That was awesome! Many thanks to Tree Spirit and Jack!

Now I can check off "running naked across Redwood highway 101 in Richardson grove state Park as one of the things to do with my time left on Earth...

The action Sunday morning went very smoothly. Despite threats from the Park about shutting down the project, Jack of Tree Spirit, crew and participants pulled it off. Over 50 "spirits" participated. I cannot wait to see the beautiful photos. I feel it was a great way to show the vulnerability of nature juxtaposed with the vulnerability of being nude.

Please visit http://treespiritproject.com/ to view Jack's amazing work. Many thanks to the crew and participants for such an inspiring action to save this amazing place we call the "Redwood Curtain"...

Respect your Native Elders! This includes our Ancient redwoods...

Show your spirit for Richardson Grove!

There are many ways to defend Richardson Grove - currently on the highway carving block. One way is that of photographer Jack Gescheidt whose Tree Spirit Project began six years ago when he photographed volunteers naked in a gigantic coast live oak several hundred years old. On Sunday, Sept 12, the project will come to the grove when Jack will once again unite the naked human form of volunteer participants with the contours of ancient Redwood trees. Jack has never used professional models in any of his forest settings.

The project has taken on a life of its own, according to Jack, “attracting men and women who are drawn to trees as children are. They share stories about how they love to sit under one special tree, or are compelled to climb into one, or how they communicate with them, or how they have always, like me, felt comforted in the presence of trees.”

Jack invites all to enter the Grove at 7 am on Sunday to shed their inhibitions and rekindle “in our hearts a reverence for the interconnectedness of all living creatures.” We can meet outside the Grove at French’s Camp in the early morning on Sunday.

Jack says that “sometimes the photographs seem beside the point, just an excuse to have a powerful experience with a tree again, or for the first time. People overcome fears, reclaim confidence in their bodies, enjoy community in nature.”

As a land of tree huggers and erstwhile devotees of nude swimming, the project is a perfect way for many of us to focus our protective energy on the Grove. To make sure you get there on time, there will be a camp close to the grove in the evening before, Saturday, Sept. 11.

After 9 am, at the conclusion of the project participants will be able gather near the river for a shared meal and discussion of future strategies to save the grove from desecration by CalTrans and the Army Corps of Engineers.

More information on the event and locations, call Paul 923 4488, or Jack 442-8733. To view past projects go to TreeSpititProject.com

Richardson Grove Calendar for September 11 and 12:

September 11, 2010:
Camp near Richardson Grove in prep for Tree Spirit Project (and to discuss protecting the Grove - and everything else in our lives that would be killed or horribly altered if the road-widening were to happen.)

September 12, 2010:
Early morning meet at French's Camp outside Grove
7:00am in the Grove
9:00am Project Conclusion;
Shared meal and strategy discussion near river

The "Army" tells Caltrans to "back off"...

Willits bypass project dead,' officials say

By TIFFANY REVELLE The Daily Journal

Updated: 08/31/2010 03:02:41 PM PDT

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_15953218?source=most_viewed

The Willits bypass project is at a halt after more than 50 years of planning, officials reported Tuesday.

The topic came up when 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches noted an item on the consent calendar - a list of items that are voted on as a block because they are expected to be non-controversial - that would have raised funding to the Mendocino Private Industry Council, a jobs training program, by $300,000.

"In light of what happened yesterday with the Willits Bypass, it doesn't seem like there are jobs being created," he said. "Why are we spending money for training people when there are no jobs?"

The article from The Daily Journal continues...

Phil Dow of MCOG was called for an update, and told the board the council got a conditional funding agreement from Caltrans in June for about $126. million for the bypass. One of the conditions was that four permits were needed, one of them from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"We knew at time that the chief obstacle was the Army Corps of Engineers, which has control over wetlands, and we knew this was the largest wetlands take of any project handled by the Army Corps in the state of California. Everyone's known that for 15 years," Dow said.

After getting the three other permits needed, Caltrans met with the Army Corps "to decide what needed to be done to get a decision on the remaining permit" and developed a list of materials the Army Corps would need, with dates of delivery through 2012, according to Dow.

The materials were delivered according to an agreed-on schedule through Aug. 16, and the Army Corps told Caltrans to "back off" while the Corps reviewed the materials and made its decision on the final permit, according to Dow.

"We got word last Friday that their intent was not to issue a permit for the project," Dow said.

Thompson was in the area and called a meeting Monday with Caltrans and the Army Corps in his Napa office, according to Dow.

Dow, who attended by teleconference, said the reason the Army Corps gave for not signing the permit was that it didn't have enough information, and didn't have "the discretion to issue a conditional permit."

Dow questioned why, if they couldn't issue the permit, they agreed on a list of needed items through 2012.

"They couldn't answer other than to apolojize for the confusion," Dow said.

He said discussion between the attorneys for Caltrans and the Army Corps indicated the Army Corps does have discretion to issue conditional permits when the wetlands take is small, and when the project footprint is small. That raised the question of whether the Army Corps ever meant to issue the permit, Dow said.

He said contsruction was to start by next spring, and the project was to generate hundreds jobs for about four years.

"The jobs thing is bigger than the traffic issue at this point," Dow said. "Now that's not going to happen."

Parting the Redwood Curtain:A one-mile highway project could change an entire region

News - From the August 20, 2010 issue of High Country News
by Denver Nicks

U.S. 101, the longest highway in California, starts in Los Angeles and meanders northward through Santa Barbara, San Francisco and into redwood country. For California's sparsely populated north coast -- the stretch of forests and farms and the smattering of towns that make up Humboldt and Del Norte counties -- 101 is a lifeline. It's the main artery for a region that was in economic trouble even before the Great Recession.

Just across the Humboldt County line, the highway bisects tiny Richardson Grove State Park, where it drops from four lanes to two and weaves through ancient redwood trees. The top speed is 35 miles per hour, along curves too tortuous for full-size commercial semis to navigate. The park is the one place along Highway 101 through which these trucks -- the kind that serve businesses across the United States, from mom-and-pop shops to big-box behemoths -- cannot legally travel, with a few exceptions.

Now, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) wants to improve and widen the highway. But locals are divided. Some see the restricted highway as a bottleneck obstructing economic development in a recession-racked community. To others, it's the finger in the dike forestalling a flood of development in a deliberately bucolic landscape. Both sides agree on one thing: Management of the highway through this state park has implications for development in the entire region the highway serves.

Verdant Humboldt County lies near the southern end of a temperate rainforest that once stretched from just north of San Francisco Bay to southern Alaska. The county's population density is among the lowest in California, and is concentrated around two hubs, Eureka and nearby Arcata. The woods form a largely pristine corridor from the inland hills to the rocky coast, creating a physical barrier from the more metropolitan south, and preserving the pastoral atmosphere that distinguishes the region. Locals call it the "Redwood Curtain."

Rest of article

New TreeSpirit project coming to Richardson Grove!

Dear fans of trees,

Photographer Jack Gescheidt here, with exciting news of the next, large TreeSpirit photo event YOU are invited to join, 7-9AM Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 in Humboldt county, CA (a 4-hour drive north of San Francisco). It's hard to believe but CalTrans plans to "remove" or cut the roots of over 100 old-growth redwood trees—some 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 years old—to widen one mile of Hwy 101 through Richardson Grove State Park, 7 miles south of Garberville, CA.

I meet so many fellow tree lovers and environmentalists, I sometimes forget that what I call "the old paradigm" is still at large. Namely, cutting down precious, inspirational, natural beauty for short-sighted, temporary, and in this case illusory gain: CalTrans wants to spur economic growth by getting more and bigger trucks through, by killing the rare, spectacular trees that attract tourists to Humboldt in the first place. The flyer below contains more information about this debacle. These links lead to more:SaveRichardsonGrove.org, WildCalifornia.org.

Please share this email with everyone you know who appreciates the immeasurable value of these ancient trees and put Sunday, Sept. 12 on your calendar. Come spend the weekend among these amazing trees and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience early Sunday morning (7-9am). Join me and 100-200 (or more) fellow tree and nature lovers to make art and gain public attention in order to protect these redwoods for future generations.

Email me, jack@treespiritproject.com, to join the (confidential) email guest list for updates and info. Because of this event's goals of this, you're invited to attend even if you're uncertain about participating. The TreeSpirit documentary film crew will, as usual, respectfully record the proceedings as will local media invited to attend too. As with all TreeSpirit photo events, this gathering will be peaceful and heartfelt.

For the trees; for all our sakes,
Jack

Jack Gescheidt
jack@treespiritproject.com
www.TreeSpiritProject.com
Tel: 415.488.4200

Corrupt-trans

3 charged with Caltrans bribery scheme

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle July 29, 2010 06:12 PM Copyright San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Friday, July 30, 2010

(07-29) 18:12 PDT SACRAMENTO -- Two Bay Area contractors were charged Thursday with bribing a Caltrans supervisor in Stockton to win state transportation contracts, federal prosecutors said.

A federal grand jury in Sacramento indicted Siavash "Mike" Poursartrip, 56, and Sara Shirazi, 52, both of Walnut Creek, along with the Caltrans employee, Clint Gregory, 48, of Sacramento, on charges of bribery, bid-rigging and fraud, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner's office said.

Prosecutors said Poursartrip and Shirazi gave Gregory money, a Persian rug, a cell phone and other gifts to win contracts for their firm, InfoTek Associates. InfoTek's website describes it as an Oakland company specializing in software and communications.

Each contract was worth less than $131,000, but Caltrans lost a total of more than $1.2 million, prosecutors said.

They said the defendants also paid straw bidders to sidestep a Caltrans rule that at least two contractors must compete for each project.

E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle