Natural History Wanderings

The U.S. House has passed a bill to make Pinnacles National Monument a national park. California’s  Sen. Barbara Boxer, is sponsoring a companion Pinnacles bill in the Senate. There is little opposition because making Pinnacles will not cost any money. However, many  public lands bills are stuck in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, due to a partisan conflict over a proposal to allow Sealaska, an Alaska Native corporation, to swap land with the federal government. If the deadlock continues until after Congress adjourns at the end of this year, the move to make Pinnacles a national park would have to start the legislative process all over again.

Read more: House passes bill to make Pinnacles a national park – SFGate.