Remember SB 754, the Heritage Tree bill that grew out of the Heritage Tree ballot initiative campaign? You haven't heard about it for a while NOT because it is dead, but because the fight goes on, behind the scenes...read on...
ACTION ALERT
The Heritage Tree Preservation Act is alive and kicking! We have never been so close to protecting California's old-growth trees, but we need your help to make it a reality! Please join us in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 14th for Old-Growth Lobby Day. You can sign up at www.ancienttrees.org.
As you know, the Heritage Tree Preservation Act (a.k.a. SB 754) is a bill to protect California's oldest and largest trees. It was originally an initiative, inspired by Julia Butterfly Hill's successful treesit. Thousands of volunteers across the state worked to get our initiative onto California's statewide ballot. Then we had the great fortune of getting our bill introduced in the State Senate by Majority Leader Don Perata (cutting our campaign costs by literally millions of dollars). SB 754 made it through the California Senate last year and will soon be heard in the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.
We were just one vote shy of passing the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources last year, but SB 754 has been granted
reconsideration--which means that we have another chance to move the bill forward this year. And we just got great news.the Natural Resources Committee size has been reduced to 11 members. If we can secure all six of the votes that we got last year, we will have the majority needed to move onto the Appropriations Committee, then the Floor of the Assembly and finally to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk.
We are getting close to finally protecting the less than 1% of Heritage Trees still living on non-federal forestland in California, but we need your voice and your continued support to make this happen.
Here is how you can help:
1. Join us on April 14th, 2004 in Sacramento for Old-Growth Lobby Day 2004--join one of our volunteer teams who will be speaking for the trees and persuading key legislators to vote for SB 754. The Campaign For Old Growth, including Board member Julia Butterfly Hill, has been making regular trips to Sacramento to lobby, but legislators are motivated most by their own constituents.
2. Make a donation to the Campaign for Old Growth. Every dollar of your tax-deductible contribution goes toward efforts to pass the Heritage Tree Preservation Act. Most of our work is done by volunteers, but we are going up against the well-funded timber lobbyists and we need to fund research, communications and lobbyists. Donations can be sent to: CFOG/Earthways 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 609 Oakland, CA 94612.
3. If you can't make it to Sacramento on April 14th, join us for "Virtual Lobby Day." Call and write a letter to your own Assemblymember (and to Assemblymember Wolk who didn't vote when she had a chance to last year). Ask them to protect California's old-growth trees by voting YES on SB 754. You can find the name and contact information for Assemblymembers at: www.assembly.ca.gov.
4. Call Governor Schwarzenegger (even if you live out-of-state) and ask him to protect California's old-growth trees. Let him know that you want to live and vacation in California because of natural treasures like our Heritage Trees. His phone number is: (916) 445-2841.
Join us in Sacramento to confirm the support of all the
Assemblymembers that voted for the bill last year, to convince Assemblymember Wolk to join us and to lobby all the Assemblymembers that will have the opportunity to vote on SB 754 this year.
Thank you for helping to protect the tallest, largest and oldest living things on earth. For more information on the bill and the Campaign for Old Growth, please go to: http://www.ancienttrees.org.
