Bill to Protect Condor Ridge (Walker Ridge) Moving Forward in Congress
On Tuesday, March 1, The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Act, HR 6366, moved a step closer to passage; it received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. Testifying in support of the bill were Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts, Mark Lambrecht, Assistant Director, National Landscape Conservation System, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), the bill’s author.
The Act would add 3,925 acres of the Lake County portion of Walker Ridge, known as Molok Luyuk or Condor Ridge in Patwin, to the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. All of these acres are currently managed by BLM. The bill renames the Ridge Molok Luyuk (Condor Ridge) in honor of its historical and cultural significance to Native American tribes. It also ensures that federally-recognized tribes can co-manage and steward the Monument lands with their federal partners. And it requires that BLM and US Forest Service complete a Monument management plan within one year.
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Chairman Roberts was a powerful speaker, sharing the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of Molok Luyuk to native peoples. The Chairman also spoke to the need for, and what we gain from, tribal co-management and the important opportunity for innovative management grounded in law and policy that this approach offers. A portion of his comments can be seen here.
BLM Assistant Director Lambrecht declared BLM’s support for The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Act, the first public support of the bill! He then spoke powerfully of the beauty and cultural and spiritual importance of Molok Luyuk. Mr. Lambrecht also provided more details on why the most recent industrial wind energy proposal on Molok Luyuk was denied by BLM: insufficient information, incompatibility with Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and Land and Water Conservation Funds lands, and potential California condor impacts.
During his testimony, Congressman Garamendi pointed out the special nature of Molok Luyuk and said he was including in the Monument what should have been included in the first place. He urged his Congressional partners to work with him to ensure that a management plan is done for the Monument, pointing out that it is years overdue. The Congressman also mentioned the support for, and work that the community has done to protect, Molok Luyuk, mentioning Tuleyome and our partners. For a snippet of his testimony, click here.
Molok Luyuk is a remarkable ecological treasure commanding views of much of Northern California. The landscape supports many habitats including chaparral, grasslands, forests of pine and cypress, oak woodlands, and areas influenced by serpentine soils, which are derived from ancient sea floor. Molok Luyuk is one of the most important areas of rare serpentine plant habitat in the state with a long list of documented species, including the beautiful blue Indian Valley brodiaea. It is also home to imperiled wildlife including bald and golden eagles, badgers, and peregrine falcons. In addition, Molok Luyuk is a recognized wildlife migration pathway for a multitude of species, including tule elk, mountain lion, black bear, and bobcat. Molok Luyuk is steeped in thousands of years of rich history and is culturally significant to numerous Native American tribes.
Proper management is necessary to preserve these unique lands and their resources while also ensuring continued recreation opportunities that provide an important boost to the local economy. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Management Act, HR 6366, will preserve this irreplaceable biological and cultural hotspot and protect public enjoyment of the lands.
For more information on how you, too, can work to protect Molok Luyuk, click here.
RECENT ARTICLES
