This is the fifth in a series of diaries about expanding the national park system. last week I visited Arkansas, this week I'm in California. California is the third largest state in area, at 163,696 square miles, and is 7th largest in terms of federal ownership of territory, 45.3% of California is owned by the feds. California is very strong on the environmental front, in terms of laws, regulations, and in protecting its open spaces.
This is the fifth in a series of diaries about expanding the national park system. last week I visited Arkansas, this week I'm in California. California is the third largest state in area, at 163,696 square miles, and is 7th largest in terms of federal ownership of territory, 45.3% of California is owned by the feds. California is very strong on the environmental front, in terms of laws, regulations, and in protecting its open spaces. California has literally dozens of protected areas. it currently has 9 national parks, 12 national monuments, 20 national forests and a staggering 35 wildlife refuges. as with the other states I will be proposing adding other areas to the monument list, in California's case that might seem like overkill, given the existing areas but I'd wager people in the state would accept having still more areas set aside for posterity.
California
Total Area 163 696 sq miles
Land area 155 940 sq miles
Water Area 7756 sq miles
coastline 840 sq miles
additional monuments -6
NATIONAL PARKS-9
* Channel Islands Established 1980 covers 249 561 acres
Located off the coast of the state. the Channel Islands consist of eight islands, five of which are in the park. the largest islands are Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, the islands not in the park are San Nicolas, San Clemente and Santa Catalina. The area was set aside as a monument in 1938 and was upgraded in 1980. The park is home to over 2000 animals and is visited by 300000 annually.
* Death Valley Established 1933 covers 3,373,063 acres
The largest national park in the Lower 48, Death Valley contains the lowest point in the US at -282 feet. the hottest temperature on record occurred in Death Valley in July of 1913 when it hit 134 degrees. it is regularly the hottest spot in the US. mining was allowed in the park for decades , including open pit and strip mining, the resulting public outcry led to increased protections for future monuments and parks. parts of Death Valley were used to portray the planet Tatooine in the first Star Wars film in 1977. 95% of the park is wilderness
* Joshua Tree Established 1994 Covers 790636 acres
Originally set aside in 1936 as a monument, Joshua Tree protects the Joshua tree which is abundant in the area. nearly 460000 acres is wilderness, composing more than half of the monument. Residents of the park, includes tarantulas, scorpions, roadrunners, and golden eagles.
* Kings Canyon Established 1940 Covers 461 901 acres
Created to protect giant sequoias. Kings Canyon is divided into two sections. the smaller called the general grant section, incorporates the area of the former General Grant national Park which was created in 1890 to preserve the General Grant tree and its surrounding grove of trees. this section also contains Redwoods grove, which is one of the largest collections of giant seqouias left in the world. the larger section, includes Kings Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the US at at a depth of 8200 at itas deepest point. this section contains 90% of the total area of the park whic borders Sequoia National park. Kings canyon and Sequoia are managed as a single unit by the NPS.
* Lassen Volcanic Established 1916 Covers 106 452 acres
Created from two national monuments- Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak, the park contains all four kinds of volcano, cinder cone, strato, shield and plug dome. Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world and is still active due to subduction in the area. Part of the park has been designated as wilderness.
* Pinnacles Established 2013 Covers 26606 acres
the newest national park in the country, Pinnacles was declared a monument in 1908. the Pinnacles refer to the rock formations in the park, which are the remnants of a volcano which has moved 150 miles north due to plate tectonics. the park os a favorite of rock climbers and is home to California Condors and prairie falcons, as well as at least 13 species of bat.
* Redwood Established 1968 Covers 112 618 acres
Established to preserve California's remaining redwood trees, the park is unique in that is administered together with state parks as a unit. redwoods once covered 2 million acres of California, but decades of clear-cutting for the wood eliminated close to 90% of the trees. preservation efforts resulted in the creation of 3 state parks in the 1920s aimed at conserving redwoods, but attempts to create a national park, first proposed in 1911 were delayed during the 1940s and 50s do to demand to lumber in the war and postwar construction. finally in 1968 Redwoods national park was established, and was expanded by 48000 acres in 1978. redwoods are the tallest trees on earth with some in the park reaching 370 feet. the park is home to 40 different species, including the spotted owl, mountain lion, black bear and the California and Stetter sea lions.
* Sequoia Established 1890 Covers 404 064 acres
Established to protect the sequoia groves in its borders, Seqouia is one of the oldest parks in the NPS system. The Giant Grove contains 5 of the 10 largest trees in the world. Mount Whitney the tallest point in the lower 48 at 14505 feet, is located within the park. Most of the park is wilderness, and the terrain is split between high mountains and canyons. unlike redwoods sequoias were not suitable for lumber as they splinter easily, so less of them were cut downs than redwoods.
* Yosemite established 1890 Covers 761268 acres
one of the most visited national parks, Yosemite is also one of the oldest. it was originally set aside as a forest grant in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln, and was the first area set aside in the interests of conservation. today 95% of the park is wilderness, but that hasnt stopped visitors from coming to the park. 3.7 million visitors visit the park annually. Originally managed by the US Army, Yosemite was turned over to the park service upon its creation in 1916. Yosemite was actually proposed as a site for the 1932 Winter Olympics, a proposal that is impossible to do today, as protected areas are not suitable for hosting. yosemite was the battleground after the 1906 earthquake about whether or not to dam the Hetch hechy valley in the park to provide a water supply for San Francisco. eventually the dam was completed, but in my view the dam should be removed to restore the area to its natural state. Yosemite was picked as the third 2010 quarter in the national Park quarter collection
NATIONAL MONUMENTS -12
* Cabrillo Established 1913 covers 144 acres
Honors the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in the San Diego Bay in September 1542 the first European to land on what is now the West Coast of the US. Originally including just .5 acres and a memorial, it was later expanded to cover 144 acres, which includes former military installations and lighthouses in the area.
* California Coastal Established 2000 covers 607 acres
Protects all rock croppings , islets, and reefs running along the coastline of California out to 12 nautical miles. as many as 20000 croppings are believed to be in the monument.this monument was established by President Clinton in 2000, and is managed by the BLM. to date it does not include any onshore land, although efforts are being made to add the Stornetta public lands.
* Carrizo Plain Established 2001 Covers 246812 acres
Protects the largest remaining native grassland in California and includes a portion of the San Andreas Fault. Resident animals include the San Joaquin kit fox and antelope squirrell, California Condor and Sandhill cranes, both greater and lesser. the monument was one of President Clinton's last acts in office.
* Cesar E Chavez Established 2012 covers 105 acres
Protects the home and gravesite of Cesar Chavez who was instrumental in leading the farm worker movement in organizing into a union. Chavez lived on the property , called La Paz, from the 1970s until his death at age 66 in 1993. The monument was one of the first set aside by President Obama.
* Devils Postpile Established 1911 covers 798 acres
Originally part of Yosemite National Park , Devils Postpile was cut out from the park after gold was discovered in the area in 1905. plans for a hydroelectric dam in the area would have resulted in the destruction of the formation by blasting it into the river, but thanks to efforts by John Muir and other conservationists, President Taft set aside the area in 1911 as a monument. Devils Postpile is a cliff of columnal basalt formed from a very slow cooling lava flow from a eruption roughly 100000 years ago. the monument is part of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and nearly all of the monument, is thus wilderness.
* Fort Ord Established 2012 Coves 14651 acres
Managed by the BLM, Ford Ord was built in 1917 and was renamed in honor of Major General Edward Ord, who served in the Civil War. the fort served as a training facility for the Army until it was closed in 1994. several films have included Fort Ord as a location, most recent the 1980 film Private Benjamin. the monument has over 80 miles of trails, for recreational use.
* Giant Sequoia Established 2000 Covers 327769 acres
Divided into two sections, the monuments protects nearly all of the giant sequoia groves in Sequoia National Forest- 38 of the 39. the northern portion surrounds parts of King Canyon NP, the southern section lies south of Sequoia NP. the monument is managed by the Forest Service, as it lies within the Sequoia National Forest.
* Lava Beds Established 1925 covers 46692 acres
Protected due to due the volcanic features in the area, the monuments contains at least 25 lava tube caves, as well as large volcanic fields. the caves are estimated to be between 30000 and 40000 years old while the lava flows range from 1000 years old to 2 million years old. resident animals include bats in the caves, mountain lions and squirrels in the forests and prairie falcons in the grasslands.
* Muir Woods Established 1908 covers 554 acres
Named after famed conservationist John Muir, the monument protects some of the last remaining Coastal redwoods in the San Francisco area. the monument was the first created from land donated by a private person, when US Congressman William Kent(R-California) donated 295 acres to avoid a lawsuit between him and a water company in Sausalito over damming Redwood Valley, where Muir Woods is. President Roosevelt originally planned to call it Kent national Monument, but Kent Suggested Muir instead , with whom he was friends. Redwood Creek provides habitat for the silver salmon, whic is a federally endangered species, due to habitat loss.The woods is home to 50 species of birds including the spotted owl. Muir Woods is operated as part of the Golden Gate Recreational Area, and had nearly 900000 visitors in 2011.
* Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Established 2000 covers 280071 acres
Set aside by Congress in 2000, the monuments protects portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountain ranges.Management of the monument is split between BLM and the Forest Service, although areas are managed by the state and local tribes as well. Parts of the ranges are set aside as Wilderness. 19 species are endemic to the monument, other residents include the tortoise and desert bighorn sheep.
* Valor in the Pacific Established 2008 Covers 6310 acres (split between AK, CA and HI)
California's portion of this monument is the Tule Lake Unit, which preserves the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, which was one of 10 concentration camps built to house people of Japanese descent. Of the 10, Tule was the largest, and served to host the 'worst of the worst' those citizens who were deemed disloyal or a threat to authority. Over 24000 citizens were interned at Tule Lake, including actors Pat Morita and George Takei, and Bob Matsui who served 13 terms in the US House.Many of those imprisoned were there due to their answers to loyalty oaths given by the guards, which were confusing and not clearly spelled out. Eventually Congress approved reparations of $20000 per person to American citizens and $5000 per person to non-citizens. the US government also apologized for the treatment of the 120000 Japanese who were incarcerated in the various camps including Tule Lake.
NATIONAL FORESTS-20
* Angeles Established 1908 Covers 655387 acres
Created from the combining of the original San Bernardino national Forest with parts of the Santa Barbara and San Gabriel NFs in 1908, the forest is located north of Los Angeles and currently is broken into two sections. 80000 acres of the forest is wilderness, and there are nearly 700 miles of trails. The forest contains a mixture of pine forests , including Ponderosa, and fir forests, including Douglas firs, and elevation in the forest range from 1200 feet to 10000 feet. Angeles was the first national forest in the state.
* Cleveland Established 1908 Covers 460000 acres
Created from the San Jacinto and Trabuco Canyon National Reserves in 1908, Cleveland is the southernmost national forest in the state. split into three sections, the forest contains 4 wilderness areas as well as Mount Logana Observatory.
* Eldorado Established 1910 covers 596724 acres
the forest borders three other forests - Tahoe to the north, Humbolyst-Toiyabe to the southeast, and Stanislaus to the south- as well as the Lake Tahoe Management Unit to
the east. Two wildernesses lie in the forest, and many of the notable trees include ponderosa pine and white and red fir.
* Humboldt-Toiyabe Established 1907 Covers 5,640,424 acres
The Largest National Forest outside of Alaska, Humboldt- Toiyabe is spread out across most of Nevada. only a relatively small area-11%- reaches into California. the forest is spread into 10 districts and contains 24 wilderness areas, Toiyabe is the bigger of the forests covering about 57% of the total area. this forest contains the portion in California, while Humboldt lies entirely in Nevada.
* Inyo Established 1907 covers 1,903,381 acres
one of the largest national forests in the state, all but 60000 acres lie in California. Inyo protects both Mount Whitney, California tallest mountain, and Boundary Peak, Nevada's tallest mountain at 13147 feet, as well as the Ancient Bristlecone Pines Forest, which contain both the oldest bristlecone pine in the world as well as the largest. The John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses run though the forest, combining to protect 1.5 million areas in both the forests and national parks. the forest is named after the county,-Inyo- in which it resides. Inyo is a Native American word that means " Dwelling place of the Great Spirit".
* Klamath Established 1905 Covers 1,737,774 acres
One of the older national forests in California, Klamath extends slightly into Oregon. The Forest contains 4 wilderness areas and 168000 acres of old-growth forest. Klamath is managed by the Forest Service.
* Lake Tahoe Basin Established 1973 Covers 191000 acres
First preserved as the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve in 1899, the forest was created out of the basin portions of the Tahoe, Eldorado and Toiyabe forests, which were themselves created out of the original forest reserve. the Forest covers 78% of land in the Lake Tahoe basin, and ensures protection for Lake Tahoe.
* Lassen Established 1905 Covers 1,070,344 acres
First named as the Lassen Peak Forest Reserve, the forest surrounds the Lassen Volcanic national park, and has 3 wilderness areas- Caribou- which was one of the first wilderness areas established- Ishi- named after Ishi who was touted as the 'last wild Indian' when he was found in 1911, and Thousand Lakes. Lassen is named after pioneer Peter Lassen who promoted the area to immigrants in the 1850s.
* Los Padres Established 1936 Covers 1,950,000 acres
The second largest Forest in the state, Los Padres is divided into two sections. 48% of the forest is wilderness,broken into at least 10 areas. 8 rivers originate within the forest, resident animals include the Peregrine Falcon, California Condor, bobcats, mountain lions, bighorn sheep and black bears.
* Mendocino Established 1907 Covers 913306 acres
the only national forest in the state without a major paved road going through it, Mendocino was originally established as the Stoney Creek National Forest, the forest was renamed twice, in 1908 as the California national forest then was renamed to its present name in 1932, The Forest contains 4 wilderness areas, covering roughly 249000 acres. Mendocino is one of only two national forests in California (Los Padres is the other) to have a population of tule elk.
* Modoc Established 1907 Covers 1,654,392 acres
Named after a tribe of native Americans who originally lived in the area- the Modoc tribe. The forest was set aside as a preserve in 1904, then upgraded to a forest in 1907. the forest contains 1 wilderness area- the South Warner and contains roughly 43000 acres of old-growth forest.
* Plumas Established 1907 Covers 1,146,000 acres
Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, this forest contains nearly 24000 acres of wilderness and 127000 acres of old growth forests. the forests contain red and white fir and Jeffery and Ponderosa pine. the forest is managed from 3 ranger districts.
* Rouge River-Siskiyou Established 1906 Covers 1,723,129 acres
Formerly two forests- the Rogue Rover and Siskiyou, the forests were combined in 2004. Siskiyou is bigger, covering nearly 1.1 million acres while Rogue River covers 628000 acres. Most of the forest is in Oregon, although parts lie in northern California. 566000 acres, nearly a third of the forest are wilderness, divided into 8 sections. there are 9 ranger districts that manage areas of the forest.
* San Bernardino Established 1907 Covers 823816 acres
Divided into two parts, the San Bernardino, and the San Jacinto/Santa Rosa. The forest contains 8 wilderness areas and 2 Indian reservations, as well as roughly 87000 acres of old growth trees.
* Sequoia Established 1908 Covers 1,193,315 acres
Surrounding Sequoia NM, the forest protects 38 groves of sequoias, as well as the Needles formation near Kern Creek. in all the forest has 6 wilderness areas and 850 miles of recreational trials.
* Shasta-Trinity Established 1954 Covers 2,209,832 acres
the Largest national Forest in the state, the forest was originally two different forests. the Shanta forest covers 1.116 million acres , while the Trinity forest covers 1.043 million acres. The forests contains 5 wilderness area, and its highest point is Mount Shasta at 14179 feet. there are over 450 miles of recreational with the forest.
* Sierra Established 1893 Covers 1,300,000 acres
The oldest active national forest in California,Sierra originally covered 6 million acres when it was first established, but it was divided into parts which later became parts of other national forests.Elevation ranges from nearly 1000 feet to nearly 14000 feet. there are 5 wilderness areas in the forest, and there are 383000 acres of old growth.
* Six Rivers Established 1947 Covers 957590 acres
Created from parts pf Klamath, Siskiyou and Trinitys forests, the Forest is named after the six rivers -Eel, Klamath, Mad, Smith Trinity and Van Duzen- which flow through it. the forest has 5 wilderness areas and 137000 acres of old growth.
* Stanislaus Established 1897 Covers 898099 acres
One of two surviving national forests that were created before 1900 in the state, Stanislaus was named after the river that flows through the forest. it borders the northwest part of Yosemite NP,and contains 3 wilderness area. the forest was hit hard by the Rim Fire which started there in August, and burned over 250000 acres, the third-most in the states history to date.
* Tahoe Established 1905 covers 871495 acres
Located northwest of Lake Tahoe, Tahoe is one of 8 NFs to be created out of the Sierra Forest Reserve. 19000 acres is wilderness, and the forest protects a small grove of giant sequoias with a total of 6 large trees.
WILDLIFE REFUGES -35
* Antioch Dunes Established 1980 Covers 55 acres
Set aside to protect 3 endangered species- Lange's metalmark butterfly, Antioch Dunes evening primrose and the Contra Costa wallflower. to protect the habitat, the refuge is closed to the public except for special tours.
* Bitter Creek Established 1985 Covers 14097 acres
Set aside to preserve habitat for the California Condor, the refuge also includes portions of the San Andreas fault. animals in the refuge include the kit fox, tri-colored blackbird and tule elk, along with mountain lion, bobcat and coyote.
* Blue Ridge Established 1982 Covers 897 acres
Protects habitat for the California condor, and along with Bitter Creek Hopper Mountain and Guadalupe Nipono Dunes WRs, compose the Hopper Mountain WR Complex. Blue ridge also protects Ponderosa pine and Incense Cedar forests.
* Butte Sink Established 1980 Covers 733 acres
Set aside to provide wintering habitat for 300000 ducks and 100000 geese. to preserve the habitat, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Castle Rock Established 1979 Covers 14 acres
One of the largest nesting seabird colonies south of Alaska. Castle Rock lies offshore and rises over 300 feet above the ocean below. the refuge is home to the Aleutian Cackling Goose which was thought extinct as recently as the 1970s. to protect the sealife, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Clear Lake Established 1911 Covers 46460 acres
Established as part of the creation of the Clear Lake Reservoir, the refuge provides habitat for pronghorn antelope, Pelicans, grouse and commorants. To preserve the habitat, the refuge is closed to the public, except during hunting season.
* Coachella Valley Established 1985 Covers 3709 acres
Created to protect habitat for the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed lizard, which is is federally threatened species. to conserve the habitat, nearly all of the refuge is closed to the public.
* Colusa Established 1945 Covers 4507 acres
Part of the Sacramento WR Complex, Colusa protects habitat for wintering birds- 50000 geese and 200000 ducks.roughly 40000 visitors come to the refuge for sightseeing or hunting.
* Delevan Established 1962 Covers 5797 acres
Located 80 miles north pf Sacramento, this refuge provides home for wintering birds, including ducks, geese, bald eagles and palmate bracted birds beak. roughly 8000 visitors come each year.
* Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Established 1974 Covers 30000 acres
The first urban wildlife refuge in the US, it was renamed after Congressman Don Edwards in 1995. it has an estimated 280 species of birds from hawks to eagles, 9000 acres of salt ponds in the refuges are managed by Cargil Salt for their salt.
* Ellicott Slough Established 1975 Covers 168 acres
Established to protect habitat for the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, tiger salamander and red-legged frog. to protect the animals, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Farallon Established 1969 Covers 1036 acres
First established in 1909, the Farallon islands contain the largest seabird colony outside of Alaska. with the exception of Southeast Farallon island, none of the islands are inhabited and they are classified as wilderness. to protect the animals, which includes sharks, blue whales and many kinds of birds, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Established 2000 Covers 2553 acres
Protects one of the largest coastal dunes in the state, it also provides protection for several endangered species. public access is limited to wildlife viewing, to protect habitat.
* Hopper Mountain Established 1974 Covers 2471 acres
protects the California condor as well as California walnut groves. is bordered by Los Padres NF, and like several other WRs is closed to the public to protect habitat and wildlife.
* Humboldt Bay Established 1971 Covers 4000 acres
Part of the Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge Complex(which includes Castle Rock and Lamphere Dunes) the refuge is an important stopover for millions of birds on the Pacific Flyway. More than 200 species of birds and 100 species of fish call the refuge home the Dunes include the best preserved dune system in the Northwest.
* Kern Established 1960 covers 1249 acres
Preserves a small remnant of what once was the largest freshwater complex in the western US. the refuge was established for migratory birds and gets around 8000 visitors annually.
* Lower Klamath Established 1908 Covers 50913 acres
Established as the first waterfowl refuge in the US, the refuge lies on the California-Oregon border, with most of the refuge being in California. resident birds include eagles falcons, pelicans and terns This refuge is the largest in the state.
* Marin Islands Established 1992 covers 339 acres
Located in San Francisco Bay, the Marin islands were originally in private hands. Thomas Crowley bought the islands in 1926 intending for them to become a terminus for the Richmond-San Rafeal Bridge. when it was not picked for the bridge the islands remained in the family until the 1980s when they were donated to the FWS. the islands support many different species of birds including the black oystercatcher.
* Merced Established 1951 Covers 10262 acres
An important part of the Pacific Flyway, this refuge is home to 25000 tri-colored blackbirds 20000 lesser sandhill cranes and 60000 Ross's geese.
* Modoc Established 1961 Covers 7000 acres
Named after the county it resides in, the refuge is home to 250 species of birds, 76 of them marsh and upland birds. 45000 people visit yearly for wildlife viewing or fishing.
* Pixley Established 1959 Covers 6939 acres
Preserves some of the last remnants of Tulare Lake, which at one time was the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. to protect the animals species that reside here, special permission is required to visit.
* Sacramento Established 1937 Covers 10819 acres
Created by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1937, Sacramento eventually spawned other refuges to form the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge complex. Other refuges in the Complex include: Butte Sink, Colusa, Delavan, Sacramento River and Sutter. over 300 species of birds and animals live here.
* Sacramento River Established 1989 covers 10146 acres
Contains some of the last riparian forests in the Sacramento Valley, the refuge consists of 29 separate sections along the river, and is in the process of acquiring more land to protect the habitat. 7 of the units are closed to the public.
* Salinas River Established 1974 Covers 316 acres
Set aside to protect migratory birds, the refuge is also home to several threatened and endangered species, as well as gray and red foxes, skunks, beavers, muskrats and coyotes.
* San Diego Established 1996 covers 11152 acres
Part of the San Diego Wildlife Refuge complex, the refuge is in the process of expanding to 44000 acres to preserve habitat for endangered species.
* San Diego Bay Established 1999 Covers 316 acres
a part of the San Diego WR Complex, this refuge is home to 200 species of birds and 4 endangered species. the refuge is in the process of expanding to nearly 4000 acres.
* San Joaquin River Established 1987 Covers 7000 acres
Located in the central Valley near Modesto, nearly a third of the refuge has been reforested in a effort to restore the area to its previous state. more than 400000 trees were planted in the effort, which provides habitat for herons cormorants and Swainson's hawks.
* San Luis Established 1966 Covers 26600 acres
Part of the Pacific Flyway, the refuge provides important habitat for thousands of birds, and contains the largest amount of grasslands left in the Central Valley.
* San Pablo Bay Established 1970 Covers 13190 acres
Contains the largest remaining tidal marsh in the northern part of San Francisco Bay. Millions of birds winter here , including the largest population of canvasback ducks in the West.
* Seal Beach Established 1972 Covers 911 acres
A stopover on the Pacific Flyway, Seal Beach is a collaboration between FWS and the Navy who owns the nearby Naval Weapons station. it is part of the San Diego WR Complex despite not being in or near San Diego (It's in Orange County).
* Sonny Bono Salton Sea Established 1930 Covers 2200 acres
The second oldest WR in the state (behind Tule Lake), this refuge sees some of the highest temperatures in the country, due to its desert location and its elevation (-227 feet, the only refuge below sea level). It was originally much larger in size (over 37000 acres) but a rise in the level of the Salton Sea covered nearly all of the area of the original refuge, cutting the size down dramatically.
* Stone Lakes Established 1994 Covers 17641 acres
Protects some of the last remaining freshwater lakes in the Central Valley, as much of the area is surrounded by urban development. visitors reached 8500 in 2001 and have been increasing year to year.
* Sutter Established 1945 Covers 2591 acres
The Southern-most area in the Sacramento WR Complex, it supports large amounts of wildlife-50000 geese and 175000 ducks as well as several endangered species.
* Tijuana Slough Established 1980 Covers 2521 acres
Located near the Mexico border, the refuge preserves one of California's largest remaining salt marshes that has no roads running through it. the refuge sees 370 species of birds including 4 endangered.
* Tule Lake Established 1928 Covers 39116 acres
The oldest WR in the state, Tule Lake is also the third largest in area. the refuge lies just inside the California border. Nearly half of the refuge is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.Resident Animals include Bald and golden eagles, falcons, pelicans, terns and blackbirds
NATIONAL PRESERVE -1
* Mojave Established 1994 Covers 1.538,015 acres
California's only National preserve, it protects a large portion of the Mojave Desert. it is the third largest NPS unit in the lower 48. 695,000 acres, nearly half the preserve, is wilderness.Elevation ranges from near 900 feet to near 8000 feet. the preserve was previously under the management of the BLM and was called the East Mojave Scenic Area before being upgraded to a preserve in 1994.
HISTORIC SITES, MEMORIALS AND OTHER NPS UNITS-8
* Point Reyes National Seashore Established 1962 Covers 71028 acres
this peninsula is nearly separated from the rest of the state by the San Andreas fault and has distinct soils ad vegetation not found in neighboring areas. 30000 acres is wilderness named after California Congressman Phillip Burton, who wrote the legislation creating Golden Gate NRA and was a key supporter of setting aside Point Reyes as a preserve.
* Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial Established 1992 Covers 5 acres
Commemorates the 1944 explosion in the naval magazine that killed 320 sailors and civilians, the majority of whom were African Americans working in segregated Units. The uproar after the disaster resulted in the largest naval mutiny in US history, and the trials convinced the Navy to desegregate. the Memorial became part of the NPS in 2009, and plans call for the memorial to expand to 250 acres to cover other areas of the naval station.
* Eugene O'Neill NHS Established 1976 Covers 159 acres
preserves Tao House, the home where O'Neill, the only American author to win the Nobel Prize (in 1936 for Literature), lived from 1937-44 and produced some of his greatest work including 'The Iceman Cometh'. The house was nearly demolished but was saved via fundraising efforts by the Eugene O'Neill Foundation. The house was first protected as a Historic Landmark in 1971 then was given its current designation as a historic Site in 1976. special permission is required to visit and NPS does not publicize its location.
* Fort Point NHS Established 1970 Covers 29 acres
Protects a seashore fortification that is located underneath the Golden Gate Bridge's south side. Fort Point was built in the 1850s to protect the Bay area, it was the only fort of its kind on the West Coast although there were nearly 3 dozen similar forts on the East Coast. The fort took 8 years to build, although it never saw real military action. it was moderately damaged in the 1906 earthquake, and when the Golden Gate Bridge was being constructed, original plans called for the fort to be demolished. but the bridge engineer, a man named Joseph Strauss, reworked the plans to spare the building, believing it should be a national monument. President Nixon finally signed legislation protecting it as an Historic Site in 1970.
* John Muir NHS Established 1964 Covers 345 acres
Preserves the home where John Muir lived from 1890 until his death in 1914, and where he started the Sierra Club and pushed for the creation of many national Parks and inspired the creation of the NPS. In addition in the house, the Site preserves 325 aces of woodlands and grasslands that were owned by Muir and his family. Nearly 30000 visitors visited the site in 2005.
* Manzanar NHS Established 1992 Covers 814 acres
One of the 10 concentration camps used to detain Japanese-Americans during World War 2, Manzanar was the first to be constructed in 1942. Manzanar, which means ' "Apple Orchard" in Spanish, saw a riot in December of 1942 by hundreds of people protesting the arrest of Harry Ueno, a union man, which resulted in the deaths of 2 people and 10 being injured. Manzanar was the 6th camp to be closed, in November of 1945. in all 146 prisoners died in the camp, and 15 were buried there. Efforts to preserve the camp resulted in it being named a National Historic Site in 1992.
* Rosie The Riveter/World War II Home Front NHP Established 2000 Covers 145 acres
This site preserves ships and shipyards built by women and African Americans who helped aid the war effort in the US during World War 2. The NPS manages the site but doesn't own any property, the City of Richmond does. the SS Red Oak Victory serves as a museum and an example of Victory ships built by local women.
* San Francisco Maritime NHP Established 1988 Covers 50 acres
Originally called the San Francisco Maritime Museum, this site holds a collections of ships dating from the 1880s to the early 1900s, and has a library dealing with San Francisco's Maritime history dating back to the 1500s. the building that houses the museum was built as a Works Progress Administration project in 1936, and was originally a bathhouse. the museum sees a lot of visitors- 4.2 million in 2011.
PROPOSED MONUMENTS-6
* Berryessa - protects the Berryessa and Snow Mountain areas in the northern California as a monument. Estimated area 325000 acres
* San Gabriel- Protects much of the forest outside of Los Angeles as a monument to increase staffing and funding for the area as well as provide stronger protection. Estimated area 250000 acres
* Whiskeytown- upgrades this portion of the Whiskeytown-Shasta -Trinity Recreational Area to Monument status, preserves Whiskeytown Lake and its surrounding area. estimated area 45000 acres
* Santa Monica- Upgrades the Recreational Area to monument status. This area nearly became a national park twice (proposals called it the Whitestone and later the Toyon National Park). Estimated area 160000 acres
* Golden Gate- Upgrades existing Recreational Area to Monument status. includes the Bridge as well as all areas within the recreation area. Estimated area 80000 acres
Point Reyes- Reclassifies the seashore as "national monument and seashore" -with increased funding and staffing. Estimated area 75000 acres
And there you have it folks. my trip to California is complete -although I didn't get Johnny Depp's autograph. Next week will have me visiting Colorado and trying my hand at whitewater rafting. As always, Comments, feedback and insight are welcome.