Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

The Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located convert|30|mi|km west of Red Bluff in the state of California. Created by the Wilderness Act of 1964, the land area was originally convert|170195|acre|ha.In 1984 the boundary was enlarged, and again in 2006, with the passage of the North Coast Wild Heritage Act which gave additional acreage to the wilderness for the present total of convert|180877|acre|ha [ [http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=661] Wilderness.net data page on acreage of Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. accessed 9-5-08] acres.

It is managed by the US Forest Service and is within several national forest boundaries which are: Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. The name is from the Wintun Native American language and means "snow-covered high peak".

Elevations range from convert|2700|ft|m feet to convert|8092|ft|m at Mount Linn.

History

In 1927, Chief Forester William Greeley directed the district supervisors to study and recommend areas in the forests suitable for a new classification as "wilderness". By 1929 fourteen areas in the California Region 5 forests were proposed for this designation.The regulations for wilderness areas were called the L-20 and with modifications by Secretary of Agriculture James Jardine, became the management policy for these areas. The L-20 Regulations used the term "primitive areas" with the purpose stated as

"maintain primitive conditions of environment, transportation, habitation, and subsistence with a view to conserving the value of such areas for purposes of public education and recreation."

[Godfrey pp. 215-217]

Of the three new primitive areas located in northern California, the Middle Eel-Yolla Bolla Primitive Areas was the largest at convert|200000|acre|ha. The size was reduced to convert|107195|acre|ha in 1931.By the close of 1932, there were eighteen new primitive areas in California protecting convert|1900000|acre|ha. [Godfrey, p 219] Federal protection was given when this area became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, created by the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Waterways

Located near the northern end of the North Coast Ranges, the rugged topography of thethe Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness protects the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Eel River, the North Fork of the Eel, the Mad River and the South Fork of the Trinity River. The eastern side has the drainages of Cottonwood Creek and Buck Creek, which flow into the Sacramento River.Both the Middle and North forks of the Eel River have Wild and Scenic River designation, as does the South Fork [ [http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/pa/lands.Par.0751.File.dat/ProjectSummaryTrinityWSR.pdf Land aquisition proposal on the South Fork by the Bureau of Land Management.] ] of the Trinity River.

Flora and fauna

The wilderness has Coast Range and Klamath montane, mixed evergreen and Douglas-fir forest types. Conifers include the California native Foxtail pine, Ponderosa pine, red and white firs, western white pine, sugar pine and incense ceder. Other tree species include oaks, cottonwoods, and the rare yew. There are wet meadows and open grasslands supporting abundant deer herds (as well as cattle and sheep). Lower elevations have chamise, manzanita, and rhododendron.

Wildlife in the wilderness include mountain lion, bobcat, coyote and martin. The Northern Spotted Owl can be found here, as well as eagles, hawks, turkey vultures and smaller birds like grouse and quail.

Recreation

Recreational activities include backpacking, day-hiking, camping, fishing and nature photography. There are 15 trailheads all around the wilderness boundary with the most frequent users being hunters in the autumn months.The Ides Cove Loop Trail is over convert|10|mi|km in length and travels through very scenic areas.The US Forest Service encourages visitors to use Leave No Trace ethics when in the wilderness to minimize impact to the environment.

ee also

* Primitive Area
* Endemism
* Ecosystem
* Mendocino National Forest

Footnotes

References

# Adkinson, Ron "Wild Northern California". The Globe Pequot Press, 2001
# Godfrey, Anthony "The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California" USDA Forest Service Publishers, 2005 ISBN 1-59351-428-X

External links

* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino/recreation/wild/ybme/ Official website of Mendocino National Forest, wilderness areas.] accessed 9-5-08
* [http://www.rivers.gov/ National Wild and Scenic Rivers System website.] accessed 9-5-08
* [http://www.wilderness.net/ Wilderness.net website main page.] accessed 9-5-08
* [http://www.wilderness.org/ The Wilderness Society website.] accessed 9-5-08