Trees play a very basic role in the earth's complex ecological system. Among many other contributions, healthy forests clean our air and water, which allows all life to exist. (read more)
The Redwood Curtain Bicycle Run, Part II
Never judge a book by its cover... (read more)
Tree Musings: Reminiscences of "The Old Pine Tree"
On a sloping point of land stands a lone pine tree. Its branches are gnarled and twisted, its huge trunk is warped and bent by time and storm, and like an old man tottering in the feebleness of age, it stands alone, a landmark of the past. The branches of the old pine tree swayed to and fro in the salt ladened breeze; and from their venerable presence there came a soft, uncertain sound which shaped itself to words. (read more)
Diggin' In: The Gienger Report
In this issue I'll be "recapping" some of the continuing sagas, like the bond funding freeze and watershed/fisheries restoration work. But first I'm going to try to summarize some of the elements of the so-called "timber wars" over the last three-plus decades and then focus on crucial current conflicts and opportunities. I'll have to skim over years of fundamental detail in order to get to the here-and-now. For those who want to dig in deep, there are multiple sources to search out--you might be able to earn a PhD, or two, for your efforts. For a one-stop summary of a central aspect you might read and/or acquire Sharon Duggan and Tara Mueller's Guide to the California Forest Practice Act and Related Laws. For a millennial overview I'd recommend A Forest Journey: The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization by John Perlin. And while you're thinking millennial, read King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon by David R. Montgomery. (read more)
May 24, Judi Bari Day
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Richardson Grove Update
"Richardson Grove is a "heritage park" with worldwide significance. These forests are enjoyed by millions of people extending from those in the region to more distant statewide visitors; people come from the furthest reaches of our nation and all corners of the planet to experience the Redwoods and most pass through Richardson Grove to do so. (read more)
Editor's Note: Cereus Fund 2009
In this issue we highlight the Cereus Fund, Trees Foundation's largest and longest-running donor-advised grantor. Over the past eleven years, the Cereus Fund has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to grassroots environmental projects throughout the redwood region. Showcasing the ability of one person to make a lasting difference, the Cereus Fund has helped enable restoration and preservation throughout California's North Coast. (read more)
Defending Public Lands: Defending Richardson Grove: A Tribal Perspective
The ancient Kahs-tcho (redwood trees) of Richardson Grove have always been regarded as sacred by Indigenous Peoples. Since time immemorial, the Nahs-lin-che keah and other Tribal peoples inhabited and utilized this area of Sinkyoko (S. Fork Eel River), including this place that later became known as Richardson Grove. For Native peoples, the Grove is special because our ancestors inhabited this region for thousands of years, long before the era when the Grove's now-huge trees were mere seedlings. The prayers and songs of our people are forever recorded within the memories of this sacred place. The delicate balance of Sinkyoko's redwood/river ecosystem was maintained through our people's annual world renewal ceremonies, their purposeful burning of the understory, and their wise use and care of the Kahs-tcho along with the myriad plant and animal communities that depend on this great tree for life. We are told our people's blood was one of the elements used in the creation of the Kahs-tcho, intended as a reminder to us that our life and the life of the "red-wood" are vitally connected. (read more)
Take Action!: Stop a Highway Project Through the Ancient Redwoods
Ask any visitor to California's North Coast who has driven the Redwood Highway north from San Francisco, and they'll be able to tell you exactly where they passed through the fabled "Redwood Curtain." At Richardson Grove State Park, just north of the Humboldt County line, Highway 101 narrows to a two-lane road winding through a dim, lush grove of ancient redwoods. These huge trees provide crucial habitat for endangered birds like the marbled murrelet; threatened salmon and steelhead still return each year to spawn in the creeks running through the park. (read more)
Defending Public Lands: The Redwood Curtain Bicycle Run, Part I
What do you do if your state budget is being slashed and burned by an inept actor (again), your State Parks are closing, and corporations are conspiring with developers and state transportation agencies to invade your rural and progressive paradise? On October 2, 2009, activists departed north of Arcata, California, on a bicycle ride heading south to bring attention to the proposed Caltrans project to widen Highway 101 within Richardson Grove State Park; and to support California State Parks facing closure due to Governor Schwarzenegger's state budget cuts. The "Redwood Curtain Bicycle Run" was a three-day adventure of cycling, camping, fun, and interaction with residents of Humboldt County along the Redwood Highway, ending at the "Redwood Curtain" of Richardson Grove State Park. (read more)
Cereus Fund 2009
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Community-Based Restoration on the Salmon River
Flowing from the Marble, Russian, and Trinity Alps mountain ranges of far Northern California, the Salmon River is the second-largest tributary to the Klamath. Also called the Cal Salmon since there is a major river in Idaho called the Salmon, it is one of the most biologically intact river systems in the west. As the most pristine major tributary in the entire Klamath River system, it provides abundant amounts of clean, cool water into the Klamath that is crucial to the survival of migrating salmon. Despite this, the fishery of the Salmon River is a remnant of what it once was. Several species of the river's fish are at risk of extinction, and there is great need for additional watershed restoration and protection. (read more)
Book Review: The Rebirth of Environmentalism: Grassroots Activism from the Spotted Owl to the Polar Bear by Douglas Bevington, Published by Island Press
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Trees Foundation awarded 2009 Sempervirens Award for Lasting Achievement in Environmental Advocacy
Each year the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) selects one individual to receive this prestigious award. This year Trees Foundation was the honored recipient. Thank you EPIC and thank you to all of the Trees Foundation supporters--we could not have done it without you! (read more)
Humboldt Watershed Council Moves Forward
Greetings from the Humboldt Watershed Council. We are honored to submit an essay for this edition and decided to give everyone a little history and an update about what we are up to today. Humboldt Watershed Council is now one of the older and more inclusive environmental groups in Humboldt County. The Humboldt Watershed Council (HWC) was created about 12 years ago to put a spotlight on the intense logging practices of the Pacific Lumber Company (PL) that resulted in damage to water quality, habitat stream conditions, and private property in the Freshwater drainage. The HWC was driven by a collection of residents from the affected area and put its energy into creating a collective voice to the water and forestry agencies, politicians, and the general public. They successfully petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to list several watersheds as sediment-impaired under 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act. During its early years, HWC focused on forestry rules, THP (Timber Harvest Plan) monitoring and litigation, and the Headwaters Forest acquisition, where it played a prominent role in fighting for a scientifically credible HCP/SYP (Harvest Conservation Plan//Sustainable Yield Plan). In about 2002, the HWC focused its energies on the application of the Clean Water Act to our impaired watersheds. It organized public and scientific testimony for Regional Water Board meetings and evidentiary hearings, filed regulatory petitions, participated in mediation, and initiated litigation to force the State and Regional Water Boards to develop the unprecedented Watershed-Wide Waste Discharge Requirements (WWDR) for logging. The concept of WWDR served as the interim measure until Water Quality began development and implementation of today's Total Maximum Daily Load. (read more)