The measure had been approved by the House in July and is expected to be signed by President Bush.

The bill, sponsored by California's two Democratic senators and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, affects existing Forest Service lands in five Northern California counties -- Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa. Wilderness designation bans commercial development, such as logging or mining, as well as off-road vehicle use.

The new wilderness areas would include parts of the King Range, the longest undeveloped stretch of coastline in the lower 48 states; Cedar Roughs, the world's largest grove of rare Sargent cypress trees; and Cache Creek, which has the state's second largest wintering population of bald eagles.

The bill also would designate 21 miles of Mendocino County's Black Butte River as a wild and scenic river, and would protect the middle fork of the Eel River, home to a threatened population of steelhead trout.

It also would create a new national recreation area for off-road vehicle enthusiasts and mountain bikers at Cow Mountain, a 51,000-acre area west of Clear Lake with 150 miles of existing trails.

For more information, go to thomas.loc.gov and search for the bill, HR233.