header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
January 7
1943 - Actor William S. Hart announces intent to bequeath Newhall estate to the public [story]
William S. Hart


Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., released a discussion draft Thursday of the California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act, a bill Feinstein will introduce in January when the new Congress convenes.

The bill builds on Feinstein’s historic California Desert Protection Act, which became law in 1994. The new legislation is designed to protect additional land and help manage California’s desert resources by carefully balancing conservation, recreation and renewable energy development.

The draft legislation is a consensus document that reflects the many uses of the desert and is the product of years of engagement with relevant stakeholders including environmental groups, local and state government officials, off-highway recreation enthusiasts, cattle ranchers, mining interests, the Department of Defense, wind and solar energy companies, California’s public utility companies and many others.

The draft bill’s key provisions:

* Creates two new national monuments:

– The Mojave Trails National Monument, which would encompass 942,000 acres of land, including former Catellus-owned lands.

– The Sand to Snow National Monument, which would encompass 135,000 acres of land from desert floor in the Coachella Valley to the top of Mount San Gorgonio.

* Designates five new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wilderness areas covering 235,000 acres.

* Designates 77 miles of waterways as Wild and Scenic Rivers.

* Adds acreage to Death Valley National Park (39,000 acres), Joshua Tree National Park (4,500 acres) and the Mojave National Preserve (30,000 acres).

* Designates four existing BLM Off-Highway Vehicle areas (covering approximately 135,000 acres of California desert) as permanent Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recreation areas, providing off-highway enthusiasts certainty that these uses will be protected as much as conservation areas.

* Provides a balanced approach to renewable energy development by:

– Requiring the Department of the Interior to exchange 370,000 acres of federal land for state land, allowing the state to use these new areas for commercial purposes including clean energy. The bill also releases 126,000 acres of wilderness land that could be used for renewable energy.

– Allowing for new transmission lines in the Mojave Trails National Monument on existing transmission corridors.

– Sharing with state and local governments the revenue generated from leasing of federal land within the desert.
Additional information:

* Full text of the draft legislation is available here.

* A summary of the bill is available here.

* Maps referencing provisions within the bill are available here.

* For more information on Senator Feinstein’s work on the California desert is available here.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

12 Comments

  1. Neil Arno says:

    Shouldn’t she be put out to pasture already?

  2. Terry Morse says:

    Thank God we have a courageous Senator who is willing to protect our fragile desert lands.

  3. Shane Weeks says:

    And the OHV community will lose again. So we should thank her for making 4 ohv areas “permanent” while we lose access to so many other places.

  4. Shane Weeks says:

    And the OHV community will lose again. So we should thank her for making 4 ohv areas “permanent” while we lose access to so many other places.

  5. Andrea Evers says:

    Can’t even stand to have her face on my feed- hiding this now.

  6. Andrea Evers says:

    Can’t even stand to have her face on my feed- hiding this now.

  7. Andrea Evers says:

    Can’t even stand to have her face on my feed- hiding this now.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Progress: 0%
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Monday, Jan 6, 2025
High Wind Warning, Dust Advisory for SCV
The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings throughout Southern California, including the Santa Clarita Valley.
Monday, Jan 6, 2025
Valladares Announces Committee Assignments for Legislative Session
California State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) announced her eight committee assignments for the 2025-26 legislative session, including being asked to serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Governmental Organization, the Health Committee and the Committee on Revenue and Taxation.
Monday, Jan 6, 2025
SCV Chamber Announces Business Choice Award Honorees
The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce announced its 2024 businesses award recipients who will be honored at the 2025 Awards and Installation beginning with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception Friday, Jan. 31, at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1943 - Actor William S. Hart announces intent to bequeath Newhall estate to the public [story]
William S. Hart
A memorial highway dedication ceremony honoring Deputy Hagop “Jake” Kuredjian will be held Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the site of Kuredjian’s memorial on Poe Parkway and Stevenson Ranch Parkway.
Jan. 8: Ceremony Honoring Deputy Hagop “Jake” Kuredjian
Princess Cruises, known around the world as “The Love Boat,” is celebrating six decades of delivering dream vacations and happiness to millions of cruisers with a special 14 day 60th Anniversary Mexican Riviera Voyage, departing from the Port of Los Angeles on Dec. 6.
Princess Cruises Announces Diamond Anniversary Voyage
The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings throughout Southern California, including the Santa Clarita Valley.
High Wind Warning, Dust Advisory for SCV
The Latino Business Alliance will host a Café con Leche, 9-10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Funburger, 23460 Cinema Drive, Unit J, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
Feb. 4: Latino Business Alliance Café con Leche
College of the Canyons mens basketball split its two games of the 34th Annual Cougar Holiday Classic, topping Orange Coast College on day one before falling to tourney champions Mt. San Antonio College in the finale.
COC Splits Tourney Games, Falls in Championship Round of Cougar Holiday Classic
California State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) announced her eight committee assignments for the 2025-26 legislative session, including being asked to serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Governmental Organization, the Health Committee and the Committee on Revenue and Taxation.
Valladares Announces Committee Assignments for Legislative Session
The California Highway Patrol wrapped up its New Year’s Maximum Enforcement Period with 481 DUI arrests during the 30 hour campaign, averaging one arrest every four minutes.
CHP’S New Year’s Crackdown Nets Arrests, Highlights Traffic Dangers
Join VIA and leading experts from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for a Cyber Crime the Invisible Threat luncheon presentation, Friday, Feb. 21 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the College of the Canyons Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center.
Feb. 21: VIA Cyber Crime the Invisible Threat Luncheon
The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce announced its 2024 businesses award recipients who will be honored at the 2025 Awards and Installation beginning with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception Friday, Jan. 31, at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.
SCV Chamber Announces Business Choice Award Honorees
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office has released the list of four productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, Jan. 6 to Sunday, Jan. 12.
Jan. 6-12: Four Productions Filming in Santa Clarita
Located at Valencia Summit Park in the former YMCA building, the 12,000-square-foot Valencia Community Center is officially open for residents to visit.
Ken Striplin | New Year, New Community Center!
The city of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita City Council invite the community to come together for a Unity Walk in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 on Monday, Jan. 20, at 8 a.m.
Jan. 20: Join The City’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity Walk
1800 - Teuteu, 34, wife of village captain, baptized (as Tomasa) at S.F. Mission; born at Tochonanga (Eternal Valley area) in 1766, before Europeans arrived [record]
village map
1875 - Tiburcio Vasquez murder trial opens in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez
1909 - Deputy Constable Charles A. De Moranville shot to death after responding to a Newhall bar fight. Prosecution fails to make its case and the killer walks [story]
memorial plaque
California State University, Northridge Men's Basketball knocked down 17 threes, tying a school record for a game, in a 95-65 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Jan. 2 at Titan Gym.
CSUN Ties School Record for Threes in 95-65 Win at Fullerton
The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Care and Control relies on volunteer support from the community to provide the additional public service and animal care programs that are vital to a healthy community.
Castaic Animal Care Center Seeks Volunteers
The Santa Clarita Arts Commission will hold its regular meeting Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m., in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Jan. 9: Arts Commission to Discuss Agreement with Santa Clarita PAC
The 2025 Annual St. Francis Dam Disaster Lecture and Bus Tour will be held Saturday, March 15, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. The event is a fundraiser for the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.
March 15: 2025 Annual St. Francis Dam Disaster Lecture, Bus Tour
California is experiencing an increase in cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be spread through coughing and can cause severe illness, especially in infants.
As Whooping Cough Cases Increase, CDPH Encourages Tdap Vaccination
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that it's Computer Aided Dispatch system failed on New Year's Eve at around 8 p.m. The system has been down for more than 48 hours, but LASD has assured the public the department is working to restore the system.
UPDATE: LASD Computer Dispatch System Back with ‘Temporary Fix’
The city of Santa Clarita has issued a traffic alert starting Saturday, Jan. 4. The city will begin the installation of small dividers designed to create a dedicated, safe lane for bikers and pedestrians on Orchard Village Road.
Jan. 4: City Issues Traffic Alert for Work Zone on Orchard Village Road
Registration is open for the Winter 2025 Adult 7-on-7 Flag Football League which will have its first meeting 6:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13 at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
Jan. 13: Winter Adult Flag Football League Registration Open
SCVNews.com