal Fire Captain who served in Monterey County for 33 years and has fought wildfires in Molera State Park and adjacent Ventana Wilderness.  Mike Boone is a retired Forest Service Engine Captain and Division Chief whose 31 year career included 19 years fighting wildfires on the Monterey Ranger District.  If you have doubts as to the fire prudence of the proposed Molera Wilderness, please read these two letters from highly experienced wildfire professionals.

Steve Benoit letter to Assemblymember Monning

Mike Boone letter to Assemblymember Monning

April 6, 2010
Assemblymember Bill Monning announced today that he is not proceeding with the Molera Wilderness legislation (AB 2074) this year.  The Assemblymember identified local community concerns regarding wildfire protection that need to be more fully vetted before further action is taken on the legislation.  See the link below to view Assemblymember Monning’s complete letter.

The Molera Wilderness proposal will not impede full use of the existing Big Box fireline or the secondary fireline on Molera Ridge.  Wildfire professionals participated in the mapping of this proposal.  Other highly qualified wildfire professionals have endorsed this wilderness designation and have confirmed that it will not increase wildfire risk to the local community.
Our challenge now is to demonstrate to Assemblymember Monning that the majority of Californians in his district, and throughout the central coast, support permanent wilderness preservation of the wild backcountry of Andrew Molera State Park.  If you have not yet voiced your support to the Assemblymember please do so now using the email link or snail mail address below.

View Assemblymember Monning Letter


March 30, 2010
Recent input from local residents identified a concern regarding maintenance of the Big Box Fire Line on National Forest land adjacent to the proposed Molera Wilderness.  To insure that there would not be any fire line management conflict between the State Park and the National Forest, a small adjustment to the wilderness boundary was proposed.
Click on the link below to see this adjustment and the position of the Big Box Fire Line relative to the proposed Molera Wilderness. The second link offers another perspective of the Molera Wilderness proposal. 

View revised map of proposed Wilderness Area with adjacent Big Box Fire Line

View Xasauan Today’s Look at the Uplands of the Proposed Molera Wilderness

 

Assemblymember Bill Monning has introduced legislation (AB 2074) that would designate as state wilderness 920 acres in the north easterly corner of Andrew Molera State Park. This is the area from the top of the coast ridge down to the S. Fork of the Little Sur River and adjacent to the federal Ventana Wilderness Area. The proposed wilderness boundaries are held back from adjacent private properties and from the old ridge top road, which has been used as a firebreak.

The proposed wilderness features spectacular views of the canyon of the Little Sur River and Pico Blanco. Vegetation ranges from open grasslands, chaparral, and oak woodland to ancient redwood forest. If you have ever hiked the East Molera Trail to the top of the coast ridge and gazed across the canyon of the South Fork to the spectacular crystalline marble summit of Pico Blanco, you know how special these wild lands are.

This area is the wildest part of spectacular Andrew Molera State Park and is wilderness in every sense of the word, except for the official protective designation. If you love the wild lands of this area and want them to remain wild, please send a letter or email to Assemblymember Monning and ask him to protect the Andrew Molera State Park Wilderness. Tell him about your wild land experiences there and why you believe this land should be preserved as wilderness.

William W. Monning
Assemblymember, 27th District
PO Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0027

Email Bill Monning: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

View map of proposed Wilderness Area

Aerial View of proposed Wilderness Area

Read the bill as proposed on 2/18/10

 

Youth In Wilderness

 

The Ventana Wilderness Alliance’s Youth in Wilderness Program is celebrating the end of a successful 2010-2011 field season and looking forward to an ever-expanding group of partners and increased wilderness opportunities for youth throughout the central coast.  

This year we expanded our existing relationships with Salinas Community School, CSU Monterey Bay, and UC Santa Cruz. These included environmental education trips into the Carmel River and Tassajara Creek watersheds, as well as trail restoration trips on the Skinner Ridge, Pine Ridge, and Ventana Trails. We also fostered new partnerships with Rancho Cielo Alternative High School, Big Sur Land Trust, King City Elementary Science Camp and California Polytechnic State University. These new partnerships included fire suppression work on the Marble Peak Trail, restoration of the Cruikshank trail and environmental education on the (Big Sur Land Trust’s) Mitteldorf Preserve. In addition, we led high school students from across the state on interpretive hikes and multi-day backpacking trips, underscoring the importance of getting all Californians excited about their public lands. 

The breadth of ages, cultural and geographic backgrounds within these outings demonstrates that the Youth in Wilderness program is an effective means for connecting with and serving young people throughout the Monterey Bay area and beyond.

In 2011-2012, we will continue to grow the program based on these successes. In addition to expanding our list of partners, we have been developing exceptional volunteer leaders through a partnership with the CSUMB Outdoor Adventure Club. Adventure Club leaders Sara Kelly and Mike McDonald have lent invaluable expertise to the program, bringing experience and positive mentorship for trip participants.

In an effort to keep wilderness accessible, Youth in Wilderness outings are provided at low to no cost. To help ensure that we are able to continue inspiring the youth of California, please consider a donation to the Youth in Wilderness Program. Your donation will allow us to keep providing fun and memorable outdoor experiences to youth, many of whom would otherwise not have the opportunity.

 

 2010-2011 Field Year

 

Number of Outings

Elementary Students

High School Students

College/University Students

Partners

Educational Hours

Restoration Hours

12

236

90

49

11

1452

2156

For more information, please contact Morgan Harris at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (831) 423-3191

 

 



ShareThis