California Wild Heritage Act of 2006

The California Wild Heritage Act of 2006 (H.R. 5006) proposed to expand federal protections for millions of acres of public land and hundreds of miles of rivers across California. The bill aimed to designate specific areas within national forests, National Park Service lands, and Bureau of Land Management territories as official wilderness, which would prohibit commercial activities and motorized vehicles to preserve their natural state. Additionally, the legislation sought to establish the Sacramento River National Recreation Area and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest to enhance public access for recreation and scientific study.

For citizens, this bill would have permanently protected popular outdoor spaces for hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing while restricting certain types of development and resource extraction in those areas. It also prioritized environmental health by designating salmon restoration areas and protecting various waterways under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. While the bill was introduced in the 109th Congress, it did not advance to a vote, though many of its individual components were later incorporated into subsequent conservation laws.