Karen Pickett – Page 7 – Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters

Court hearings on Richardson Grove and new alliance

August 7, 2018March 20, 2018 by Karen Pickett

Rumblings about Richardson Grove Redwoods from Caltrans Also: New Indigenous-Enviro Alliance Sees Success We were alerted by our colleagues on the North Coast that, after a long respite of no activity on the Richardson Grove front, there are things happening behind the scenes, in the courts, and in the County Supervisor’s chambers. Most of you will remember that Caltrans’ backward-looking ruminations for bigger, faster roadways yielded a plan announced over a decade ago, to widen and “realign” Highway 101 through the towering ancient redwoods of Richardson Grove State Park in southern Humboldt County. That plan, controversial from the beginning, has been …

Comments Needed on Mattole Forest road building, Offshore Oil and wild Smith River!

February 16, 2018February 14, 2018 by Karen Pickett

Deep in the fog-shrouded coastal forests in the hills above the ocean in southern Humboldt county, a new logging road is planned that has no good reason to be built. This area of old forest, mostly Doug Fir and other species in the Mattole River watershed, is one of the few areas outsides of the now publicly-owned Headwaters Reserve that was left in fairly pristine shape by the old, rapacious Pacific Lumber. But the timber company that bought the forestland from PL/Maxxam—Humboldt Redwood Co. (HRC)—is not leaving it alone. Activists have had a long-standing blockade (see previous Mattole BACH …

Action Updates: Mattole Forest Blockade and Richardson Grove!

December 6, 2017November 19, 2017 by Karen Pickett

UPDATE ON MATTOLE FOREST DEFENSE! An area in the Mattole River watershed on Northern California’s forested coast is called the “Lost Coast”, because of its relative remoteness from major highways and population centers. There lies mature Douglas Fir forest, unmolested by logging—left behind even by the rapacious Maxxam Pacific Lumber, in favor of more accessible redwood forest. Humboldt Redwood Co. (HRC), the current owners, have been threatening to log in an area known as Rainbow Ridge. They have been met with staunch opposition from local residents and stalwart forest defenders who have maintained a formidable blockade for five months. HRC recently …

More on Richardson Grove Redux: Trucks vs. Redwoods

June 22, 2017June 6, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Caltrans has been adamant ever since they lost their Richardson Grove Highway Realignment case* in Federal Court in 2014 and were chastised by the judge for their false data and sloppy analysis. The agency was determined to resurrect their plan to accommodate oversized STAA big rig trucks on Hwy. 101 through the heart of redwood country. So their announcement in May 2017 of new documents outlining the same plan many organizations fought for years came as no surprise—but it makes it no more palatable. *Plaintiffs in the case challenging Caltrans’ project were EPIC, the Center for Biological Diversity, Californians for …

Here we go again. New documents on Richardson Grove highway work, mirroring the old documents rejected by Federal Court

June 12, 2017May 26, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Breaking News: Caltrans has just announced the re-launch of their Richardson Grove Highway Project in southern Humboldt County, through Richardson Grove State Park. The Park is home to towering ancient redwoods that people travel from all over the world to see, and home to many species facing shrinking habitat. After a long, fiercely fought, years-long battle over that plan to accommodate larger trucks through the stretch of Highway 101 that winds through the stately forest, Caltrans’ lost their case in Federal Court when the Court found their environmental documents to be arbitrary, capricious and riddled with faulty data. After …

Radio towers and murrelets; climate and deforestation

March 23, 2017March 2, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Clearcuts in Redwood National Park—really? The state of California has a project for construction of three communication towers in the far northern coastal corner of the state, including one in Redwood National Park. Because of maintenance and access issues, these towers always come with clearcuts that must be perpetually maintained. A total of three communication towers, with a height range of 120 to 270 feet and with adjacent clearcuts are proposed for Rodgers Peak (in Redwood National Park), Alder Camp (a state-owned prison facility), and on Rattlesnake Peak (owned by Green Diamond Timber Co.). The towers would provide radio coverage …

Raise Your Voice for Wildlands Plans

March 22, 2017February 17, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Speak Up to Keep Your Voice in Wildlands Planning People often think of grazing and resource extraction when they think of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the west. We are lucky enough in Northern California to have wild lands and critical wildlife habitat under BLM management, along with a local (Arcata) BLM staff with an appreciation of wild forests and rivers and a drive to work with environmentalists to craft protective management plans. However, that collaborative spirit could change—those changes coming from Washington DC. The Senate is considering a resolution—S.J. Res 15—to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s …

1 – Tribal Lawsuit Against Caltrans Holds Strong 2 – Bay Area Shellmound Threatened

March 25, 2017February 3, 2017 by Karen Pickett

No Dismissal of Mendocino County Tribal Lawsuit Letters Needed for Shellmound Property Development in Bay Area Caltrans’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Pomo and Round Valley Tribes seeking to protect their “ancestral, sacred, cultural and archaeological sites and resources” in the Willits Bypass construction area was denied in Federal Court in late January, 2017. The Tribes prevailing over Caltrans’ challenge allows the legal action bringing to light the failure to identify discoveries and destruction of these sites and resources, giving the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Round Valley Indian Tribes a victory for the time …

Hike and Plant with Friends of Headwaters Reserve!

March 25, 2017January 9, 2017 by Karen Pickett

Ring in the new year with new growth! Join us at Headwaters Forest Reserve to plant native tree species in this historic forest. We will meet at 10 AM this Sunday January 15 at the Elk River Trailhead. Prepare for a 4+ mile hike through the reserve, then enjoy refreshments in the Headwaters Education Center provided by the Friends of Headwaters community group. This is a winter event, so remember to bring warm layers and appropriate shoes for hiking. Tools and seedlings will be provided by the BLM and the Friends of Headwaters. If you have any questions, feel free to email …

Ancient Redwoods in Park Under Threat Again

March 25, 2017December 29, 2016 by Karen Pickett

Silence in the redwoods is a beautiful thing. Since all permits were pulled after a well-fought 2014 court victory challenging Caltrans, the jackhammer shovels were called off excavation duty around feeder roots of the redwood giants in Richardson Grove State Park. However, Caltrans’ “Come hell or high water” attitude regarding its plans to accommodate oversized trucks on our coastal highway, and refusal to budge in the face of broad public opposition, clear threats to California’s sensitive habitats and species, federal court defeats and lack of demonstrated need calls for our vigilance. We now have evidenced reason to believe that …