Karen Pickett

Willits Bypass fact sheet: Why the Bypass is Bogus

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Why the Bypass is Bogus Caltrans Ignores Local Sensible Alternative Plans, Bulldozing Forward with an Expensive, Ecologically Devastating and Unnecessary Bypass for Willits   Ecological Considerations Caltrans Bypass project would entail the largest filling of wetlands in Northern California in 50 years.  Placing huge amounts of fill dirt on top of wetlands will require that the ground below be drained and collapsed by the insertion of 55,000 wick drains. This will form an underground dam across the flood plain with unpredictable underground hydrological effects. The state Fish & Wildlife agency has already issued stop work orders several times to force …

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Action Camp for Caltrans Bypass Protests: Mendocino County

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Our friends in the Willits area that we are working with opposing the Caltrans Bypass Highway just put out this Action Camp announcement. It’s a beautiful time of year to go up to Willits, and there is much to do to save the wetlands and woodlands. Call to Action! Action Camp Opens April 7-14! Your help is needed to sustain our nonviolent resistance to Caltran’s Bypass project through Little Lake Valley in Willits. Please join us at Action Camp. Construction has started. On April 2, tree sitter Warbler was roughly wrested from her perch and her Ponderosa pine cut down. …

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Tree-sitters Removed From Trees With a Huge Show of Force at Caltrans Bypass Site in Willits; Police Use Bean Bag Rounds on One Protester

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In the early morning hours of April 2, the tree-sitter Warbler was removed from her perch by climbers and armed CHP cops and quickly thereafter, authorities went after the other tree-sitters, sometimes violently. Warbler was in a somewhat weakened condition from her hunger strike started last week, and the climbers told her they were using “any means necessary” to remove her from the tree. She is continuing her protest hunger strike on the ground. At least 50 CHP officers, many in riot gear, some armed, went after the other four tree-sitters. Observers documented the CHP pointing rifles directly at sitters …

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Upcoming Event to Benefit the Trees & Honor the Tree-Sitters

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The Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters’ annual “Stomp the Stumps’ dance party and activist get-together is coming up Friday, May 10, so mark your calendars! This fun-packed and info-packed evening with 3 bands worth of foot-taping live music takes place at our beloved Ashkenaz Club in Berkeley (San Pablo at Gilman), starting at 8 pm.  On stage will be the Funky Nixons, the Gary Gates Band and Curly.  Off stage will be information about the campaign to stop Caltrans from plowing through wetlands and woodlands in northern California, and props to the blockaders and tree-sitters valiant efforts, along with film …

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Tree-Sitter Warbler is Fasting in Protest of Caltrans Bypass As Three More Tree-Sits Go Up

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On March 28, the two month anniversary of her protest tree sit, “the Warbler” announced that she is starting a hunger fast.  The 24-year-old local farmer has been sitting in a pine tree next to Highway 101, in the path of Caltrans’ proposed Willits Bypass since Jan. 28.  Her statement is below.  A dozen people have been arrested in other actions stopping heavy equipment, as Caltrans has started cutting mature oak trees and clearing vegetation. Nests have been found in the trees, ostensibly putting Caltrans in violation of the Migratory Bird Act. At least one nest has been verified by …

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Caltrans Bypass Battle Escalates as 12 activists are arrested defending trees

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Caltrans has been pushing ahead with attempts to start work on their hugely destructive boondoggle highway project in Mendocino County as they bring heavy equipment into the Willits Bypass planned site, and protesters in their way have been arrested . Their work is starting with the cutting of an oak woodland, with many old, mature trees that should be protected under the Migratory Bird Act during nesting season. Last Thursday (3-21) and again on Tuesday (3-26) activists showed up on the Caltans work site to witness and to stand in the way of tree felling. Eight people were arrested late …

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Caltrans Battle in Willits Wetlands Heats Up As Activists Sit Down, Blocking Equipment

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Local opposition is rising as activists, including a tree-sitter, keep vigil on the construction site of Caltrans companion project to the Richardson Grove highway “realignment”project (on hold for now due to stellar legal work). The Caltrans Bypass project in Willits, as outlined in earlier alerts, would drain and destroy significant wetlands and take down an oak woodland used as nesting habitat for migratory birds.  Caltrans has been trying to literally bulldoze their way through federal and state regulations, bringing activists to sit down in front of heavy equipment, call in state wildlife agency biologists, and maintain a presence that has …

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Activists Block Construction as Warbler Sits in Tree at Caltrans Bypass site

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tree sitter and Willits farmer Warbler in the path of Caltrans’ plans “Warbler’s” tree sit in the path of the Caltrans Willits Bypass is over four weeks strong, and this week activists sat down in front of heavy equipment, effectively stopping Caltrans crews from fencing off the area.  Caltrans is ignoring the fact that as of Feb. 1, the Migratory Bird Act is in effect, prohibiting removal of vegetation without first surveying for birds or nests. Yellow-breasted warblers, a migratory songbird from Central America has been spotted by activists and is known to nest in the area.  The stand-off Monday was repeated on Tuesday, and …

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Tree-Sit Defending North Coast Wetlands Continues!

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Update from the Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters As readers of these posts know, a Caltrans project related to the Richardson Grove highway project (on hold for the moment) through what we believe are Caltrans’ ultimate goals (an I-5 size highway up the coast) is starting up in Willits. On the start-up date for the Willits Bypass project through sensitive wetlands and significant oak woodlands, Earth First! and local activists turned out to oppose the project in a successful rally on the site. A tree-sit was launched, and as a result, Caltrans did not work all of last week, after …

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Willits Bypass Update: Caltrans Set to Start Work Jan. 2013

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Willits Bypass Update Caltrans Work Set to Start End of January 2013 We last updated you in November re. this Caltrans boondoggle project in Mendocino County that would affect significant wetlands, an oak woodland, salmon and steelhead habitat and endangered plant species. Now, after delays and false starts, construction on the Willits Bypass is officially set to begin Jan. 28, 2013. Caltrans has received their last remaining permits from the Water Quality Board and State Fish and Wildlife Departments, giving them the green light to “top” and limb oaks, remove vegetation in the Bypass footprint and punch a haul road …

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