At the request of Redwood and Mother Lode Chapters, Sierra Club California recently adopted a formal resolution to “oppose the proposal to divide California in order to create a new “State of Jefferson.
Proposals to carve up California along various lines have been around for a long time, as has the “State of Jefferson” idea, which in its original formulation would combine portions of southern Oregon with a dozen or so northern California counties. As an expression of regional identity this idea has seemed harmless (the Klamath Falls NPR station calls itself “Jefferson Public Radio”) but recently a group of well-funded far-right extremists has started actively promoting a split.
This bizarre idea would result in the formation of a sparsely populated, under-financed new governmental entity with very little infrastructure but abundant natural resources -- and without California’s strict environmental regulations to prevent their wholesale exploitation. Although proponents claim to favor environment protection, they explicitly oppose existing environmental laws such as carbon reduction rules, cap and trade, the Endangered Species Act and pesticide regulations. It is reassuring to know that the Club’s substantial lobbying influence in Sacramento can now be used to prevent the disastrous consequences that would follow.
Most of the twenty counties being targeted by the secession efforts are in the northeastern quadrant of California, but five -- Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, and Lake, along with the western half of Siskiyou -- are here in Redwood Chapter. Del Norte voters decisively defeated a resolution of support last year, and Lake expects to have a similar opportunity in November of 2016