Alerts & News – Page 7 – Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters

Here we go again. New documents on Richardson Grove highway work, mirroring the old documents rejected by Federal Court

June 12, 2017May 26, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Breaking News: Caltrans has just announced the re-launch of their Richardson Grove Highway Project in southern Humboldt County, through Richardson Grove State Park. The Park is home to towering ancient redwoods that people travel from all over the world to see, and home to many species facing shrinking habitat. After a long, fiercely fought, years-long battle over that plan to accommodate larger trucks through the stretch of Highway 101 that winds through the stately forest, Caltrans’ lost their case in Federal Court when the Court found their environmental documents to be arbitrary, capricious and riddled with faulty data. After …

Radio towers and murrelets; climate and deforestation

March 23, 2017March 2, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Clearcuts in Redwood National Park—really? The state of California has a project for construction of three communication towers in the far northern coastal corner of the state, including one in Redwood National Park. Because of maintenance and access issues, these towers always come with clearcuts that must be perpetually maintained. A total of three communication towers, with a height range of 120 to 270 feet and with adjacent clearcuts are proposed for Rodgers Peak (in Redwood National Park), Alder Camp (a state-owned prison facility), and on Rattlesnake Peak (owned by Green Diamond Timber Co.). The towers would provide radio coverage …

Raise Your Voice for Wildlands Plans

March 22, 2017February 17, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Speak Up to Keep Your Voice in Wildlands Planning People often think of grazing and resource extraction when they think of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the west. We are lucky enough in Northern California to have wild lands and critical wildlife habitat under BLM management, along with a local (Arcata) BLM staff with an appreciation of wild forests and rivers and a drive to work with environmentalists to craft protective management plans. However, that collaborative spirit could change—those changes coming from Washington DC. The Senate is considering a resolution—S.J. Res 15—to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s …

1 – Tribal Lawsuit Against Caltrans Holds Strong 2 – Bay Area Shellmound Threatened

March 25, 2017February 3, 2017 by Karen Pickett

No Dismissal of Mendocino County Tribal Lawsuit Letters Needed for Shellmound Property Development in Bay Area Caltrans’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Pomo and Round Valley Tribes seeking to protect their “ancestral, sacred, cultural and archaeological sites and resources” in the Willits Bypass construction area was denied in Federal Court in late January, 2017. The Tribes prevailing over Caltrans’ challenge allows the legal action bringing to light the failure to identify discoveries and destruction of these sites and resources, giving the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Round Valley Indian Tribes a victory for the time …

Hike and Plant with Friends of Headwaters Reserve!

March 25, 2017January 9, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Ring in the new year with new growth! Join us at Headwaters Forest Reserve to plant native tree species in this historic forest. We will meet at 10 AM this Sunday January 15 at the Elk River Trailhead. Prepare for a 4+ mile hike through the reserve, then enjoy refreshments in the Headwaters Education Center provided by the Friends of Headwaters community group. This is a winter event, so remember to bring warm layers and appropriate shoes for hiking. Tools and seedlings will be provided by the BLM and the Friends of Headwaters. If you have any questions, feel free to email …

Ancient Redwoods in Park Under Threat Again

March 25, 2017December 29, 2016 by Karen Pickett

Silence in the redwoods is a beautiful thing. Since all permits were pulled after a well-fought 2014 court victory challenging Caltrans, the jackhammer shovels were called off excavation duty around feeder roots of the redwood giants in Richardson Grove State Park. However, Caltrans’ “Come hell or high water” attitude regarding its plans to accommodate oversized trucks on our coastal highway, and refusal to budge in the face of broad public opposition, clear threats to California’s sensitive habitats and species, federal court defeats and lack of demonstrated need calls for our vigilance. We now have evidenced reason to believe that …

Headwaters Reserve, Redwoods in the South Bay, and more

March 30, 2017November 21, 2016 by Karen Pickett

Comments Invited on Headwaters Forest Reserve For those of you who have been rolling with us a long time, you will remember when the campaign to save the giants in Headwaters Forest culminated in purchase by the government of 7,500 acres of redwood forest, corporate raider Charles Hurwitz driving Pacific Lumber into bankruptcy, and finally that villain of the forest leaving California for his lair in Houston, Texas. We, as Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters, participated actively in the development of a management plan for that forestland purchase, which became the Headwaters Reserve, with the largest grove (3,000 acres) of ancient …

News from the North Coast: Gualala, Mendocino Forest Walk, Smith River

September 26, 2016 by Karen Pickett

Good News for Gualala Redwoods On Sept. 14, Sonoma County Superior Court issued a Preliminary Injunction to halt logging of the controversial Gualala River “Dogwood” logging plan area until a trial decision. Friends of Gualala River and Forest Unlimited had brought the lawsuit following comments and petitions opposing the proposed floodplain redwood logging along more than five miles of the coastal river, with more than 300 acres of mature redwood stands containing trees 90 to 100 years old. In issuing the injunction, the court found that harm to ecologically sensitive species and the wetlands themselves was shown by the plaintiffs, …

A Night for the Wild Buffalo

September 27, 2016September 13, 2016 by Karen Pickett

A Night for the Wild Buffalo Come welcome the Buffalo Field Campaign Road Show to the Bay Area! Friday, Sept. 30, 7 pm Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita in Berkeley. This very special event featuresstorytelling and video straight from the field, from the land of the buffalo with Buffalo Field Campaign co-founder Mike Mease, along with Native Music from Mignon Geli and Karaj. Info at 510-548-3113 or bach@headwaterspreserve.org. The event is wheelchair accessible. Donations at the door; no one turned away for lack of funds. background: The Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the …

Hike the Headwaters !

September 27, 2016September 4, 2016 by Karen Pickett

Join us Sat., September 17 for a Headwaters Hike along the Salmon Pass Trail, in the Headwaters Forest Reserve, and relive the history of the struggle to protect Headwaters, while learning about the contemporary challenges for management, conservation, and restoration, in the reserve, and elsewhere in the redwood region. This hike will mark the 20th anniversary of the huge rally to save the Headwaters Forest in 1996, when 1033 people were arrested in a mass civil disobedience action. It will be led by an EPIC staffer who is also a docent with the Headwaters Forest Reserve. This is a free public hike. Meet at Newburg Parkin Fortuna September …