Harry Johnston: “S. 21 is one of the most significant pieces of environmental legislation that will be considered by the 103d Congress.…”

“S. 21 is one of the most significant pieces of environmental legislation that will be considered by the 103d Congress. The California Desert contains some of America's most spectacular, diverse, unique, and fragile landscapes which deserve the high level of protection that the wilderness and park designations contained in S. 21 afford. As reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, S. 21 would designate approximately 7.74 million acres of the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and National Park Service lands in the California Desert as wilderness; it would add approximately 1.5 million acres to the existing Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Monuments and redesignate these areas as national parks; and it would establish a 1.2 million acre Mojave National Park. At the same time, the bill would provide for continued use of the area by the military, ensure that sufficient lands remain available for off-road vehicle enthusiasts, sportsmen, miners, and others who want to use the desert for a variety of purposes.”