If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. ~Henry David Thoreau
Come to a Forest Protection Committee meeting,
6:30pm on the 3rd Wednesday of every month,
at the Environmental Center, 55A Ridgway in Santa Rosa (west of 101).
Contact: Richard Sachen at richard@rsachen.net.
Gualala Redwood Timber Inc. is planning to log 441 acres of redwoods along the south fork of the Gualala River in Sonoma County. Some of the areas to be logged will be clearcut, and others will be in the flood plain of the river, a rich and complicated ecosystem. GRI’s application states that their operations will need to use 25,000 gallons per day from the Gualala River during the dry season. The impacts on water quality and on endangered fish, birds and animals will be huge, and environmental review has been minimal.
For more information see the Friends of the Gualala River website.
Click here for public comments on the "Apple" and "Dogwood" timber harvest plans.
Sonoma Group has opposed the expansion of new vineyards into forest for many years. The impact of a new vineyard in a forest is similar to that of urban development, yet the County does not require vineyard projects to be reviewed for environmental impact as a building would.
A new vineyard must get a VESCO (Vineyard Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance) permit from the Ag Commissioner’s office. Vineyards in water-scarce areas, on steep hillsides (allowed if less than 50% slope), or in forests are all permitted after going through a check-list process.
See the Press Democrat's 2013 mapping project about where vineyards are located in the county and who owns them.
Oaks get very little protection in Sonoma County – oak trees can be cut down at will if they have a small diameter. Updating the current Tree Ordinance is included in the County’s Permit Department (PRMD) work plan for 2015. The ordinance badly needs to include more protection for oak woodlands – join us to make this happen.