Karen Pickett

Three people were arrested after stopping a caravan of 20 trucks headed to load up with fill, destined to be dumped on wetlands.  The line of trucks was stopped for 8 hours after two brave activists used steel tubes to lock themselves to the underside of the lead truck, with supporters nearby, brandishing a banner reading “Save Our Water, Stop Caltrans Now!” The Bypass highway Caltrans is building around the town of Willits has met with fierce opposition and persistent protests, making the point that it is overbuilt, environmentally devastating and ridiculously exensive.  Recently, the County of Mendocino was forced …

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Last week was a big week in the Caltrans Willits Bypass campaign, starting with a day in court. As covered in our last update, two groups had filed suit against the County of Mendocino over permits issued to allow excavation by Caltrans contractors of nearly a million cubic yards of fill being dumped on wetlands in Willits.  The fill is being dumped on the wick drains in the wetlands at the north end of Willits to make way for the boondoggle highway, and the groups charged violations of the Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) because of a lack of review. A hearing …

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In the small northern California community of Willits where people have been waging a pitched battle against Caltrans plans to massively expand the capacity of Highway 101 (see previous alerts about Richardson Grove and the project in the Smith River Canyon), new chapters are unfolding. Caltrans announced that its contractors would begin hauling fill this week to cover hundreds of acres of wick drains that have been sunk into the wetlands grounds.  Once the wick drains are covered, the tons of fill will begin squeezing the water up and out of the drains, causing irreversible damage to the wetlands. Though …

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Blockades, tree-sits, hunger strikes from the branches of trees, overflow crowds at County Supervisors meetings, caravans to Sacramento, lock-downs to heavy equipment and MORE have been the order of the day of the scrappy and dedicated campaign to stop the ecologically disastrous and expensive Willits Bypass highway project!  Just this morning (6-12) 30 local people entered the construction site and blocked the path of the heavy machinery, and stayed until all equipment was shut down and workers left the site. Willits City Councilwoman Madge Strong was with the group of activists. Watch for  an announcement soon of a big regional …

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There will be a weeks’ worth of events surrounding Judi Bari Day, May 24, the anniversary of the Oakland car bombing that nearly took her life and that she was almost framed for. ,  the 93-minute documentary Directed by Mary Liz Thomson and produced by Darryl Cherney, will be screening four times in the Bay area: twice in Oakland and twice in San Francisco, in addition to related events celebrating Judi’s life. Please attend any or all of these upcoming Bay area events. There is something for everyone. Who Bombed Judi Bari? Documentary screens: Monday *May 20 * Who Bombed …

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Why the Bypass is Bogus Caltrans Ignores Local Sensible Alternative Plans, Bulldozing Forward with an Expensive, Ecologically Devastating and Unnecessary Bypass for Willits   Ecological Considerations Caltrans Bypass project would entail the largest filling of wetlands in Northern California in 50 years.  Placing huge amounts of fill dirt on top of wetlands will require that the ground below be drained and collapsed by the insertion of 55,000 wick drains. This will form an underground dam across the flood plain with unpredictable underground hydrological effects. The state Fish & Wildlife agency has already issued stop work orders several times to force …

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In the early morning hours of April 2, the tree-sitter Warbler was removed from her perch by climbers and armed CHP cops and quickly thereafter, authorities went after the other tree-sitters, sometimes violently. Warbler was in a somewhat weakened condition from her hunger strike started last week, and the climbers told her they were using “any means necessary” to remove her from the tree. She is continuing her protest hunger strike on the ground. At least 50 CHP officers, many in riot gear, some armed, went after the other four tree-sitters. Observers documented the CHP pointing rifles directly at sitters …

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The Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters’ annual “Stomp the Stumps’ dance party and activist get-together is coming up Friday, May 10, so mark your calendars! This fun-packed and info-packed evening with 3 bands worth of foot-taping live music takes place at our beloved Ashkenaz Club in Berkeley (San Pablo at Gilman), starting at 8 pm.  On stage will be the Funky Nixons, the Gary Gates Band and Curly.  Off stage will be information about the campaign to stop Caltrans from plowing through wetlands and woodlands in northern California, and props to the blockaders and tree-sitters valiant efforts, along with film …

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On March 28, the two month anniversary of her protest tree sit, “the Warbler” announced that she is starting a hunger fast.  The 24-year-old local farmer has been sitting in a pine tree next to Highway 101, in the path of Caltrans’ proposed Willits Bypass since Jan. 28.  Her statement is below.  A dozen people have been arrested in other actions stopping heavy equipment, as Caltrans has started cutting mature oak trees and clearing vegetation. Nests have been found in the trees, ostensibly putting Caltrans in violation of the Migratory Bird Act. At least one nest has been verified by …

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