December 1, 2005
During the mid-1980s, when Sanctuary Forest began, the most urgent threat to our forests was the rapid liquidation of the remaining old growth. Today, the emerging threat to the integrity of our forest and river ecosystems is forest fragmentation. As the threats to the health of our forest and river ecosystems change, so does the ways that Sanctuary Forest responds to them.
Forest fragmentation occurs when large, continuous forestlands are carved into smaller blocks through subdivisions, roads, and conversion to other uses. The science of conservation biology tells us that this is harmful to our native biodiversity and is often a precursor to extinction of sensitive species.
The Mattole River watershed is vulnerable to the trend of forest fragmentation. As California's population pushes toward 50 million, it is certain there will be more rural residential landowners. Sanctuary Forest recently estimated that under current zoning, the number of parcels in the Mattole could increase by at least 25%. With real estate value eclipsing forestland value by almost 60%, the pressure to sell parcels for rural residential development is intense.
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Increasing rural residential population also means additional erosion from new roads as well as legacy erosion from abandoned and poorly engineered logging roads. Fortunately, the ecological value and function of forest fragments can, in many cases, be improved through restoration. This year Sanctuary Forest worked with private and public landowners to upgrade 2.24 miles of roads in use and decommissioned 3.77 miles of abandoned roads, for a total of 6.01 miles of road treated. The result prevented 23,000 cubic-yards of sediment from harming our native salmon.
Even with our current population, human use consumes a significant portion of the Mattole River's summer flows. On October 3, 2005, human use amounted to 20% of the flow as compared to September 21, 2004 when Mattole River completely stopped flowing and human use totaled 100% of the flow. Sanctuary Forest promotes water conservation by working with rural residential landowners in the community to help them reduce their impact on the environment.
Sanctuary Forest's new water storage project will work with landowners in prioritized locations of the Mattole watershed to install 14 high-capacity water tanks. These tanks, purchased with grant funding anticipated from the California Department of Water Resources, will provide a bank of stored winter water for domestic use during the driest summer months. Through these cooperative actions, residents in the Mattole watershed can take a positive step toward reducing domestic dependence on pumping from the Mattole River when river flows are at a critical level.
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For more information: 707/986-1087, www.sanctuaryforest.org
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TOC for Forest & River News, Fall 2005