President Theodore Roosevelt and Congress established the Cleveland National Forest in 1906 to protect portions of the mountainous area of Southern California. Since that time, civilization rose around all sides of this wilderness province, and the original national forest boundaries diminished from two million acres to less than 650,000 acres.  Few areas in North America display the concentration of species as diverse as those found in the Cleveland National Forest. The chaparral, meadows and pine-oak woodlands that grace the mountains and foothills are especially rich in unique species. One by one, unique wildlife and plants disappeared, including the California condor, grizzly bear, black bear, long-eared kit fox, and pronghorn antelope. Today, many of the remaining plants and animals of the Cleveland National Forest are threatened by urban development. Large areas of open land are critical for survival of many forest species, and continued development and subdivision in and around the forest continue to threaten their vitality. Additionally, the forest provides valuable services that are important for society’s well-being, including watershed and grazing areas, and two world-class observatories. Excessive development in this remarkable ecosystem continues to bring about the demise of foothill and mountain life as we know it. Improper land use and transportation planning are major threats to Southern California’s precious wilderness areas, and CNFF has come to realize that forest degradation and habitat loss are merely symptoms of greater regional planning issues.  The Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF) is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the plants, animals and other natural resources of Southern California mountains by protecting the land and water they need to survive. In addition, CNFF is committed to sustainable regional land use planning in order to stem the tide of urban encroachment of our wild-lands.