Proposed Carrizo Plain National Monument

Location:The proposed Carrizo Plain National Monument is located in central California, just off the southwest edge of the San Joaquin Valley, between San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield.  Elevations within the proposed monument range from 1,900 to 5,100 feet above sea level.  It covers approximately 204,107 acres of federal land.

Description:Full of natural splendor and rich in human history, the majestic grasslands and stark ridges in the proposed Carrizo Plain National Monument contain exceptional objects of scientific and historic interest.  Since the mid-1800s, large portions of the grasslands that once spanned the entire four hundred mile expanse of California's nearby San Joaquin Valley and other valleys in the vicinity have been eliminated by extensive land conversion to agricultural, industrial, and urban land uses.  The proposed Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is dramatically bisected by the San Andreas Fault zone, is the largest undeveloped remnant of this ecosystem, providing crucial habitat for the long-term conservation of the many endemic plant and animal species that still inhabit the area. 

The proposed monument offers a refuge for endangered, threatened, and rare animal species such as the San Joaquin kit fox, the California condor, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, the giant kangaroo rat, the San Joaquin antelope squirrel, the longhorn fairy shrimp and the vernal pool fairy shrimp.  It supports important populations of pronghorn antelope and tule elk, and the area is also home to many rare and sensitive plant species.  Despite past human use, the size, isolation, and relatively undeveloped nature of the area make it ideal for long-term conservation of the dwindling flora and fauna characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley region.

Besides its grasslands and wildlife habitat, the area is world-famous for its spectacular exposures of fault-generated landforms.  In 1857, the strongest earthquake in California's recorded history ripped through the San Andreas fault, wrenching the western side of the proposed Carrizo Plain National Monument thirty-one feet northward. 

Management:The proposed monument would be managed by the Bureau of Land Management, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game and The Nature Conservancy, for the purpose of protecting the objects described above.  Currently authorized livestock grazing, a minor oil and gas development, hunting, fishing, and similar activities will generally not be affected, nor will private property (approximately 33,156 acres) and state land (approximately 9,266 acres) within the boundaries of the proposed monument, as well as other valid existing rights.

Process:The "Carrizo Plain National Conservation Area Act" (HR 1751) was introduced by Congresswoman Lois Capps in May 1999.  This began a public process that included recommendations from the local Resource Advisory Council forwarded to the Congresswoman and Secretary Babbitt in December 1999 that were incorporated into bill.  Babbitt made two trips to the area to hold public meetings in late 1999.  Although the bill was reported from the House Resources Committee, neither the House nor the Senate acted on the proposed legislation.