FILE - In this March 16, 2021, file photo, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Padilla on Monday, May 3, 2021, proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
LOS ANGELES California Sen. Alex Padilla on Monday proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come.
California senator seeks expansion of land, water protection
May. 04, 2021 at 6:00 am
Associated Press
California Sen. Alex Padilla on Monday proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come.
His proposal would combine three bills already passed in the House and looks to take advantage of the Democratic tilt in Washington that is more welcoming to environmental protection, compared to the Republican Trump administration. Overall, it would expand protections for over 1 million acres of California public lands.
Speaking outdoors in the Los Angeles suburb of Irwindale, with the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop, the Democratic senator said his proposal would shelter open spaces and “keep them as wild and untouched as possible for future generations to enjoy.”
By Nick Cahill
(CN) Looking to create a flood of new outdoor recreation opportunities in California’s majestic redwood forests and foothills, the state’s new U.S. Senator Alex Padilla on Monday unveiled plans to protect over 1 million acres of undeveloped federal land.
Coined the Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act, Padilla’s legislation would grow existing national monuments, create a new 400-mile scenic trail and boost efforts to restore forests and rivers damaged by decades of illegal marijuana grows.
Padilla, a Democrat appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom after Padilla’s predecessor Kamala Harris became vice president, called public wildlands “the nation’s greatest treasures” and said his legislation would not only increase outdoor access but help slow global warming by restricting new oil wells and logging operations.
California senator seeks expansion of land, water protection
May 3, 2021
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FILE - In this March 16, 2021, file photo, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Padilla on Monday, May 3, 2021, proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come.Alex Brandon/AP
LOS ANGELES (AP) California Sen. Alex Padilla on Monday proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come.
Clouds hang over the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. (Courthouse News photo / Chris Marshall)
(CN) Looking to create a flood of new outdoor recreation opportunities in California’s majestic redwood forests and foothills, the state’s new U.S. Senator Alex Padilla on Monday unveiled plans to protect over 1 million acres of undeveloped federal land.
Coined the Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act, Padilla’s legislation would grow existing national monuments, create a new 400-mile scenic trail and boost efforts to restore forests and rivers damaged by decades of illegal marijuana grows.
Padilla, a Democrat appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom after Padilla’s predecessor Kamala Harris became vice president, called public wildlands “the nation’s greatest treasures” and said his legislation would not only increase outdoor access but help slow global warming by restricting new oil wells and logging operations.