Benbow Billboard

YouTube from Sacramento Flash Mob- Pass It On!

Richardson Grove Action Now Returns from Bay Area and Sacramento

For Immediate Release (pdf Here) June 14, 2011

Richardson Grove Action Now Steps Beyond the Redwood Curtain –
Direct Action Resistance Brought to Sacramento June 8-10!

Contact: Verbena Lea 707.602.7551 rgroveactionnow@gmail.com

After six months of organizing rallies and actions behind the 'redwood curtain' protesting CalTrans' plan to expand Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park and adjacent forestland, Richardson Grove Action Now [RGAN] last week upped the ante by taking the fight to the state capital in Sacramento, where they carried out a flash mob action. The highway expansion plan has global significance, threatening some of the last 2% remaining ancient redwoods on Earth.

RGAN activists rode on the White Rose bus to Oakland, Sacramento, and Glen Cove, Vallejo in order to mobilize widespread resistance to the highway expansion, demonstrate at the Capitol, and connect with an ongoing spiritual encampment established to stave off development on a sacred indigenous burial shellmound site in Glen Cove. RGAN's Verbena Lea says, “Worldwide, people are opposed to harming or cutting ancient redwood forests, which CalTrans plans to do; ancient redwoods have all but been wiped off the face of the earth and, like the people at Glen Cove, we are saying to developers, government and corporations, 'You have already desecrated and taken too much- We're stopping you here.'”

The road widening would mutilate an ancient grove in order to facilitate trans-national corporations, nuclear materials, development, and military having greater access to the Humboldt Bay region which has been relatively protected by forest bottlenecks and winding roads. Highways 199, 299, and 36, entering the region from the East, are also on the cutting block for highway expansion.

The “White Rose” bio-diesel bus was formerly used by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, and as a support vehicle for the Longest Walk 2 in 2008, organized by AIM to draw attention to indigenous sacred sites in danger of being destroyed by developers. (The White Rose was a German anti-fascist group during Hitler's reign, executed for distributing pamphlets encouraging resistance to the Nazis.)

Thousands of individuals and groups, including RGAN, have written Gov. Jerry Brown, urging him to cancel the road widening plan using the Governor's authority. RGAN made this demand at the Capitol through a contemporary direct action known as a flash mob, and will reach the world through their musical protest, executed without permit, then circulated via YouTube. The video will be released this week.

On the Capitol steps, despite threat of arrest from onlooking officers, RGAN activists- joined by supporters from Chico, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco- busted out a flash mob version of George Clinton/ Parliament's “We Got the Funk.” RGAN's updated lyrics detail multi-faceted opposition to road widening through Richardson Grove (i.e. “We want old growth, not corporate flow.”) Followed by police, RGAN marched to CalTrans' state headquarters & chanted “No Road Widening Through Richardson Grove. We are the People and the People Say NO,” handing literature to CalTrans employees & passers-by. The final Sacramento flash mob action was done on a busy street in the business district. Families took photos, and many people including a foreign magazine writer took literature to spread the word against the highway expansion.

While at the Capitol, RGAN learned that four women in wheelchairs had just been arrested protesting California officials' refusal to fund peoples' survival needs- cutting healthcare, in home services, education, etc.-with ever-increasing monies going to prisons, corporations, police, and urbanized development. Gov Brown recently shut down seventy state parks to “save” $22 million; however, the state intends to sink $5.5 million of public money, matching federal funds, into the 1.1 mile highway expansion through Richardson Grove.

RGAN's Sue Ricker said, “If CalTrans can widen the highway through Richardson Grove, a world-renowned old-growth redwood forest, they'll go to any length to convert the 101 into an interstate NAFTA artery.” Already Cypress Grove Chevre -once a locally-owned goat cheese producer, now owned by Swiss multi-national Emmi Corp.- trucks in goat milk from Mexico. Cypress Grove is a supporter of CalTrans' project.

Although CalTrans claims that the project will not harm ancient trees, it is well-established that cutting, compacting, & excavating redwood roots, as planned for the road widening, would harm or kill the trees. Also, it appears that huge ancient redwoods would have to be cut to implement CalTrans' road widening.

RGAN vows to stop this plan in the roads, offices, trees, construction sites, & gov't buildings- near and far.
###

Richardson Grove Action Now To Sacramento Wed, June 8th!

Richardson Grove Action Now invites you on a trip to Sacramento! We plan to leave SOON. We'll venture out on Wednesday, June 8th and will return June 10, Friday night.

We're riding down in a bio-diesel bus. We will send a creative musical message to Gov. Jerry Brown and to people ALL OVER- which will be broadcast on the world wide web. Our serenade will demand that the highway expansion plan through Richardson Grove be canceled. We will be covering old classics like "One Demand, Cancel the Plan", "Resist Invasion," and "We want old growth, not corporate flow."

We will be bringing a loud temporary presence to Sacramento regarding the road widening- which would bring a PERMANENT impact to our lives and to the survival of ancient redwoods.

If you are not able to join us, in person, on this trip, please support the action by contributing food or money. We are trying to raise $650 for travel expenses. And the food is for the people.

If you really want to go and you think there is some obstacle, call us.

If you are in the Bay area, we would like to come there for the night and bring you with us!
We are also considering, on the way, visiting the spiritual encampment/action at Glen Cove.

Our phone number is 707.602.7551
Our email: rgroveactionnow@gmail.com

DIRECT ACTION WORKSHOP, Sat. June 18th

Richardson Grove Action Now will host a free workshop, Saturday June 18th, open to anyone who might want to participate in direct action for the Earth or any social justice struggle.

Focused on insurgent skills and resistance teachings, each of us will become more prepared to decide what actions to take and how to go about planning and implementing them! Organize to be a wrench in the machine and assert your power with confidence.

We will discuss:

~action groups and roles

~non-violence

~group decision-making

~legal issues and tactics

~handling aggression directed at your action, and

~solidarity tactics

This workshop will help de-mystify the legal system which people often must deal with when involved in direct action. We won't let the legal system separate or silence us!

Food and beverages will be provided, and we welcome you to bring food too!

What: Non-Violent DIRECT ACTION Workshop

Where: Location To Be Announced

When: All day beginning at NOON

Who: YOU all ages welcome, all levels/types of experience encouraged to participate!

http://www.indybay.org/calendar/event_add.php

Musical Action!

STOP HIGHWAY EXPANSION THRU RICHARDSON GROVE WITH FUNKY SONG & DANCE!

FLASH MOB! We are really excited about the song we've written, a parody of "We Got the Funk" by Parliament. Here's the version BEFORE we changed the words to be all about the road widening plan through Richardson Grove and the resistance to it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UypeE3zTwBs

For those of you who haven't been involved in the flash mob so far, know that the routine is: very easy to learn, a lot of fun, and very informative. Our lyrics are in the link here: http://www.box.net/shared/3qo5tr2m8k If you are a musician, than by all means bring your instrument. If you don't think you have any talent at all- no worries, it's very simple!

Some examples of other flash mobs:
Don't Get Caught in a Bad Hotel www.youtube.com/watch?v=-79pX1IOqPU
Target Ain't People www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhMMmqzbD8

Funky song and dance to prevent the road widening thru Richardson Grove! Let's bust out in this song and dance action where it counts. Takes about an hour to learn!!

Call Richardson Grove Action Now at 707.602.7551 or email rgroveactionnnow@gmail.com

PHOTOS from April 18, 2011 Rally/Protest at CalTrans, on the Streets of Eureka, & at the Courthouse

Etched in stone and delivered to CalTrans:
ONE DEMAND. CANCEL THE PLAN!

Richardson Grove Action Now Press Release, April 20, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2011

Opponents of Federally-Funded CalTrans Plan To Widen Hwy 101 Through Richardson Grove State Park Warn Contractors Seeking To Work On The Plan:

“BIDDER'S BEWARE -WE WILL STOP YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!”

Contact: Richardson Grove Action Now 707.602.7551, rgroveactionnow@gmail.com

Humboldt County, CA: In an April 18, 2011 protest, the latest in a series of direct actions and mass rallies, including a day-long lockdown occupation of the CalTrans District 1 Headquarters, a treesit on private property bordering Hwy 101 that CalTrans plans to steal and de-forest, two large banner hangs, and a crafty public meeting disruption, Richardson Grove Action Now (RGAN) declared, “Bidders Beware! We will stop you every step of the way.” Northcoast communities are not only threatened with the Naval war games testing and bomb detonation currently taking place off the Northern Pacific Coast, but now must stave off a federally-motivated CalTrans plan to mutilate an ancient redwood grove so that trans-national corporations, nuclear materials, development, and military have greater access to Humboldt Bay and to towns that have been relatively protected by a bottleneck of forests and winding roads from the South and East.

Sue Ricker of RGAN said at Monday's demonstration, “It's preposterous in 2011 to be destroying the last remaining 2% of old growth. If CalTrans can widen the highway through Richardson Grove State Park, a world-renowned redwood forest, they'll go to any length to convert the 101 into an interstate NAFTA artery.”

RGAN vows to stop this plan in the trees, roads, and offices, and has been relentlessly vocal about CalTrans' lies regarding the motivations, logistics, and consequences of the road widening project. “Despite CalTrans' biased claims that no old-growth trees will be cut or harmed if the project moves ahead, we know that excavating, cutting, compacting, and paving over the roots of ancient redwood trees spells certain death.” says members of RGAN. Furthermore, anyone traveling through the Grove, as do thousands of awestruck people every year, knows that in the narrowest sections of the road, there is little space (only 23 feet) between the humungous old growth trees. CalTrans' plan calls for 28 feet and would require CalTrans to cut the ancient monuments. RGAN notes that every time there is a protest against the expansion project, CalTrans trips over itself to create new lies and to counter growing awareness of the nefarious plan. While CalTrans claims that root excavation does no harm, several landslides have occurred in the past month, including a massive slide onto Highway 101 north of Richardson Grove, exhibiting of what happens to roads and mountains when roots no longer stabilize the ground.

April 18th was CalTrans' Advertised Bid day for the major construction in the road widening plan. Although recent activity in lawsuits against the project suggest that CalTrans will halt its bidding process for a couple of months, CalTrans District 1 Supervisor spoke on Monday to the press about the bidding process going forward, while the only delay he acknowledged regarded a related, but separate, culvert project in the Grove.

On Monday (April 18th), while a hundred community members protested at the CalTrans District 1 HQ in escalating resistance to the highway expansion, CalTrans locked its doors to the public. While demonstrating on the office lawn, people made dozens of phone calls to CalTrans to express opposition to the plan; CalTrans responded by turning off its phones. One demonstrator climbed a ladder onto the roof to address the crowd and highlight the urgency of direct action to prevent the road widening: “We are strong, unified and growing in numbers. We will not back down, and our determination to protect the Redwood Curtain is not shaken by the violence, lies, and scare tactics perpetuated by the State, nor by distortions of the truth from the complicit corporate media.” She was arrested by several officers. Many officers were posted inside, at the front doors, and on the various rooftops of the HQ.

One demonstrator's thorough presentation to the crowd included information about the long-standing and shrouded motivations of the project and the fact that there are also CalTrans road “widening” projects on every highway entrance east to the Northcoast. The cracking open of the Redwood Curtain promises to forever change the physical, social, and economic landscape of the Northcoast and what has been, for millenia, redwood country.

RGAN will broaden and intensify the non-violent direct action campaign against the wasteful, illegal, and irreparable plan. The group warns potential bidder companies that contractors will deal with more than just a construction job if they choose to do harmful road widening through the world-renowned ancient grove.
###

Photos will be posted soon from April 18th Mass Rally Protest!

Download PDF of Press Release:
http://www.box.net/shared/73sxabqa48

YouTube Invite: Mass Rally II at CalTrans, Direct Action Campaign to Defend Richardson Grove 04-18-11

Flier/Handbill for Thursday Direct Action Training

Link to Flier:
http://www.box.net/shared/38ty14v048

Monday, March 21st RALLY & COURT

CALTRANS is preparing to widen Hwy 101 thru
RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK for increased industrial trucking & militarization. We will stop them!

CalTrans' plan threatens our rural lives and involves cutting & crushing ancient redwoods' roots, cutting 56 trees in the state park, & possibly changing old-growth forest on private property into road bed.

TWELVE PEOPLE, ARRESTED AT A LOCKDOWN PROTEST AT CALTRANS, HAVE COURT ON:

MONDAY, MARCH 21^ST
COURTHOUSE IN EUREKA (5th and K)

RALLY ON FRONT STEPS 7:45 am
COURT FOR 12 ARRESTED 8:00 am

Rally with Richardson Grove signs, then support in court.

(There is a security check x-ray machine in the courthouse.)

Richardson Grove Action Now (707) 602-7551

Humboldt Board of Supervisors Targeted in Direct Action Campaign to Stop Highway Expansion Through Richardson Grove State Park

Tuesday, March 8th: “No Road Widening Through Richardson Grove” activists sang to the Board of Supervisors at the weekly meeting this morning.

http://www.archive.org/details/AH-bos-am_3-8-11

See BELOW the letter given to the Board of Supervisors for the record from Richardson Grove Action Now.

Six people who are opposed to the plan to widen the road through Richardson Grove State Park were arrested for expressing their dissent to the abhorrent decision the Supervisors made when they gave a green light to the plan, seemingly without hearing or caring about the opinion of the people whom they claim to represent.

This proposed project would have far reaching and devastating effects socially, ecologically, economically, and spiritually. We currently have the potential to build our own economy and wealth as working class people. This project would only leverage more control and wealth for the “owner” class by making it easier and more lucrative for “big box” stores to invade our communities, thereby leaching much-needed local dollars from the North Coast. We know that the Highway 101 expansion is supported by U.S. military and so-called defense agencies who wish to have greater access to and control of the people and natural resources of this region. Respecting the old growth forest in a protected park trumps any value that could come from widening the road. Just as all life has the inherent right to survive with a healthy level of autonomy, we also demand our right to survive and determine for ourselves, rather than be forced to accept, what passes through our lives or covers the landscape of our home.

Richardson Grove Action Now is committed to stopping the Federally funded CalTrans highway expansion through Richardson Grove. “We know that this plan will ruin our local economy, will bring increased militarization, will interfere with a state park, will irreparably damage the root systems of ancient trees, and will change forever our way of life” says Richardson Grove activists.

The letter below was handed out to the Board of Supervisors and other meeting attendees this morning.

****

Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
Room 111 of the County Courthouse
825 5th Street
Eureka , CA 95501

March 8, 2011

To Humboldt County Board of Supervisors,
Jimmy Smith, Clif Clendenen, Mark Lovelace, Virginia Bass, Ryan Sundberg

This morning several people representing opposition to Caltrans’ 10+million dollar plan to widen Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park demonstrated during your morning meeting. You have failed in your ability to work for the people due to your allegiance to special interests. You have refused to protect our communities now and for future generations. Many of your constituents have requested, formally and repeatedly, that you hold a public forum to discuss this issue- the road widening project and its myriad consequences; we have asked that you put this significant item on the agenda;we have asked for your assistance, and you have blatantly and openly disrespected and ignored us. You should not be permitted to continue “business as usual” when your business is short-sighted, corrupt, and detrimental to our lives.

The Board of Supervisors is an elected position. Your failures and refusals to adequately represent and defend your constituents and your failure and refusal to fight for a significant State Park in Humboldt County have been obvious through your rubber-stamping of this and other contentious CalTrans projects, through your ignoring of the will and well-being of your constituents, through your prioritization of transnational interests over local economy, through your approval- without our consent- of a plan that will endanger our safety on the road, through your complicity with unlawful plans to damage a State Park for purported economic benefit, through your brazen disregard for the sanctity of Richardson Grove to the First Nations people in this region and your perpetuation of the genocide that began several generations ago. We have a voice, and we demand that you listen, lest you will continue to find it more and more difficult to conduct what you call “business” and what we call CRIME.

You have misappropriated thousands of dollars from the Headwater's Fund to promote CalTrans' proposed highway expansion through Richardson Grove. In addition to paying for television, radio, and print media to promote the CalTrans project, you used over $10,000 from the Headwaters Fund to: pay six public figures to submit “My Word” letters to the Eureka Times-Standard; to pay for editing those letters; to provide instructions and propaganda for businesses on how to publicly promote the CalTrans project; and to fund many county staff hours for project lobbying. Then, $25,000 more in county public funds were pilfered by Kirk Girard, director of Humboldt County Community Development, to promote the highway expansion through Richardson Grove. This is not only an outrage, it is a special interests racket.

These are glaring violations of the public trust and gross acts of collusion with special economic interests, at the behest of the future and well-being of our region. You have not only failed to oppose the project, you have failed to seek legal recourse against CalTrans for interfering with the State Park and failed to investigate the adverse and long-term affects of the project. In reality, you have actively and unethically propagandized this CalTrans project (and others) and, to our detriment, done everything to advance an imperialist agenda.


Sincerely,
Richardson Grove Action Now
****

Afternoon Public Comments to Humboldt Board of Supes, Tuesday March 8, 2011:

http://www.archive.org/details/AH-bos-pm_3-8-11

Monday, Feb 21st: CalTrans Lies Exposed!

We are here in this tree to draw attention to trees threatened by Caltrans' plan, and to send the message that we are prepared to stop the plan at any time, at every step. The tree we were in was one of a grove of trees marked for removal, including at least six ancient trees, on land to be taken by "eminent domain". Not one ancient should be cut!

The trees in the grove have all been spray-painted with white dots. When a tree is spray-painted, this means death. Caltrans has denied any knowledge of the marks and denied intent to cut the grove. The decision-makers at Caltrans originally wanted to push the highway widening through without a public comment period. And when public meetings were held, Caltrans had already made the decision to go ahead, despite a majority of people with real, valid opposition. Caltrans has misclassified trees, and made every effort to minimize the effect of their project in the media. With them pushing the plan so hard, why should we believe they aren't going to cut those trees? Why should we believe they have no ulterior motives? Caltrans will take license to cut whatever they want.

It is common knowledge that highways are the arteries of military, industry, development, and capitalist opportunists: everything which represents death to us. These things turn living places into dead, like Camden, New Jersey, or Pelican Bay. These things are "progress", and we say it ends here for Humboldt.

ONE DEMAND: CANCEL THE PLAN!

EXPOSE CalTrans' Lies and

Mis-information

CalTrans proponents of the federally-funded road widening through Richardson Grove initially tried to push the project ahead unlawfully, without the required Environmental Impact Report and thus, without public input. If a CalTrans [California Department of Transportation] employee had not discovered this disgraceful attempt, the Richardson Grove plan would have gone through without our prior knowledge or the minimal required environmental review. CalTrans' District One Supervisor, Charles Fielder, wants the road widening through the Grove to improve his political status with government and corporate entities. The highway expansion plan through Richardson Grove is no minor project, as CalTrans¹* would have you believe.

CALTRANS IS DECEITFUL

ABOUT THE PLAN'S EFFECTS

ON THE ENVIRONMENT:

CalTrans lies about the effects that cutting the roots of ancient redwoods would have. CalTrans denies that cutting the roots will kill ancient trees. CalTrans lies about the effects of paving over ancient redwood tree roots. CalTrans lies about the effects of pneumatically excavating the roots of ancient trees. Redwoods (and these are in a park where they are supposed to remain protected) cannot survive cut, blown out, or paved-over roots. If the ancient trees in and near Richardson Grove are not cut now, but their roots are damaged the way CalTrans intends, the old trees, next to the highway, will slowly die and eventually be cut. CalTrans will call them “dangerous.” Not one tree should be cut in Richardson Grove State Park. And we are not fooled. We know that trees are affected by what happens to their roots!

“...physical damage that will occur to the root systems of these ancient trees will jeopardize their long-term health & well-being.”

Long-time horticulturist & plant pathologist, Stan Binnie, who now resides in Humboldt wrote in a February 12, 2011 Eureka Times-Standard Op-ed:

...I witnessed the death of hundreds of mature maple and oak trees from damage to their root systems during the construction process. The problem was significant enough for me to author a university publication, which is still being distributed to concerned developers and homeowners. Consequently, I have some knowledge & background to justify my concerns about the root systems of the old-growth redwoods in Richardson Grove.”

Mr. Binnie also cited Dr. Stephen Sillett of Humboldt State University, and a world-renowned expert on coastal redwood trees, as writing in a letter to CalTrans: “I have studied redwoods for many years, and my repeated observations of large redwoods near construction sites have convinced me that cutting large roots is a BAD IDEA if maintaining tree health and vigor is a goal.”

Mr. Binnie continued, “...Caltrans states that no roots larger than 2 inches in diameter will be cut during this project. However, it appears that no surveys were conducted to determine if any larger roots are in the area of the proposed project-which seems inevitable when dealing with such large trees-or where the roots are located... “... what will happen if larger roots are encountered, and what will happen if larger roots need to be cut or removed. Will the project be stopped or canceled? I seriously doubt it.

In Richardson Grove State Park, just feet from where the road project is proposed, there are signs that say: “AREA CLOSED TO PROTECT ROOTS.” And another nearby sign says: “Ironically, one of the greatest threats to a redwood's longevity comes from well-intentioned humans. Continuous foot traffic compacts the soil around a tree, damaging its network of fine surface roots and restricts their intake of water and nutrients. For this reason, visitors are asked to stay on designated paths.”

How is it that there is concern about foot traffic damaging the roots of ancient redwoods but there seems to be little concern over heavy equipment crushing their roots or the ...cutting, filling and compacting of soil over their delicate root systems. ...as far as the trees are concerned, nothing good can come to them as a result of this project.

Why would we want to jeopardize the long-term well-being of these few remaining old-growth redwoods?...”

CalTrans downplays the impact and significance of the road widening project.

We know that it IS a big deal. CalTrans is relying upon an “incidental take permit”as the go-ahead to kill endangered species and wipe out rare habitats. “Take” defined by the Endangered Species Act is 'to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect any threatened or endangered species.' Harm may mean that a construction or development project, or resource extracting activity, kills or injures a listed species by interfering with essential behavior like nesting or reproduction. This project requires an incidental take permit which means harassment and death to otherwise protected species and habitats in and around Richardson Grove State Park- that may never again exist on Earth. Forests cannot survive in isolated strips. Redwood forests, in particular, have developed for thousands of years in circular, shallow, and connected root families.

CalTrans, in its mis-information campaign, responds to the people's outrage, to simple science and to common sense by casually claiming to care for our environment. CalTrans officials repeat over and over the incredible lie that the road widening project will not affect old-growth trees. If you look at the marker stakes in the Grove that show where CalTrans aims to cut, excavate, compact, and pave over, you will see markers leaning right up against ancient redwood trees.

????Why are there White Dots Painted on Ancient Trees adjacent to Richardson Grove State Park ????

The huge old redwood trees, which are on the Singing Trees Recovery Center property, were marked with white paint in June of 2010 - the property owners' knowledge. We figured CalTrans painted the dots during a survey but Kim Floyd, Caltrans manager for the road widening project through the Grove, denied knowledge of the marked trees. The ancient trees, branded with white paint, are between CalTrans' orange project markers and Hwy 101.

Do the white paint dots mark the location for CalTrans to build a retaining wall through the Singing Trees property - as part of the road widening project? Does CalTrans intend to cut the marked trees to make an equipment staging area? Does CalTrans want to wipe out the old trees to create a vehicle detour?

Any way we think about it, it doesn't look good. Road construction usually requires retaining walls, equipment staging areas, and vehicle detours. CalTrans' plan has stated the government's intention to declare eminent domain on parts of the Singing Trees property. Does CalTrans want to take out those huge ancient singing trees to accomplish their plan?... and not tell anyone?

CalTrans fails, in all public discourse, to mention its intended use of DEFOLIANTS. Agent Orange is an example of a defoliant. Just as defoliants had no place in the jungles of Vietnam, in the bodies of human beings, or in the waters that flow through the land, defoliants have no place in Richardson Grove or the Eel River, much less any forest or its inhabitants.

As CalTrans claims it can build a road through the redwoods with no environmental harm, it is being fined by the Regional Water Board for immense environmental violations on the Confusion Hill bypass. The Board's Complaint alleges 154 violations and 141 days that CalTrans violated General Discharge Prohibitions. CalTrans illegally and consistently discharged sediment, concrete water, and construction waste directly into the Eel River and into active streams. CalTrans caused welding slag to fall in the river and sent sandblasting waste, hydrolic fuel and other pollutants into the water and gravel bars.

One key point made by supporters and propagators (CalTrans, Feds, and ill informed locals) of the highway expansion project is that, as the road is widened, more traffic will flow quickly thru the Grove, primarily more (excessively polluting) STAA trucks. Unfortunately, a widened road and more trucks mean that rain & storm water, instead of being filtered by soil particles, will flow across the road picking up contaminants associated with air pollution particles, spilled oil, detergents, solvents, pesticides, and other toxins, which then readily make their way into the Eel River, the creeks running through Richardson Grove, and marshy patches along the river bank.

There is no basis for us to trust CalTrans to care for the well-being of our environment.

Have you seen Richardson Grove?
Do YOU believe the road can be
widened without CUTTING BIG TREES?

The only guaranteed economic outcomes from another NAFTA highway are crappy, short-lived jobs, less money for education, healthcare, and other necessary social programs, massive highway maintenance expenses, consistent access for unaccountable trans-national corporations, and the rapid urbanization of our landscape. These conditions will be long-term and pervasive, and will only get worse with time. CalTrans spreads misinformation about economic impacts of its plans. Widening highway 101 through Richardson Grove must be stopped.

The U.S. military defends the interests of multi-national and trans-national corporations, and the highways (i.e. "NAFTA highways") are expanded for both the corporations and their military protectors.

CALTRANS HIDES THE AGENDA OF INCREASED MILITARIZATION OF OUR COMMUNITIES, WATERS, & LANDS.

Highways were designed for the purpose of moving military convoys.

Today, they are still part of networks such as STRAHNET. "The Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) system of public highways provides access, continuity, and emergency transportation of personnel and equipment in times of peace and war. The 61,000-mile system, designated by the Federal Highway Administration in partnership with DOD[Department of Defense], comprises about 45,400 miles of Interstate and defense highways and 15,600 miles of other public highways. STRAHNET is complemented by about 1,700 miles of connectors—additional highway routes linking more than 200 military installations and ports to the network."

The Redwood Curtain area has been a natural bottle-neck blocking the swift access of military vehicles, tanks, etc for a long time. CalTrans intends to "straighten out" such rural highway routes so there are no obstacles to increased military access to & throughout the coast. There is also a plan to re-route Hwy 101 through Cutten- to pass the armory there.


With the Pentagon trying to station military personnel throughout communities in the U.S., with the Navy planning war games off the Pacific Coast, with the increased rounding up of undocumented people, houseless people, and mentally ill people, with the increased militarization of the police, with civil unrest more frequently occurring (thankfully), with the drug war continuing on overload, with military recruitment a major interest and enormous federal expenditure to keep bodies of poor young people going to war, with Obama's Council of Governors "strengthening" the power and alliance between state and federal "defense" abilities, and with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and National Security Agency doing everything they can to infiltrate every part of our lives and movements, there is no doubt that widening Hwy 101 and straightening out other entry routes to the west coast continue to be motivated (as most federally funded highway projects are) by military desires.

CALTRANS' RICHARDSON GROVE PLAN WILL MAKE US LESS SAFE

Only since direct action, media, and controversy have put the Richardson Grove plan in the spotlight (Feb 2011), has CalTrans acknowledged the 1500 trucks of nuclear material that would travel through this region from the Humboldt Bay power plant- if the highway were widened. CalTrans continues, however, to conceal the larger federal plan for nuclear waste to come into the Bay from all over the world, and then be transported through and beyond California on highways. The Humboldt County Planning Commission conceded a few years ago, that if the port in Humboldt Bay were to be further developed and the highways made accessible to more and more large trucks, nuclear materials coming from overseas would likely be transported through this region, with or without our consent, to Yucca Mountain. Can you imagine? Transporting nuclear waste only means extremely dangerous possibilities for all of us.

CalTrans lies when it cites highway safety as a priority motivation for the Richardson Grove project. There are rarely accidents through Richardson Grove. If the road widening plan was implemented, shoulders would be designated for trucks to drift into the shoulder rather than off-track. Pedestrians and bicycles will be in grave danger. Heavy truck traffic, including military vehicles, will make a once beautiful and safe stretch of highway through Richardson Grove, a busy and frightening thoroughfare.

"Expose CalTrans Lies and Mis-information" was written by Richardson Grove Action Now

1*Throughout this pamphlet we write about CalTrans, a State entity. While we may implicate planners, supervisors, managers and engineers from CalTrans, we are not referring to the regular, non-managerial workers of CalTrans. We know that many CalTrans employees are against the highway widening through Richardson Grove and hope they join us in the struggle to stop the plan.

Richardson Grove Action Camp! Feb 12th-15th

Richardson Grove Action Now!
presents
ACTION CAMP
near the grove
FEB 12TH - 15TH

Train & Prepare for Direct Action

Bring Food & Gear if you have it!


Set up starts 7pm Fri, Feb 11th
PLEASE CALL (707) 602-7551
rgroveactionnow@gmail.com


The camp needs donations* of Funds, Food, Firewood, Tents, AA and AAA Batteries, and Warm Stuff (sleeping bags, hats, etc)!!
You can bring donations to the camp
or drop them off at PARC in Eureka
or drop them off at the Used Bookstore in Garberville.


We will be setting up on Friday night and could use help. We will also need help in the kitchen throughout the duration of the camp.

There will be meeting places for ridesharing to the camp every day:

Northern Humboldt Rideshare
9:30am - Arcata Corp-Op Kiosk (Arcata)
10:10am - Parking Lot between Walgreen's and Eureka Natural Foods (Eureka)

Southern Humboldt Rideshare
10:30am - Used Bookstore (Garberville)


Please refrain from bringing alcohol to camp.

*Some other things we always need:
Olive Oil
Grains
Coffee
Mate
Fruit
Nuts
Headlamps

Location To Be Announced any moment now!!

For more info, call Richardson Grove Action Now:
(707) 602-7551
rgroveactionnow@gmail.com