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Wilderness bill seeks to protect portion of San Gabriel Mountains(San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 22--Wilderness enthusiasts call an expanse of forest 30 miles north of La Ca ada Flintridge, and just above Highway 2, one of the most beautiful spots in the San Gabriel Mountains. And if U.S. Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, has anything to say about it, it will stay that way. McKeon is pushing his fellow legislators to support a proposal that would give the approximately 27,000-acre area the highest protection under federal law. No mining, no drilling, no snowmobiling, no roads, no cell phone towers, no power lines would be permitted. Not even mountain biking would be allowed in the what will become the Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness Area. "The idea is to protect it now while it is still natural," said John Monsen, the regional representative for the Sierra Club and San Gabriel Mountains Forever. The measure is part of a massive omnibus bill of public lands-related legislation that the House is expected to vote on in the coming weeks. The Senate approved the omnibus last month. Conservationists say there is no eminent plan to build a road or a transmission line through the rugged area. Nor is it popular with snowmobilers or mountain bikers. So why the need for such strong protection? Land must be in a natural state to get the wilderness designation. All it takes is one cell phone tower or one power line to make the area ineligible. "Every year there are hundreds of thousands fewer of wilderness-potential acres, especially in a place like this, surrounded by urban areas," Monsen said. The area is home to 8,200-foot Mt. Williamson and the headwaters of Little Rock Creek, as well as rugged rock canyons and cliffs, waterfalls and stands of pines. It is known for its stunning views of the San Gabriels and of the desert and Devil's Punchbowl to the north, according to Don Bremner, a Pasadena resident and chair of the Sierra Club's Angeles chapter forest committee. "The aroma of desert sage blends with the sweet scent of mountain pine and cedar," John W. Robinson, veteran San Gabriel Mountain trail guide writer and historian, writes of Pleasant View Ridge. Mt. Williamson is a popular hiking spot, as are Cooper Canyon and Cooper Canyon Falls, which include a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. "It really is one of the most beautiful spots of the San Gabriels," Bremner said. The wilderness designation would also preserve the habitat of mountain lions, big horn sheep and the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. The precarious state of the latter caused officials to close down a portion of the area to hikers and rock climbers to prevent them trampling the endangered amphibians. "Aside from being a recreational areas, (wilderness areas) are also spiritual areas for a lot of folks," added Monsen's colleague Juana Torres. "Church groups go to Pleasant View Ridge a lot. People think of what they offer in terms of hiking and protection... but they are also used to get close to God." Unlike other efforts to protect wilderness areas, the designation of Pleasant View Ridge has not faced much opposition. That is part of the reason it has been championed by McKeon "McKeon has worked this bill as aggressively as any bill that he has ever worked. He has made it very clear to leadership that this is very important to him," said McKeon's deputy chief of staff Bob Haueter. Why has a conservative Republican championed a land conservation bill heralded by the Sierra Club? The legislation marks a carefully crafted compromise between McKeon, Sen. Barbara Boxer, conservationists and land-use advocates. The Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness Area is just one piece of the legislation that gives wilderness protection to 470,000 acres in California and 2 million acres nationwide. The bill also creates a new 11,000-acre winter snowmobile recreation area near Sonora Pass and released 50,000 acres from any wilderness protection -- concessions made by conservationists. The Pleasant View designation, and the wilderness designation of approximately 12,000 acres near Santa Clarita, was offered by McKeon as a trade-off for much more controversial land in Mono County, Haueter said. Because it is near an urban area, the protection has been widely supported. Such designations have not been so easy in more rural parts of McKeon's district, along the Sierras, where residents often view the wilderness as their backyard and resent efforts to obstruct motorized vehicles, Haueter said. The omnibus also includes other natural resources legislation, such authorizing an additional $50 million for the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority for continued efforts to clean groundwater of perchlorate and other contaminants. The incorporation of various bills into one omnibus was the reason the bill passed 73-21 in the Senate, but it could be its biggest stumbling block in the House. Republicans often object on procedural grounds to such all-inclusive legislation. And some of the individual bills are controversial, though not necessarily without majority support. The concern is that the House will amend the omnibus. That would inevitably lead to its death because its approval in the Senate was carefully crafted, according to Haueter. "(Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid was very clear that this is the bill, if you guys mess with it and change it, I don't have time to deal with it this year," Haueter said. Still, he is optimistic it will get the votes needed to pass. The U.S. Forest Service has not taken a position on the legislation, according to Lisa Northrop, planning and resources officer for the U.S. Forest Service. Twelve percent of the Angeles National Forest is currently protected as wilderness. The Pleasant View Ridge wilderness area would be a considerable addition to the 80,000 acres protected in the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area, the San Gabriel Wilderness Area and part of the Cucamonga Wilderness Area. The areas that do not have special protection are managed by the U.S. Forest Service for various uses that can include mining, timber production, and all types of recreation. [email protected] (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2105 To see more of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sgvtribune.com. Copyright (c) 2009, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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