Vote Yes on Prop 50

This election, California voters are asked whether to issue temporary legislative district maps through 2030 in response to redistricting efforts in other states. There are obvious partisan political implications to the Proposition. We can’t address those as a nonprofit. However, we think the new maps are good for the protection of the environment, independent of any political consideration. Here’s why.

At present, Congressional Districts in Northern California split the coast from inland areas. This has bisected important Northern California rivers in two, with the Klamath River, Smith River, Trinity River, and others spanning both the 1st and 2nd Congressional District. Large National Forests are also bisected, with portions of the Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity, Mendocino, and Klamath National Forests crossing congressional boundaries. Tribal nations are also split, like the Karuk Tribe, whose ancestral territory runs between the 1st and 2nd Districts. For this reason, EPIC has previously championed bringing in rural river communities towards the coast.

Nature does not respect political borders. With so much federal land in Northern California, having a single legislative voice in D.C. would be useful. Imagine the Klamath River in California being represented by a single voice (instead of two that routinely disagree). Consider the possibility of new Wilderness legislation that does not need to end abruptly but can be drawn on the basis of natural borders. And think of North Coast tribal nations, drawn together by shared history and a unity of purpose in restoring the region’s watersheds, in one Congressional district.

Join EPIC in voting yes on Proposition 50.