| Santa Rosa Wilderness | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Santa Rosa Wilderness | |
| Location | Riverside County, California |
| Nearest city | Palm Desert, California |
| Coordinates | 33°30′54″N116°19′04″W / 33.51500°N 116.31778°W /33.51500; -116.31778[1] |
| Area | 72,259 acres (292.42 km2) |
| Established | 1984 (California Wilderness Act) |
| Governing body | U.S.Bureau of Land Management /U.S. Forest Service |
TheSanta Rosa Wilderness is a 72,259-acre (292.42 km2)wilderness area in Southern California, in theSanta Rosa Mountains ofRiverside andSan Diego counties,California. It is in theColorado Desert section of theSonoran Desert, above theCoachella Valley andLower Colorado River Valley regions in aPeninsular Range, betweenLa Quinta to the north andAnza Borrego Desert State Park to the south. TheUnited States Congress established the wilderness in 1984 with the passage of theCalifornia Wilderness Act (Public Law 98-425), managed by both theUS Forest Service (San Bernardino National Forest, 13,801 acres[2]) and theBureau of Land Management (58,458 acres[2]). In 2009, theOmnibus Public Land Management Act (P.L. 111–11) was signed into law which added more than 2,000 acres (8.1 km2). Most of the Santa Rosa Wilderness is within theSanta Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.
The Santa Rosa Mountains contain areas of historic and modern cultural significance, such as ancient game trails, roasting pits, milling stations, rock shelters and examples of rock art. Native Americans have identified areas that are currently used for temporary habitation, resource collection and ritual hunting. Evidence of post-colonial era American settlements and mining activities includes quarry sites, mining prospects, irrigation infrastructure and water improvements associated with natural springs.
The wilderness protects a portion of habitat that supports the largest herd of peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in the country; the sheep's range encompasses much of inlandSouthern California, south ofRiverside andSan Bernardino counties. They can also be found inMexico, in the peninsular states ofBaja California andBaja California Sur.[3]The Bighorn Institute (a non-profit research group established in 1982 by severalbiologists andveterinarians) estimates that approximately 60 adult sheep live in theSanta Rosa Mountains,[4] and a total population of 800 sheep in the Peninsular Ranges north of Mexico.
The Peninsular Range bighorn sheep is a subspecies ofbighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) that has been protected since 1971 under theCalifornia Endangered Species Protection Act (CESPA), and federally-protected since 1998 under theEndangered Species Act (ESA).[5] The Peninsular Range bighorn sheep herd utilize the entire range between 1,000 to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) elevation. Bear Creek, Deep Canyon and Martinez Canyon are important sites as summer grazing and browsing areas, and provide the sheep with the rugged terrain necessary for evading threats, as well as forlambing.
In addition to the bighorn sheep, the Santa Rosa Wilderness also is home tobobcat,coyote,mountain lion, andmule deer.
Native and rare plants in the Santa Rosa Wilderness include shrubs such as Santa Rosasage (Salvia eremostachya), and Nuttall'sscrub oak (Quercus dumosa).Perennials andherbs include Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon (Linanthus floribundus ssp. hallii) and triple-ribbed milkvetch (Astragalus tricarinatus).Cacti andsucculent plants include the beavertail prickly-pear (Opuntia basilaris), chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei), desert agave (Agave deserti), Gander's cholla (Cylindropuntia ganderi) and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).
The rugged terrain is formed by uplifted blocks ofigneous andmetamorphic rock situated between two majortectonicfault lines, theSan Andreas and theSan Jacinto Faults. Perennial streams erode the steep-walled canyons and support largefan palm oases. The Santa Rosa Mountain range, in addition to the two faults, all trend northwest–southeast as part of thePeninsular Range that extends from Southern California through Baja California, México.
The Santa Rosa Wilderness joins wilderness areas in theSan Bernardino National Forest along its western border and the designated California State Wilderness inAnza Borrego Desert State Park to the south.[6][7]
Recreational activities in the Santa Rosa Wilderness includebackpacking,horseback riding, day hiking, and nature study/photography.[3]
Hunting is restricted to the southern half of the wilderness since the northern portion is located within a State Wildlife Refuge. Deer, quail and dove are hunted in season.
