Monumental Questions - National Wilderness Month 2023
Nate Lillge • September 28, 2023
President Biden declared September to be National Wilderness Month – celebrating our country’s wilderness and renewing the commitment to protect these areas for future generations. In addition to providing us with places to remove ourselves from the day-to-day busyness, designated wilderness areas help protect us against climate change, help reduce natural disasters, and provide a refuge for biodiversity.
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument includes three wilderness areas – Snow Mountain Wilderness, Cedar Roughs Wilderness, and Cache Creek Wilderness. Snow Mountain Wilderness is located in the Mendocino National Forest and encompasses over 60,000 acres of subalpine forest and chaparral. Cedar Roughs Wilderness is west of Lake Berryessa and is the smallest of the three wilderness areas at 6,287 acres. It includes many different ecosystems including stands of Sargent Cypress (Hesperocyparis sargentii). In 2006, 27,294 acres in eastern Lake County were designated as Cache Creek Wilderness. Cache Creek flows through the wilderness and is bordered by oak woodlands. If you’re observant while in the wilderness, you may spot a herd of tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes).
In his proclamation, President Biden states:
“We are coordinating across Federal agencies and encouraging collaboration with non-Federal partners to better conserve ecological connectivity and wildlife corridors. We are also partnering with Tribal Nations, working together as co-stewards of the lands that are most precious to them.“
Tuleyome looks forward to continuing our collaboration with our local federal field offices to protect the wilderness areas and other lands in the Berryessa Snow Mountain region. Additionally, we will continue to work with, learn from, and build relationships with Tribal Nations that have been protecting these lands for many thousands of years.
-Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org)
Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director
Certified California Naturalist
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