California’s Mount Lassic Wilderness now complete with last remaining inholding removed!
January 10, 2025-
The Wilderness Land Trust recently acquired the last remaining inholding in northern California’s Mount Lassic Wilderness, completing the wilderness area by removing the lingering threat of development on the 160-acre Bear Creek private inholding property. This is the 18th wilderness area the Trust has completed.
The Mount Lassic Wilderness is of significant ecological importance, with several uncommon habitat features. Rare alpine vernal pools and unusual serpentine soils have created unique habitat conditions home to rare species. The endangered Lassics Lupine depends on the sufficient snowpack and shelter from summer heat found in the Mount Lassic Wilderness to survive. The area is also home to the northern spotted owl, blue grouse, marten, fisher, mountain lion, black bear, and goshawk. Old-growth forests of Douglas fir, incense cedar, and Jeffery pine cover much of the area.
The 160-acre Bear Creek property includes tributary streams to the Wild and Scenic Van Duzen River. The Van Duzen River, as well as the Eel River which it flows into, host healthy salmon and steelhead runs. The salmon and steelhead populations are not only important species in the ecosystem, they support recreational and subsistence fisheries. The Van Duzen and Eel River host both summer and winter runs of steelhead, but as their waters warm due to climate change, the health of the fishery has become stressed. Juveniles require cold temperatures to survive, making cold water tributaries such as found in the Bear Creek property an important refuge.
With acquisition of the Bear Creek inholding property complete, we will now begin the process of transferring it to the Six Rivers National Forest. The Wilderness Land Trust has previously protected 253 properties totaling over 37,000 acres in 44 wilderness areas across California.
This year we protected 42 properties totaling 2,073 acres from Alaska to Virginia. With the threat of development removed, they will remain open for wildlife to roam, resilient habitats to thrive, and people from all walks of life to explore. The monetary value of these lands is over $37 million, but the real value that they bring to our lives through clean air and water, solitude, and inspiration is so much greater. In this fast-changing world, their intrinsic value surpasses any dollar amount.
Brad- This holiday season, I am most thankful for our generous donors who provide the critical financial resources that we need in order to pursue our mission. They routinely welcome me into their homes or to sit down and share a meal, share their personal experiences that connect them to wilderness, and offer all that they can to support what we do. All of them are more than supporters of The Wilderness Land Trust. They are family and I remain forever grateful for their generosity.
After the Trust acquires a private property in or around wilderness, we work with our agency partners to assess whether any restoration work is needed prior to transferring it to public ownership. Our goal is to restore the property to its wilderness character, improve habitat, and mitigate any public safety concerns on the property. What exactly that restoration looks like is different for each property, and has ranged from removing cabins, vehicles, and commercial mining equipment, to closing historic mine adits, and packing out trash.
