Proposed Riverside County National Wildlife Refuge Gains Valuable Congressional Allies

UngulateNerd92

UngulateNerd92

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Being originally from Riverside County, California, I am grateful to see this happening...

Proposed Riverside County National Wildlife Refuge Gains Valuable Congressional Allies, Broad Community Support

“An urban refuge in Riverside County would ensure that remaining intact habitat in this highly developed area is protected while providing more equitable access to nature – both of which are key components of our state and national 30x30 goals,” said Pamela Flick, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife. “Today’s support from congressional, state and community leaders clearly demonstrates that the benefits this urban national wildlife refuge will have for species and humans alike are recognized by many. Defenders is grateful for the outpouring of support and would like to thank Rep. Calvert and Sen. Feinstein for their efforts to establish this much-needed refuge.”

At a hike within the boundaries of the proposed National Wildlife Refuge in western Riverside County, representatives from Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) and Rep. Ken Calvert’s (R-CA) offices joined community members, the Hispanic Access Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife to call on Congress and the Biden administration to support legislation to establish the refuge.

Proposed Riverside County National Wildlife Refuge Gains Valuable Congressional Allies, Broad Community Support
 
I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised to see Representative Ken Calvert (R) of California's 42nd Congressional District (Norco, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta etc.) supporting this. To be frank, he doesn't have the cleanest record as he frequently shows up on lists of the most corrupt people in Congress. He is always willing to take whatever money people give him and strictly vote along those lines and he is also missing in action as far as the constituents are concerned. He does not hold town halls and he does not answer questions most of the time and you can't get him to do much of anything and his office has literally stated that if somebody did not vote for him, he is not interested in talking to them. I never lived in his congressional district, but I have lived in and grew up in districts bordering his and even cities bordering cities that were in his district. I do however have a lot of history in California's 42nd congressional district. I got my driver's license at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office in Norco and the office of the veterinarian I took my pets to was in Norco. I might want to call his office and thank him for supporting this. I am also glad to see Diane Feinstein supporting this. She isn't my favorite senator, but again I am grateful to see her support for this.
 
Here is another relevant article. Having lived and grown up in western Riverside County, I am grateful to see this coming to fruition.

New Wildlife Refuge in Southern California Would Promise Equitable Access to Disappearing Nature

If you have ever been to Western Riverside County in Southern California, you might not believe that a plan to create a refuge for wildlife could be possible in this rapidly developing area. Hispanic Access Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife have teamed up to advocate for a new Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge in southern California, which would provide access to a rapidly-disappearing natural landscape for some 12 million people within 25 miles of the area, as well as vital habitat for many vulnerable species of plants and animals.

Between 2001 and 2017, California lost more than one million acres
of natural area due to urban development, greatly affecting the state’s spectacular biodiversity and limiting communities’ access to nature. Today, 74 percent of communities of color in the contiguous U.S. live in nature-deprived areas, compared with 23 percent of white residents. To protect more natural area for the benefit of people and wildlife in southern California, Congress is considering legislation that would establish the new Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge.

New Wildlife Refuge in Southern California Would Promise Equitable Access to Disappearing Nature

 
UngulateNerd92 said:
I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised to see Representative Ken Calvert (R) of California's 42nd Congressional District (Norco, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta etc.) supporting this. To be frank, he doesn't have the cleanest record as he frequently shows up on lists of the most corrupt people in Congress. He is always willing to take whatever money people give him and strictly vote along those lines and he is also missing in action as far as the constituents are concerned. He does not hold town halls and he does not answer questions most of the time and you can't get him to do much of anything and his office has literally stated that if somebody did not vote for him, he is not interested in talking to them. I never lived in his congressional district, but I have lived in and grew up in districts bordering his and even cities bordering cities that were in his district. I do however have a lot of history in California's 42nd congressional district. I got my driver's license at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office in Norco and the office of the veterinarian I took my pets to was in Norco. I might want to call his office and thank him for supporting this. I am also glad to see Diane Feinstein supporting this. She isn't my favorite senator, but again I am grateful to see her support for this.
Click to expand...

Here is another relevant press release.

Rep. Calvert Reintroduces Bill to Establish Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) announced he has reintroduced legislation, H.R. 972, establishing the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge. Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41) is an original cosponsor of the bill.

“I continue to support the establishment of the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge to conserve our natural resources and provide a solid planning foundation for the county’s future growth and transportation infrastructure,” said Rep. Calvert. “A number of stakeholders throughout the region contribute to the conservation needs of our wildlife. Transferring the land set aside for those needs into a federal wildlife refuge will allow for better management of conserved areas and establish necessary mitigation for our future growth.”

Rep. Calvert Reintroduces Bill to Establish Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge
 
Here is another relevant article.

California Legislators Introduce Bill to Establish One of the Nation’s Largest Urban Wildlife Refuges

"We are thrilled to see legislation introduced in the Senate to protect vulnerable habitat and imperiled species while providing greater access for neighboring communities,” said Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark. “We thank Sen. Feinstein and other members of the California delegation for their efforts to make the Refuge a reality and applaud the bipartisan support for establishing the refuge. We urge Congress and the Biden administration to move quickly to enact this widely-supported legislation.”

Today, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced legislation to establish the Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation – southern California’s Riverside County. If enacted, this refuge would provide access to nature for millions of Californians in the densely populated area, protecting thousands of acres for iconic wildlife species, dozens of which are threatened or endangered, and conserving habitat connectivity.  

California Legislators Introduce Bill to Establish One of the Nation’s Largest Urban Wildlife Refuges
 
Here is another relevant article.

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Biodiversity and Access to Nature in Western Riverside County

With development proceeding at a rapid pace in California—between 2001 and 2017, the Golden State lost more than one million acres of wildlands¹—open space is an increasingly valuable commodity. Thankfully, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (both Democrats) recently took a significant step to protect a large part of Riverside County in Southern California, one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, from further development by introducing legislation to establish the Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge.

Western Riverside would be one of the largest urban refuges in the nation and provide increased access to nature for nearby Latino communities. Our partners at Hispanic Access Foundation have set up a webpage explaining the new refuge’s benefits
here.

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Biodiversity and Access to Nature in Western Riverside County
 
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