On Saturday, August 31, ForestWatch teamed up with Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) on a community hike in the Santa Barbara frontcountry. The hike was an opportunity for constituents to talk with the congressman and his staff, and to enjoy a naturalist-led hike by Los Padres ForestWatch Conservation Director Bryant Baker, and Director of Community Engagement Graciela Cabello.
The group met at Skofield Park for introductions, a brief discussion on public lands and environmental legislation before hiking up Rattlesnake Canyon. Participants enjoyed a short hike to a middle creek crossing that included shade, oak trees, and water, all while learning about native plants in the area. A special guest, Lucas (9 years old), passed around his fossil collection and did a live presentation on creek critters.
Before starting the hike, Rep. Carbajal discussed the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, H.R. 2199, which he reintroduced this past April with Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). It seeks to designate nearly 250,000 acres of land within Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument as protected wilderness areas, creates two scenic areas encompassing 34,882 acres, and safeguards 159 miles of wild and scenic rivers.
ForestWatch Executive Director, Jeff Kuyper, addressed the Trump administration’s attack on public lands and environmental protections such as a current proposal to rollback the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)—an attempt to gut the bedrock environmental law as it applies to national forests throughout the country, and threats to the Endangered Species Act. The administration recently ordered changes to weaken the 45-year-old Endangered Species Act that will speed the loss of habitat and species at a time of record global extinctions.
ForestWatch routinely hosts naturalist-led community hikes to connect stakeholders to our public lands, improve access, educate the public on the native ecosystem, and discuss issues affecting our natural areas. Make sure to follow our facebook page or sign-up on our mailing list to stay informed.
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