BILL NUMBER: ACR 90	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  54
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JUNE 10, 2014
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JUNE 5, 2014
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 24, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 8, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Rendon

                        FEBRUARY 4, 2014

   Relative to the Wilderness Act of 1964.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 90, Rendon. Wilderness Act of 1964.
   This measure would commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
Wilderness Act of 1964 and proclaim the significance of continuing to
protect national wilderness areas.



   WHEREAS, In 1964 the United States Congress passed the Wilderness
Act of 1964 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, and this farsighted
legislation was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on September 3,
1964; and
   WHEREAS, The Wilderness Act of 1964 brought into being America's
National Wilderness Preservation System, federal lands to be
"administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in
such manner as will leave federal lands unimpaired for future use and
enjoyment as wilderness, and will provide for the protection of
these areas and the preservation of their wilderness character"; and
   WHEREAS, The Wilderness Act of 1964 made it the "policy of the
Congress to secure for the American people of present and future
generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness ... in
order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by
expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and
modify all areas within the United States and its possessions,
leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their
natural condition"; and
   WHEREAS, Wilderness, "in contrast with those areas where man and
his own works dominate the landscape," is recognized as "federal land
retaining its primeval character and influence, which generally
appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with
the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable, and has
outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined
type of recreation"; and
   WHEREAS, President Barack Obama said, in proclaiming September
2011 as National Wilderness Month, "The mystery and wonder of the
wilderness is deeply rooted in our national character. For many of
the first Americans -- American Indians and Alaska Natives -- the
wilderness provided a source of sustenance and a foundation for their
ways of life. Later, as explorers and the pioneers of a young
country moved west, they found adventure and new beginnings in the
landscapes of our Nation. ... From our earliest days, America's
identity has been tied to the powerful waterfalls, soaring peaks, and
vast plains of its land"; and
   WHEREAS, President Obama also stated, "in the 21st century, the
importance of maintaining our wilderness heritage has only grown.
Protecting our wilderness areas and their riches -- clean water,
stretches of undisturbed land, thriving wildlife, and healthy
ecosystems -- is critical to the health of our environment and our
communities. Today, wilderness areas serve as places for us to roam,
hunt, fish, and find solitude. They are also strong engines of local
economies, providing tourism and recreation revenue for communities";
and
   WHEREAS, The Wilderness Act of 1964 marked a fundamental cultural
shift from a need to conquer nature to the need to preserve it and is
a modern philosophical expression of the human need to find
spiritual solace in nature; and
   WHEREAS, California, inspired by the Wilderness Act of 1964, has
established its own exemplary state wilderness system, in which state
lands in a natural condition are preserved by law similarly to our
state's substantial federal wilderness, allowing Californians to take
special pride and additional pleasure in enjoying the benefits of
wilderness; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims the significance
of our National Wilderness Preservation System to our nation's
cultural, scientific, historical, and spiritual heritage and, during
the 50th anniversary year of the Wilderness Act of 1964, encourages
each Californian to embrace our nation's legacy of protecting and
preserving our vast wilderness as a bequest for generations to come
and also for the benefit of our wildlife, from the largest to the
smallest creatures; and be it further
   Resolved, That all Californians are urged to value wilderness as a
place where all can experience the spirit that shaped America, and
to honor the uniquely American qualities of the Wilderness Act of
1964, a remarkable societal compact whereby the American people
decided to forego, in certain special places, the prevailing trend
toward development, thereby allowing nature, not human machinery and
invention, to have the upper hand; and be it further
   Resolved, That, in this golden anniversary year of the Wilderness
Act of 1964, the Legislature invites all Californians to visit and
enjoy our wilderness areas, to learn about their vast history, and to
aid in the continued protection of our precious national treasures;
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.