Sanctuary Forest?s fourteenth year as a non-profit land trust in the Mattole River valley finds us celebrating the popularity of this season?s Summer Hike Program, finishing up the first phase of the Upper Mattole River Watershed Restoration Project, and preparing for the eighth year of our Student Scholarship Program. In addition, this year?s conservation easements and land acquisitions bring the total lands protected by Sanctuary Forest to 10,400 acres, preserving old-growth forest and salmon spawning habitat in perpetuity.

In 2003 we expect to implement the second phase of the Watershed Restoration Project funded by the California Department of Fish and Game, continuing to restore the Mattole by removing abandoned, eroding logging roads at risk of smothering salmon spawning gravels with 45,000 cubic yards of sediment. Community volunteers will monitor for potential impacts, providing information critical to the project and the health of the river. Successfully removing these sediment sources is a major step toward restoring the Mattole?s once-abundant salmon runs.

The coming year will also see additional efforts to bring conservation easement information to our neighbors. Historic low-water conditions this summer brought on by drought and increased agricultural- and domestic-water use underscore the urgency of our land conservation mission. The Mattole is significantly affected by the choices landowners make; preserving open space today will provide our children, forests, and river with hope for the future. Look for upcoming Sanctuary Forest House Meetings to learn more about what you can do to protect and preserve the beauty of the Mattole.


More Updates

• August, 2003 Update
  
• May, 2002 Update
  
• January, 2001 Update
  

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