Today, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) hosted a press conference at Rocky Nook Park to reintroduce the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which would designate approximately 250,000 acres of public land in Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument as Wilderness, the highest form of federal protection available. A Wilderness designation would protect the land from future oil or gas drilling.
“From the rugged trails of the Los Padres National Forest to the sweeping Carrizo Plain, the Central Coast is home to some of the most pristine public lands in the country,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With my Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, we’ll take bold steps to ensure these landscapes are safeguarded so that future generations can continue to enjoy the natural beauty that defines our region.”
The bill would specifically designate the Diablo Caliente Wilderness area in Los Padres National Forest and Caliente Mountain, Soda Lake, and Temblor Range Wilderness areas in the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Over 167,000 acres of land in Los Padres National Forest would also be added to the existing Chumash, Dick Smith, Garcia, Machesna Mountain, Matilija, San Rafael, and Sespe Wilderness areas. Some of the unique landscapes that would be added to existing Wilderness include the Cuyama Badlands, Dry Lakes Ridge, portions of Pine Mountain Ridge, and White Ledge Peak.
“The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act would permanently protect some of the most biodiverse areas in Los Padres National Forest and across the Carrizo Plain National Monument. We thank Congressman Carbajal for his relentless efforts in championing this legislation, especially at a time when threats to our nation’s public lands have never been greater,” Bryant Baker, Director of Conservation & Research, Los Padres ForestWatch.
The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act would additionally establish the Condor Ridge Scenic Area in the Santa Ynez Mountains between Refugio Pass and Lizard’s Mouth, the Black Mountain Scenic Area east of Santa Margarita Lake, and the Fox Mountain Special Management Area in the Sierra Madre Mountains. The bill also includes new Wild and Scenic River designations for several important segments of streams in the region, including along Sespe Creek, Piru Creek, North Fork Matilija Creek, Upper North Fork Matilija Creek, Indian Creek, Mono Creek, Fish Creek, Davy Brown Creek, Manzana Creek, and South Fork Sisquoc River. Currently only portions of Piru Creek, Sespe Creek, Sisquoc River, and Big Sur River have Wild and Scenic designations in Los Padres National Forest.
“CalWild was thrilled to celebrate Representative Carbajal’s reintroduction of his Central Coast Heritage Protection Act today. In addition to protecting important ecological, cultural, recreational and other values in the Central Coast region, this bill sends a strong message that we all love our national public lands and want them to remain accessible to all of us. We applaud Representative Carbajal’s leadership and ever enduring commitment to see these lands and waters managed in a way that ensures they will remain the same for many generations to visit and enjoy,” Linda Castro, Assistant Policy Director, CalWild.
The legislation would also direct the U.S. Forest Service to carry out a feasibility study for establishing the Condor National Scenic Trail. The route follows several existing trails and stretches 400 miles from near Lake Piru to the northern end of the Monterey Ranger District. If designated, the Condor Trail would join a prestigious list of National Scenic Trails that includes the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Appalachian Trail.
“I know we will succeed thanks to Representative Carbajal’s tenacity and leadership,” Jonathan Ullman, Director of the Sierra Club: Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter.
The bill is supported by nearly 500 Central Coast landowners, businesses, elected officials, farmers, ranchers, civic leaders, wineries, recreationalists, and outfitters. The public lands this bill would protect are home to a wide array of plant and animal life, and the bill will help sustain the ecological future of 468 species of wildlife and more than 1,200 plant species.
Carbajal’s bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives five times over his tenure in Congress, but it has stalled in the U.S. Senate in previous terms.
In 2023, the legislation was advanced to the Senate floor as part of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (CA) public lands package to restore and expand protection for over one million acres of federal public land.