WILDERNESS THREAT LIST CITES 10 AREAS MOST AT RISK.Byline: Staff and Wire Services Many of California's last unprotected wilderness areas - including parts of the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. - are in danger from urban sprawl, desert development, logging and energy exploration, an environmental group said in a report released Wednesday. The California Wilderness Coalition released the first of what it intends to be an annual top 10 list of the most threatened wild areas in the state. Half the sites are in Southern California, where urban pressures on wild areas ``are already intense and will only increase,'' said Daniel Patterson, a desert ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity The Center for Biological Diversity combines conservation biology with litigation, policy advocacy, and an innovative strategic vision to secure a future for animals and plants hovering on the brink of extinction, for the wilderness they need to survive, and by extension for the in Idyllwild. The group's top 10 threatened wild places in California This list of current cities, towns, unincorporated communities, counties, and other recognized places in the U.S. state of California also includes information on the number and names of counties in which the place lies, and its lower and upper ZIP code bounds, if applicable. are located in the Mojave Desert, the Los Padres Forest, South Orange County, the Trinity Alps, the Owens River Headwaters in Inyo National Forest Inyo National Forest is a federally protected forest in the United States. It is mostly located in California (1,839,887 acres / 7,445 square km.), but has a small section in western Nevada (60,656 acres / 245 square km.). , the Gaviota Coast north of Santa Barbara, the Santa Ana and Palomar Mountains in the Cleveland National Forest The Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres (1900 km²) (720 sq. mi.), mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. It is the southernmost National forest of California. , the Medicine Lake Highlands, Modoc and Klamath National Forests, and the Klamath River Basin. The group says proposed oil and gas drilling in the Los Padres Forest will only yield a 10-day supply of oil yet threatens 20 imperiled species such as the California red-legged frog The California Red-legged frog (Rana aurora ) is a sub-species of frog within the family Ranidae also known as the "true frogs". It was earlier classified as a subspecies, Rana aurora draytonii , the California condor and the San Joaquin kit fox. The U.S. Forest Service is taking public comments until April 19 on the draft environmental impact statement, which identifies areas available for oil and gas leasing in the forest. ``It's a beautiful national forest. We want to protect its many values including its wilderness character,'' Los Padres spokeswoman Kathy Good said. ``We feel there are ways to provide for the oil and gas and the removal of gas and oil resources that protects the environment and leaves minimal effects.'' As for the environmental group's report, Good said, ``I think it will get people's attention, and it's good for generating discussion and dialogue.'' According to the environmental group's report, development in the various areas could affect at least 45 threatened or endangered species, including the California condor, desert tortoise, coho salmon Coho salmon oncorhynchuskisutch. and several species unique to California. |
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