Center for Biological Diversity petition to Save Richardson Grove...

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. This iconic gateway to the redwoods is now gravely threatened by an ill-advised and unnecessary highway project. Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration are on the brink of approving a proposal to widen and realign the portion of Highway 101 passing through Richardson Grove. Construction of the new road would cut through the vital root systems of the ancient redwoods, threatening the integrity of the grove and further jeopardizing the imperiled species that rely on old-growth redwood forests for their survival. The point of the project is to make it possible for larger trucks to access this portion of Highway 101. Powerful business interests itching to bring big-box stores and runaway urban development to Humboldt County desperately want those larger trucks on the highway. This just adds insult to injury: The project will not only blow an even bigger hole through Richardson Grove, but could also spur new development that will forever alter the character of the North Coast. Behind the future Redwood Curtain, travelers might find just one more big subdivision and one more big-box strip mall. Please take a moment to tell Caltrans and the highway administration not to approve the Richardson Grove Improvement Project. Thus far, these agencies have ignored the project's threats to endangered wildlife and ancient redwoods, failed to look at other alternatives, and downplayed the growth-inducing effects of opening Highway 101 to oversized-truck traffic. This cathedral grove is far too important to both vanishing forest species and human visitors to be sacrificed for the short-term gains of a few powerful commercial interests in Humboldt County. Click here now to sign the petition!

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION GATHERING AT RICHARDSON GROVE

24 October 2009 - 2:00pm

Come out to Richardson Grove on the 24th of October for a community gathering in the Redwoods.

We will focus on environmental awareness on an international level as well as on a local level. There is a current proposal to widen HWY 101 in Richardson Grove. Let's all rally together to take a stand for a safe climate future. We don't need the road to be widened so that big trucks can come through bringing more stuff. Planet Earth needs our help, love, and support!

We will also come together with our fellow Redwoods to take a photo for 350.org so that they may deliver it to the media and world leaders.

-Natalynne Delapp from EPIC will speak

-Local activist/musician Darryl Cherney will speak and play some music

Carpooling and bike riding to the event is heavily encouraged~
The owners of Organic Grace have offered their store parking lot as a carpool meeting place.
Organic Grace is located at 906 Redwood Drive in Garberville.

We also encourage folks to call into KMUD's All Sides Now (707- 923-2513 ext. 170) You can then record your message with your thoughts and let folks know about the action.

Keep checking back for updates. If you have any questions please email me at alianaleekp@hotmail.com

Redwood Curtain Bicycle Run Oct. 2-4

Recommendations for cyclists:

-Lightweight backpacking tent(or tarps) for camping
-Backpacking stove, small cooking pot, knife, fork, spoon, (unless your food is ready to eat)
-Clothing for both rain or shine(extra socks, extra underwear, thermals, rain gear, sweater, pants, shorts, long and shortsleeve shirt, etc. Choose outer clothing that is highly visible)
-Autumn rated sleeping bag(backpacking "stuff-sack-able" type recommended)
-Waterproof "stuff-sacks" for clothing and sleeping bag(heavy mil trash bags may suffice)
-Bicycle helmet(reflective vests are recommended as well as front and rear bicycle lights)
-Panniers and/or bicycle trailer(backpacks(especially weighted) are not recommended for long-distance touring, your back will thank you:)
-Water containers(stops for water can be made along tour)
-Extra bicycle tire inner-tubes, flat patch kit, bike tool, pocket knife, cordage, lighter, duct tape, small personal first aid kit, toiletries, sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, biodegradable soap, etc.
-Food for at least the first day. Daily stops for supplies can be made along the ride, keep in mind that food choices and availability will diminish during day two. Lightweight foods high in carbs and protein are recommended. Cereals, sandwiches, and trail mixes are great for those who choose not to cook. (Meal options are more diverse when carrying a stove, but weight restrictions must also be a consideration)

The biggest mistake you can make is to pack too heavy, or to be unprepared for inclement weather. Test your skills and weight restrictions by doing your own 10-20 mile trial run with your gear. Keep in mind that if you forget or need something, there will be other riders that may be able to help you out. Don't bring everything including the kitchen sink! The three day ride will have multiple opportunities to stop and pick up forgotten necessary items.

The cycling distance for the event will be around 30-40 miles per day, mileage per day decreasing as we continue south to the Redwood Curtain.

Flags, signs, etc. are encouraged. However, comfort, safety and visibility are priorities. Keep you messages positive. Remember, this ride is to bring awareness of the threats towards our State Parks and the Redwood Curtain. This is not a "Critical Mass"(although organizers support that type of action in the right place). This is a fun tour of life behind the Redwood Curtain and to show our support for our beloved State Parks. For safety, the ride will take place off of Hwy 101 and busy streets whenever possible.

Only two things will be provided by organizers: Camping and the safest possible route to Richardson Grove. PARTICIPANTS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN FOOD AND GEAR. Be financially prepared for minor setbacks such as bicycle repairs. Emergency transportation will be available for injured bicyclists only. It is the complete responsibility of the participants of how to return home if you decide to leave the bicycle group before the destination. It is also the responsibility of the participants of how to return home after the ceremony at Richardson Grove on Sunday, Oct. 4th. We recommend that you plan ahead for how you will return. You may choose to bike back, and provide your own camping. Or have someone meet you to pick you up in a vehicle with your bike and gear. Or you may continue with the organizers to San Francisco. Camping will not be provided for bicyclists on Oct. 4th or beyond.

It is a fact that the ride will continue south to the Bay area. Depending upon circumstances unforeseen, we may continue to the State Capital in Sacramento. No matter what happens, we plan to have fun and embrace this adventure as a pilgrimage to the Redwood Curtain(Richardson Grove)...to the Bay Area...and possibly to Sacramento.

Now, let's ride to Support Our State Parks! To Protect Richardson Grove! To Defend The Redwood Curtain! And To Save Humboldt County!

Eureka: Even more congested...

Broadway and 5th(Eureka, Ca)

Caltrans has avoided considering the consequences of increased large truck traffic through Humboldt County, including congestion, especially in Eureka, safety, pollution, & roadway maintenance. They ignore the disadvantages to local business of facilitating large franchise retailers.

There is no cumulative impacts evaluation that consider 199/197 and 299 STAA projects, or the 16,000 daily vehicular trips associated with the Eureka marina Center. The narrowly construed purpose ignores other modes of goods movement, such as a maritime highway, thereby subsidizing large trucking concerns.

Humboldt port is ready for appropriate development, and maritime transportation is far more efficient, resistant to rising fuel costs, and amenable to non-fossil fuels, but will not be economically feasible if it has to compete with cherry-picking trucking. 4f of the Federal Code requires such consideration when manipulating roadways in public parks when federal funds are involved.

Despite the fact that Richardson Grove is federally designated murrelet habitat, and there is no data as to occupied habitat, surveys will only be conducted after the project. The murrelets are going extinct south of Richardson Grove and need recruitable habitat. There is absolutely no scientific basis justifying the cutting of old growth redwood tree roots, and no credible evidence in the AR supporting such cutting.

Ken Miller

The glass hidden in the grass...

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”. Adolf Hitler
Photo by The Arcata Eye


The publicly funded North Coast Prosperity website claims to "represent business owners, entrepreneurs, industry cluster leaders and the interested public". I suppose that lying and spreading misinformation is "business as usual", for those intent on turning Humboldt County into Santa Rosa.

In the NCP's piece "Richardson Grove Project Gets Shot in the Arm", the site claims that "A two-year survey by a biologist will be done to monitor marbled murrellets and document their presence." This statement is inherently deceptive. According to Caltrans, they will be conducting the two year survey AFTER the completion of the RIP(Richardson Grove Improvement Project). Just what are they trying NOT to prove in regards to the sensitive habitat?:

"Caltrans will replace 13 trash containers in Richardson Grove State Park with corvid proof waste receptacles. This is to benefit wildlife in the vicinity. (For example: Ravens are a predator of marbled murrellets that are known to nest in giant redwoods. Ravens scavenge trash and murrellet eggs. If the trash was not available then the eliminated primary food source would theoretically eliminate the scavengers...To avoid impacts to nesting migratory birds, vegetation removal will be done between Sept. 30 and March 1."

What does Caltrans know about the endangered Marbled Murreletts in prime nesting area high in the trees of Richardson Grove(the last of such in the area) without pre-project surveys? Caltrans is admitting that Murrellets are in the grove by offering trash can mitigation and seasonal vegetation removal, but will conduct surveys after the project. This is contradictory to mitigating environmental impacts to resident endangered species.

Is Caltrans afraid of heights?

The NCP continues to claim that "With exception of the culvert excavation, the contractor will be required to use an air spade while excavating the soil within the structural root zone of redwood trees which will minimize physical injury to the tree roots." There is no minimization of physical injury to Redwood roots when excavation is the only option to realign the roadway right up to the base of these Ancient trees. Redwood root systems rely upon surface moisture. As anyone will notice the root systems on a toppled redwood tree, there are no deep roots or main "tap root". The root systems of Coast Redwoods cover the forest floor, just inches below the surface, and intertwine with each other. Excavation of any type around these Ancient Trees is similar to "girdling" a tree, and paving over them is much worse:

"While the tree roots may extend as far from the trunk as the tree is high, the only part of the root that can actually absorb water and minerals are the tiny, delicate root hairs in the last inch of each root tip...construction activities can cause problems in two ways: damage to root hairs which means they can’t absorb water and minerals, and cutting off the roots air supply by paving, adding soil, or compacting soil above them. The end result is that the tree starves and the roots suffocate and die." Larry Caplan, Horticulture Educator, Purdue University http://blogs.mcall.com/master_gardeners/2009/09/paving-over-tree-roots-say-goodbye-to-your-tree.html

But wait! According to the NCP, a technological breakthrough in paving will help "minimize" damage to the roots from the pavement placed right on top of the Ancient tree roots:

"The new pavement will be (CTPB) “Cement Treated Permeable base to minimize the thickness of the structural section, provide greater porosity, minimize compaction of roots and minimize thermal exposure to roots from Hot Mix Asphalt paving.”"NCP Site

Lime(found in cement) is a poison, for humans, fish and especially for acid loving trees such as our Coast Redwoods. I myself have personally experienced this travesty. I recently removed an Oak Tree hanging over a customer's home that was over a century old. The customer was concerned that the Oak had succumbed to SOD(sudden oak death) and wanted the tree removed for safety and to protect the surrounding Oaks from the disease. After further research, we discovered that the tree had Lime poisoning, and the home's concrete foundation that covered less than half of the drip line of the oak tree had taken less than two decades to poison the tree to death:
"Lime is a major component of cement and as such is found in all concrete products and is also used for stabilizing earth and for some landscaping activities. Lime easily dissolves in water, just like sugar, to make the water and slurry strongly alkaline (pH 11-13), which burns and kills fish, insects and plants that come in contact with it, much the same way acid burns us." North Shore City, New Zealand Pollution Prevention Brocure

For those of you reading this that feel talking about tree roots is "for the birds", let us ponder the reasons behind the handful of local businesses that support this project. May God save them after the influx of non-local corporate Big Boxes and developers...

We live in a really special place. But what remains of our resources, our workforce, and the accomplishments made by Humboldt's entrepreneurs, local commerce, and advocates of sustainability and the environment are threatened by the greed of those who want to rip a hole in the Redwood Curtain. It is a fact that there are a few businesses who have vocalized support for the RIP. Let's look at their reasons, and debunk their claims for the necessity of the project, which are clearly based in greed:

"While it can be argued that nearly every business on the North Coast is in some way affected by higher transportation costs, it is the small to mid-size manufacturers, specialty agriculture businesses and food producers that suffer most from the STAA restrictions." NCP site

You may wonder what started this whole mess. In the beginning, it was the beef industry(http://humboldt-herald.blogspot.com/). Humboldt Grass-Fed beef became a hot item for carnivores in and outside of Humboldt County, and the demand increased due to multiple reasons, such as fears of Mad Cow disease, the deplorable conditions of feed lots and the usage of hormones by corporate beef producers.

Now we have "Grass-Finished" beef. This is the process of bringing grain-fed beef cows from the Central Valley and other parts of the state to Humboldt County, where the non-locally "grown" cows are given a two week vacation of Humboldt grass(not the smoking kind) and sun(or fog), before being shipped back to Stockton(or wherever) to slaughter. Since Humboldt County lacks a slaughterhouse, and that the County's bovine population numbers around 80,000 head(according to Martha Divine), the Grass Fed beef demand created the notion that the Redwood Curtain needs parting.

First off, the problem with Humboldt's trucking industry is that we are all dependent upon oil.

Richardson Grove didn't create the fuel crisis that we all suffered from during the Bush administration. And the election of President Obama won't solve the issue either, unless better fuel technologies are developed by the administration, instead of "cash for clunkers" programs that fuel American vehicle manufacturer's programs for unsustainability. An extra 5 or so linear truck trailer feet will not help much with transportation costs if diesel goes from $2.99per gallon back up to $4.20 a gallon(do the math). And the dangers from having these super-sized trucks navigating our city streets outweigh any current safety concerns for the scenic one mile stretch of the 101 through Richardson Grove. The Blue-Green Alliance has a lot of informative content regarding safety and fuel issues that debunks all of the proponents of the RIP claims for safety and efficiency. And guess what? The alliance is comprised of truckers...

Cypress Grove is a local business and a vocal supporter of the RIP. Why? Because the goat milk used for their cheese is trucked in all the way from Mexico. I suppose that there are not enough goats in the County to fill their order for their locally crafted but not so locally produced cheeses. Sun Valley Floral Farms? Not a very ethical or sustainable company to begin with. Unethical practices such as exploiting undocumented workers. Non-sustainable practices such as herbicide use. Remember, the sprays that Sun Valley utilizes drift right into an "organic" Humboldt Creamery supplier just East of Sun Valley, as the wind carries.

My hopes in sharing this information with you would not be to boycott any of the above businesses or industries, although it would be in the best interests of public health and business ethics to complain about these deplorable practices. My goal is to show you that not all businesses support the project. In fact, only a few are vocal in supporting a project that will in fact create an atmosphere of unhealthy competition with Big Boxes. A project that is supported by big development, purveyors of sub-urban sprawl.

The timing of this project goes in hand with the County's General plan, where the direction of Humboldt's development and land use policies will be decided for the next few decades. Out of area interests cannot wait to get their hands on Humboldt County's resources, which includes you, reader. The promise of minimum wage jobs is the promise of slavery. Big business policy is to make a profit, regardless of who is affected by their greed. To hire entire labor forces as part-time, to avoid paying benefits such as medical insurance and vacation. Take note that Eurekans stopped Wal-Mart from entering it's city limits. For a damn good reason. Let's keep Humboldt County local.
Save Richardson Grove. Save Humboldt County!

"There are men who have special interests in your career. They want to help you to grow. And then, siphon all your dough, why don't you find out for yourself. Then you will see the glass, hidden in the grass." Steven Patrick Morrisey

"Four lanes from SF all the way to Oregon"

"Caltrans Project Engineer Eric Lund (center) was the guest speaker at last week’s meeting of the Garberville Rotary Club. Lund spoke about the Richardson Grove road widening project. He told the club that in the past, there was a vision that Highway 101 would eventually become four lanes from San Francisco all the way to Oregon. However in 2000, it became apparent that a bypass around (or the alternative of a tunnel below) Richardson Grove was not feasible. He also said a common misconception about the project is that the road will be straightened. In reality, the road will be “curvier” but wider. The project will minimize damage to trees and root systems in the surrounding ground by using “hand methods” instead of heavy equipment. Shown here with Lund are Caltrans Design Engineer Eric Shada (right) and Rotary club president Peter Connolly." Redwood Times
If Caltrans is concerned about the fragile and ancient ecosystems contained within Richardson Grove, why are they proceeding without wildlife surveys?
Do WE want "Four lanes from San Francisco all the way to Oregon", even outside of Richardson Grove, along "Scenic" Highway 101?
What is the grand vision of Caltrans for us here on the North Coast...to pave paradise?

The 101 is a path through Nature's splendors, not a thoroughfare...

Please sign the below petition and help save Richardson Grove...

Petition to Save Richardson Grove

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