There are two action camps coming up in the Mattole River area, to support the continuing activity in the all-out effort to protect the precious forests and habitat of Rainbow Ridge. Since the chronology we sent you in our June update, there has been another tree-sit, rallies, lock-downs, strategic work and pressure from the Lost Coast League’s challenge to Humboldt Redwood Co.’s dishonest sustainable certification and other work.
You can listen to an interview with tree-sitter #1, Rook, (still aloft, at this writing) on KMUD. as they mark one month in the tree: https://soundcloud.com/kmudnews/forest-defender-celebrates-month-long-tree-sit-at-rainbow-ridge
We got a brief update yesterday from the folks in the woods, reporting continued felling of trees on Sunday. There was a successful rally on Saturday, bringing in more community members. People are tracking other logging plans slated for approval, amidst long delays with agency online files being updated. Strong resistance continues!
Please support this important campaign for biodiverse forests however you can! If you want to help in the Bay Area, we can use an assist in updating our media lists, organizing a local action and distributing flyers. Contact us at bach [at] headwaterspreserve.org.
12 years ago the Richardson Grove “Highway Improvement” project was announced by Caltrans in 2007– a plan to widen and “align” Hwy. 101 through Richardson Grove State Park — and those who cherish the old growth redwood trees in that area have been fighting it ever since. The so-called “improvement” to 101 has never been necessary; it poses safety issues for the highway and disaster for the ecology.
Activists and brilliant attorneys from EPIC and the Center for Biological Diversity have spent countless hours to get Caltrans to face the fact that they are flouting both Federal and State environmental law in their slapdash efforts to ram the ill-conceived highway project through Richardson Grove.
Finally, we have both state and federal court (again) telling Caltrans they did not do due diligence on their planning for this boondoggle of a project, and are violating the law by not producing an Environmental Impact Statement to truly and honestly assess the impacts on the ecosystem.
Federal Judge William Alsup said in his decision:
“After eight years of litigation, the Court is convinced and so finds that Caltrans has been bound and determined from the outset, regardless of the source, to arrive at a FONSI [(Finding of No Significant Impact)] and thus avoid the scrutiny of an EIS….Caltrans never gave the fair “hard look” required by NEPA but resorted to cherry picking the science to arrive at a preordained conclusion.” Judge Alsup sent the project back to the agency with a specific order: “At long last, the Court now orders that Caltrans stop trying to skate by with an EA/FONSI and that Caltrans prepare a valid EIS. Please do not try to systematically minimize the adverse environmental consequences and to cherry-pick the science.”
There will be a “Richardson Grove Rendezvous” to celebrate this victory and the hard work that got us here on July 21 at Richardson Grove State Park day use area, south of Garberville. An informal potluck will commence at 12 noon, with time for hiking, swimming and socializing. If you can go, bring your own utensils, plate and cup and prepare to pay for parking in the Park. You can RSVP to Amber at EPIC: amber@wildcalifornia.org.