San Diego and Riverside Counties

 San Diego County Wilderness and Wild Rivers Efforts 

The 49th Congressional district encompasses the northern part of San Diego County and the southwestern corner of Riverside County. There are over 10 potential Wilderness and Wild River designations that our coalition has identified.  

The district contains breathtaking views, critical habitat, and important recreation areas. The newly designated Beauty Mountain Wilderness in Riverside County is adjacent to 7,834 acres of potential Wilderness in San Diego County.  The newly created Agua Tibia Wilderness Additions in Riverside County are adjacent to 5,300 acres in San Diego County.  Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) is looking into the possibility of adding  these two areas to the newly created wilderness areas in Riverside County. 

U.S. Representative Darrell Issa is seeking feedback from his constituents about his recent proposal to expand Beauty Mountain Wilderness and Agua Tibia Wilderness in northern San Diego County by over 20,000 acres. This is an excellent opportunity for his constituents to support his efforts to protect our magnificent wild places while also urging him to designate other important wilderness areas and wild rivers in his district. 

Click here to take action and to make a comment on the proposal.

New Wilderness, Wild Rivers Designations in Riverside County 

The California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act (HR 3682/S 2109) was introduced in Congress on September 27, 2007 by Rep. Mary Bono Mack, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The bill was signed into law on March 30, 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

The bill designates more than 191,000 acres of new wilderness throughout Riverside County and add more than 8,500 acres to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. It also designates more than 31 miles of new wild and scenic rivers, creating the southernmost wild and scenic rivers in California.