If you have ever had the pleasure of driving up 101 in southern Humboldt County, California, you’ve driven through Richardson Grove. This infamous stand of ancient redwoods is one of the few remaining on the west coast. According to California State Parks:
Established in 1922 and named after Friend W. Richardson, the 25th governor of California, the park is bisected by Hwy. 101 and the south fork of the Eel River…
Richardson Grove State Park is where you first encounter significant old growth redwood forest when coming north. The 9th tallest coast redwood, a fallen tree ring study conducted in 1933, and a walk-through tree are immediately available.
Now the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) wants to log this amazing stand of trees in order to widen highway 101 for commercial truck traffic. Just this week I traveled through this part of the highway and passed double trailer semis. Sure you need to slow down through this stretch of ancient redwoods, but do they really need to be cut down these trees when so few remain? Save Richardson Grove explains:
Those who stand to gain want you to believe that this project will be good for the local economy and harmless to this irreplaceable ancient redwood grove. While their claims of not removing any old growth trees are true, CalTrans proposes to cut the roots of 30 old growth trees and remove 87 other trees that surround the old growth trees, and to erect a 300 foot long retaining wall. These acts will have a huge impact on the unique ambiance of the grove and it’s endangered wildlife.
CalTrans presents a different story:
Industry standard-sized trucks conforming to the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) are currently prohibited from traveling Route 101 north of Leggett due to the narrow alignment at Richardson Grove. This location is one of the few remaining areas of the state in which these trucks are not permitted. As STAA trucks have become the national standard, communities with routes unable to provide STAA access are at an economic disadvantage. Truck cargo must be unloaded and transferred to shorter trucks, making goods movement more expensive.
Those who live in Humboldt County have long accepted the fact that they will pay more for gasoline and other products due to access issues of the region. The residents have also fought hard to avoid large retail chains, such as Wal-Mart, from entering the area. There are alternatives to harming some of the few remaining ancient redwoods for the sake of “economic development”:
Short sea shipping could carry the same goods in and out of Humboldt County. Many new jobs would be created….
Abandon plans to bring big box stores to Humboldt County. The era of mass consumption is over.
Support local businesses. Buy locally produced food and manufactured products.
Build a strong economy on what we have – redwoods, fisheries, human resources focused on bringing about new technologies.
We don’t need to make 101 into I-5. We don’t need big box stores in every town on the California coast. We don’t need a faster highway. What we need is to preserve the few remaining ancient redwood trees, to slow down and admire their beauty. We don’t need to disturb ancient redwood roots, and we don’t need to harm endangered marbled murrelet habitat.
More from GLI:
Leave those redwoods alone.they are priceless.
Stand strong against the bastards- all eyes are upon them!!!
No. No. No. We must NOT allow those greedy eagar to ruin California even more to now chop down the redwoods. Forget their reasons. WE MUST NOT LISTEN to any thing they say. I lived for years among the redwoods. It was on private property and one day the loggers with the consent of the owner (who was old and not coherent) invaded (my word) our 300 acres and started logging those beautiful trees. They cut the trees down and then just took the heart of the tree for whatever use they needed, leaving the rest to lie on the ground, I was sick about it. I learned to hate the loggers even though I realize they were just making a living. But the owners who made mucho dinero went home living rich. These trees will never, in our life time grow back. It took them thousands of years to accomplish their growth. How can these greedy ones claim it will be a benefit to California.
Isn’t this a coincidence? I got this in the mail today: Without old forests, being ends. It is unbecoming to a rainforest organization to hide from such a fundamental issue. The only rainforest movement worth having is one that works vigorously to end old forest logging and other industrial development. I am willing to debate anyone, anytime on these matters – and will continue to vigorously protest those unwilling to stop their old-forest greenwashing.: By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth’s Newsdesk, http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/
http://www.ecoearth.info/earthmeanders/
I am speechless! How could they possibly even consider this? I am truly dumbfounded…and very sad.
Cal-trans can start cutting as soon as this fall!
A two mile project at the cost of $10 million through a State Park without wildlife surveys!
Cal-trans is proposing to cut, fill and pave the roots of thirty millennial Redwoods that line the highway; as well as completely remove 87 other trees and build a 300‘ long retaining wall!
There are multiple groups working on this and petitions on the web.
To learn more information, visit the below groups.
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/action-issues/save-richardson-grove/ (includes a petition)
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/forests/saving_Richardson_Grove/index.html (includes a petition)
When CalTrans says this:
“This location is one of the few remaining areas of the state in which these trucks are not permitted.”
This is really more of an argument for not cutting ….it means there are ample other roads these trucks can use. Let them take other routes and save the incredible redwoods, which are such a rare treasure.
To me, this is a test of what is to come in Humboldt County. If the people cannot protect Richardson Grove from this “Annihilation Project” then I doubt we can protect any sacred place from ruination. Somehow we just keep on paving paradise and putting up parking lots and never learn from our mistakes! Stop the Madness and Save Richardson Grove!
Direct action coming soon! Your help will be needed!
http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/