Garamendi, Thompson Introduce Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA03), former Deputy Secretary of the Interior during the Clinton Administration, introduced the "Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act" (H.R.6366) with Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA05) as the bill's original cosponsor. This legislation would expand the National Monument designated by President Obama in 2015 to include an adjacent federally owned land parcel in Lake County known as the "Walker Ridge" tract. Congressman Garamendi's bill also renames the entire ridgeline in Lake and Colusa Counties from "Walker Ridge" to "Condor Ridge ("Molok Luyuk" in the Patwin language), befitting the area's cultural significance to Native Americans like the federally recognized Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.

In 2014, Congressman Mike Thompson championed bicameral legislation to establish the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with then-Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Garamendi. In July 2015, President Obama declared the federal land surrounding Lake Berryessa as a National Monument, at the Congressmen's urging.

On July 29, 2021, Congressman Garamendi announced a public comment period on this draft legislation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Over the nearly 200 public comments submitted to the Congressman's office, all but one supported the proposed expansion.

"Conserving California's special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Lake County. Walker Ridge is one of those special places, and I am thrilled to continue working in Congress to conserve this unique landscape for future generations of Californians to enjoy," said Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA03).

"In 2016, I worked to designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Monument to protect the pristine landscape and biodiversity of the region while creating countless recreational opportunities and boosting our local economy. This legislation will expand the Snow Mountain region to include Walker Ridge, protecting even more public land. I'm honored to work with Congressman Garamendi to ensure that our public lands are protected for generations to come," said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA05)," said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA05).

"Molok Luyuk – or Condor Ridge – is a special part of Northern California and deserves special protections. We appreciate Congressman Garamendi's leadership on this and his insistence that Native American voices be part of the conversation," said Chairman Anthony Roberts of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. "Our ancestors traveled and traded there for centuries. With these protections, the unique resources on Molok Luyuk will endure, and Californians will be able to enjoy its natural beauty for generations to come."

The "Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act" (H.R.6366) would:

· Expand the existing National Monument to include approximately 3,925 acres of adjacent public land administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Lake County known previously as the "Walker Ridge" tract.

· Not impact privately owned, state, tribal, or non-federal land in any way and does not include the portion of the BLM's Walker Ridge tract in Colusa County.

· Direct the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to finally complete the management plan for the National Monument, unfinished since 2015.

· Require the federal land management agencies (BLM and USFS) to engage in meaningful consultation with federally recognized Indian tribes regarding the development and implementation of the National Monument's management plan.

· Provide opportunities for federal land management agencies (BLM and USFS) to enter into voluntary agreements with federally recognized Indian tribe for day-to-day management of the National Monument, including historic preservation, archaeological sites, and forest health.

· Rename the BLM's entire "Walker Ridge" tract in Lake and Colusa Counties to "Condor Ridge" translated from "Molok Luyuk" in the Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe and other federally recognized tribes indigenous to the area.

H.R.6366 Endorsements: Lake County Board of Supervisors, Yocha Dehe, Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, California Native Plant Society, and Woodland, CA-based Tuleyome nonprofit.

The full text of the legislation is available HERE.

The map of the proposed expansion depicting the Walker Ridge tract in Lake County is available HERE.