It is ON, says Grovie organizer Jeff Muskrat in an e-mail call to arms that came across our desk today. Muskrat says that trees are already being felled in preparation for the Richardson Grove project; he’s forecasting direct action starting Memorial Day weekend.
!RICHARDSON GROVE ACTION ALERT! The environmentalists’ last stand?
I’m forwarding this to assumably all unopposed to Richardson grove direct action, trainers, FOREST DEFENDERS etc. Please forward far and wide to likewise interested humans. Will post also on independent media THIS EVENING with location to be announced: (LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, EDITS, BUT THE URGENCY OF THE MATTER MAKES ME INCLINED TO POST IT ASAP)
THE ANCIENT REDWOODS IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY NEED YOUR HELP, AGAIN! (AND JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THAT ANCIENT TREES IN STATE PARKS WERE PROTECTED…)
FOR THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR THE “MAGIC MOMENT” TO JUMP INTO THE SAVE RICHARDSON GROVE CAMPAIGN(SRG), THE TIME IS RIGHT NOW! CALTRANS MAY BE CUTTING TREES AT RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK AS YOU READ THIS CALL TO ACTION.
ONLY YESTERDAY, CALTRANS FELL MULTIPLE 3-4 FOOT DIAMETER REDWOODS RIGHT NEXT TO THE 101 JUST SOUTH OF THE REDWOOD CURTAIN AT RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK NEAR LEGGETT! IT IS LIKELY THAT OUR REDWOOD CURTAIN IS NEXT!
DIRECT ACTION TRAINING IS COMING NOW TO THE REDWOOD CURTAIN. A GATHERING FOCUSED ON DEFENDING OUR STATE PARK FROM THE CALTRANS R.I.P(RICHARDSON GROVE “IMPROVEMENT” PROJECT) IS SET TO BEGIN MAY 28TH-30TH.
ALL ARE INVITED TO HELP ORGANIZE, CONDUCT TRAININGS, AND PARTICIPATE IN SOLIDARITY UNDER THE “EARTH FIRST!” PRINCIPLES OF NON-VIOLENCE, ANTI-OPPRESSION, AND NO COMPROMISE IN THE DEFENSE OF MOTHER EARTH!
THE POINT OF ACTION HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT ALONG REDWOOD HIGHWAY 101, PRIMARILY WITHIN RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK. MAPS OF THE PROJECT ARE AVAILABLE AT THE CALTRANS R.I.P. PROJECT PAGE.
DEFEND THE ANCIENT REDWOODS, MADRONES AND OAKS ALONG THE HIGHWAY FROM THIS ILLEGAL PROJECT! THE SRG(SAVE RICHARDSON GROVE) CAMPAIGN HAS SO MUCH SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, NO ONE HERE WANTS TO SEE THE DEMISE OF THE ANCIENT REDWOODS THAT ARE THE REDWOOD CURTAIN.
ALL THAT IS MISSING FROM THE CAMPAIGN IS YOU! YOUR UNIQUE IDEAS, EXPERIENCES, ENERGY, PARTICIPATION AND LOVE FOR TREES!
JOIN US IS SOLIDARITY TO DEFEND THE REDWOOD CURTAIN AT RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK. UP TO 87 TREES ARE SLATED TO BE CUT, ALONG WITH THE ROOTS OF THE ANCIENT REDWOODS THAT LINE THE HIGHWAY.
CALTRANS HAS JUST CANCELED THE MARBLED MURRELET SURVEYS THAT MAY HAVE PROTECTED THE PARK SECTION OF THE PROJECT AT LEAST UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15TH. CALTRANS MAY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TREE REMOVAL ON PRIVATE ADJACENT PARK LANDS, AND NOW THAT THE SURVEYS HAVE BEEN CANCELED, ANYTHING GOES!
RICHARDSON GROVE HAS BEEN LABELED BY THE PRO-PROJECT LOCAL MEDIA AS “THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS’ LAST STAND”. IF THAT IS TRUE, YOU BETTER BE THERE ON MAY 28TH…
CONTACT humboldtforestdefense@gmail.com for info and how to get involved.
The tentative date, the evening of friday the 28th for setup, the 29th(JFK’s B-day) and 30th of May…or sooner if possible, but I’m not sure if we can get it out there(fliers, press, organizing) any sooner than two weeks from today. Weekends would be best for trainers, I assume. We can’t wait any longer. I’m running with the 28th thru the 30th. Those who feel the urgency will be there regardless of commitments.
Please let me know if there are any major conflicts with schedules, but I feel that this is important enough for most people to drop everything because tree cutting is imminent.
I will begin composing a training agenda if that pleases the group.
Much thanks!
Jeff
This article appears in Permission to Enter.
Hell yeah muskrat!
tell those caltrans goons what’s up!
Are you sure this is authentic? Because no one I know is aware of CALTRANS taking down any trees by Richardsons.
About time. Welcome to the 21st Century, Humboldt County.
So, what are they doing with all the wood? Can just anyone come and get some of that OAK for fire wood?
Kym: This is all according to Muskrat, for sure. And I see that I mischaracterized the release somewhat; I’ll correct it now.
I was horrified during a drive to San Francisco late last year at how many redwoods and pines had been butchered along the 101 near and around Santa Rosa. Fresh cut piles of them beside the freeway along a stretch of at least ten miles. Senselessly stripping the world of it’s natural landscape, a few “inconsequential” trees at a time. It needs to stop.
Still no confirmation yet on whether trees are actually falling. It would be good if the ncj, muskrat, epic, caltrans, or ANYONE could provide us with a link to updates on the actual project that would let us know if progress is being made.
Hilarious! ITS THE END OF THE WORLD! DOES IT MAKE IT SCARIER IF I MAKE IT ALL IN CAPS? BUT I GUESS YOU SMELLY LOSERS DONT HAVE WORRY ABOUT LITTLE THINGS LIKE JOBS OR PAYING TAXES LIKE THE REST OF US. If you’re so worried about environmental damage why don’t you go help out with the oil spill in the Gulf?
Hey Frank, you’re a fart smeller…er…smart feller. Instead of telling the hippies to move out because good people like yourself are so excited to be bringing the city to the sticks, why don’t smart folks like yourself move to the city and save everybody the hassle?
That was private information, Mr. Sims and Mr. Burns.
I never authorized either of you to print it. I’m not even sure how you “acquired” the email, as it was only sent to organizers.
You will be hearing from my attorney.
Just read Jeff Muskrat’s 3:55 comment.
Hey that’s pretty funny.
Jeff, a word to the wise, once you send out the e-mail to a group of people, there ain’t a darned thing you can do about it if one of them forwards it to someone else, including a reporter.
And Hank doesn’t have to ask your permission to print an email that was forwarded to him. So I guess your attorney will have to find something else to chat with Hank about.
Oh, and the funniest thing about your latest comment is that you did not comment at all on whether this was a false alarm or an accurate account of tree felling near Richardson Grove, and whether that tree felling has ANYTHING to do with the Richardson Grove realignment, or whether you were just putting out an unsubstantiated, sensationalizing scare report designed to boost the recruitment of volunteers. (I’m guessing the latter.)
The email makes it clear of the uncertainty as to whether the trees being cut are directly related to the project, but trees are being cut and they are large trees. CalTrans has been cutting large trees along highway 101 for at least the past 8 months as part of their interstate through-way plan. Yes, believe it or not, the Richardson Grove freeway plan isn’t for the sake of the local economy but to benefit interstate transport and make humboldt county just another pitstop for sleeper trucks. 10 years from now, supporters of the project will be eating their shoes, but it will be too late.
Where are those interstate trucks going to be going? There’s no large population centers up here, and anything headed from the Bay area to Oregon and points north will continue to go up Route 5, which is much more direct, easier terrain, etc. The they’re-trying-to-turn- Humboldt-into-a-freeway-stop thing is sheer nonsense.
I bet the trees he is talking about are the ones south of Confusion Hill being cut by PG&E to improve the reliability of power to the area.
I think all the trees are fir, and almost all are under 24 inches. Call to arms indeed!!!!
Marcus,
Apparently you’ve jumped to the conclusion that I favor the RG project. Actually I don’t. But I do think that most of the arguments being made against it are highly speculative, to say the least.
The reason that I oppose the project is simple: It seems likely that it will do at least SOME harm to at least SOME of the ancient redwoods that have their roots disturbed. And on the other side, I just don’t think it’s going to be all that beneficial to local businesses.
Sure, our freight costs are higher than some other places, but many other costs are lower — the cost of land and buildings, labor, taxes — all are lower here than many places in the Bay Area.
And I think the safety argument is not very convincing either. I think that if the curves are improved and the roadway somewhat widened, that will just result in people driving faster.
Essentially my attitude towards the roadway through Richardson Grove is that it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it.
I like the idea of some of those radar speeding signs that tell you how fast you’re going. Those things really DO work to get people to slow down to the speed limit, or near it.
I have no idea why a regular speed limit sign, together with one’s own speedometer, does not have the same effect, but I’ll leave that question to others. I know that those “your speed is…” signs really work, and I think we should have them at both ends of the narrowest parts of the Grove. That would do much more to promote safe driving and prevent accidents in that area than widening the curves and the roadway…and of course would cost many millions less!
sorry, reasonable anon! I completely misread your tone. And I totally agree…it’s not broken, don’t fix it. It boggles my mind how so many lose sight of the bigger picture, especially along a timeline.
It’s time to stop bickering and belittling one each other and agree that we love our home and value our lifestyle. This isn’t the Bay Area, nor do I want to see it become anything like it. I sat next to Judy Bari on the police bus when we were arrested for direct action down at Stafford Road after the big slide demolished homes and ruined the community. You know, she taught me to never give up, no matter what. Especially if we want to keep the integrity of our beautiful county intact for our children and their children. We have the beauty and pure nature that everyone wants. We cannot allow ANYONE exploit it or us. We will have to act and fight if we want to keep it. If it’s not Caltrans, it will be some other corporation or private interest. Wider roads are NOT what we need here. In fact, we need more roadless areas.
It’s a PARK. These are the few small area we set aside to protect for our children and grandchildren. Build your roads somewhere else.
Caltrans plans to cut the roots of many old growth, the only remaining of 120 acres that was originally Richardson Grove State Park.
Most humans are tired of a few business people trying to improve THEIR bottom line, and think nothing of a mistake like this oil spill. Oops, but drill drill drill baby.
These few businesses don’t think twice about killing many old growth trees by cutting their roots, cutting the trees whose root systems support each other, ripping off the current asphalt, pouring toxic new asphalt, and smothering the trees.
LET THE BOYCOTT BEGIN.!!! I have been boycotting for a year, and now I am announcing to all to let the boycott begin. I am for businesses who are not for cutting Richardson Grove. I am not shopping and just encouraged friends not to buy that out of country goat cheese, with milk from Mexico, Cypress Grove, Sun Valley Poison flowers killing workers, hiring undocumented workers and then calling the authorities on their own workers the day before pay day. Yes, crapy businesses. Go away, and quit ruining our underground water and blowing pesticides to neighboring organic farms. Go to Mexico so you don’t have to bring Mexico here and exploit them.
Hank is a jerk. Times Standard is crap too, since the Reporter closed. They all run on Arkley presses. I stopped my subscription. Folks, there is only end of life grass fed beef, and a friend said it gets all mixed up in the slaughter house. Cram four more cows for slaughter in a truck 5 feet longer. In ten years, they will want trucks 10 feet longer. Done with Eureka Natural foods (picking up hookers, and mean management, makes it easy).I am done with you all. Co-op David Lipman thinks he can save $1 on wheat grass, so whoo whoo, cut baby cut. O&M my landlady promised not to call them to fix my heater. She says there are many companies that fix floor heaters at a fraction of the cost of O & M. Can’t stand Lost Coast Brewery; beer or restaurant, so not a problem as I quit going there long ago, and convinced my friends to do the same.
I prefer shopping at Rays, Safeway, Farmer’s Markets, and Winco; all stores not for cutting Richardson Grove. My favorite store is Wildberries. My friend thinks I am obsessed with Wildberries, and I am. In fact, unless I am desparate and need one thing only, and Rays or Winco or Safeway does not have it, I will drive to Arcata just to avoid both Eureka Natural Foods and Co-op, although David Lipman says Co op is not taking a stance. But does he put a vote out to the members???
“Please forward far and wide to likewise interested humans. “
I suppose that Hank falls into this category. Thank you for the coverage Hank. (No, really, you shouldn’t have…but thank you none the less)
-UPDATE-
My sources are telling me that the two trees felled by Caltrans(not PG and E) “Vegetation Management” were both Doug Firs. The 3′ DBH fir was on the power line side of the 101 and was allegedly removed due to the trees position to the power lines.
The other 4′ diameter fir was on the other side of the road. It’s still unknown the reasons why either of these trees were removed.
The location is just north of the 1 and 101 interchange at Leggett.
It is also rumored that Caltrans has canceled the Marbled Murrelett surveys, the surveys that project manager Kim Floyd promised NCJ readers in the pro-project articles recently authored in the NCJ by Cristina Bauss.
Even though the surveys were “meaningless”, as in being conducted AFTER the FEIR(Final Environmental Impact Report), this only demonstrates that Caltrans will begin the project before September 15th(the end of Marbled Murrelett nesting season).
It is also feared that Caltrans will use “in house” tree removal within and outside the Park, even before project bidding. This is an attempt by Caltrans to head off any type of civil disobedience. This info came from within Caltrans. This could happen any day.
There are a lot of Caltrans employees that are against this project as well. The newest word on the street is that Caltrans is suffering from major budget cuts, that employees are having their pay dropped to minimum wage.
I invite all Caltrans employees to stand with us in solidarity, who are opposed the Richardson grove project and State employee wage cuts. The State system is broken, the State is bankrupt and the problem lies within the bureaucratic mess that our Governor has made with this once best State in the union. In the world in my opinion.
Continued…
Instead of this costly and controversial project, Caltrans simply could install some speed radar signs and be done with it. No controversy, no trees or roots being cut. A simple fix using technology instead of bulldozers.
Caltrans could move onto bigger issues and fix our roads and bridges that are falling apart. Isn’t that a better use of the Federal funding anyways? Most of these bridges were built in the 1950’s and 60’s, many without the same seismic standards that we have today.
If the big one hits, is a wider(curvier, whatever) Richardson Grove the solution to keeping the 101 open from here to S.F?
The information from that email was not intended to be public. The email that the NCJ intercepted was a very rough draft, hence the caps. (It’s easier to type all caps than worry about upper and lower cases, and I often do that to save time.)
But now that it’s out, I figured your readers deserved an explanation. If Hank and the rest of the NCJ feel that this is newsworthy, I suggest that they also find out when and why Caltrans canceled those endangered species surveys.
No, Caltrans has not fallen any trees yet(that I’m aware of) for the Richardson grove project. The area of current discussion and concern is just north of Leggett. I’m not sure how the tree removal was confused with Richardson grove State Park. I suppose Hank should have waited to intercept the final draft of the email. I sure would like to know how it “came across the NCJ desk”.
Bob, you are 100% right!
It’s a State Park!
Who’s park?
OUR PARK!
Caltrans, get out of Richardson Grove!
—
Jeffrey “Muskrat” Musgrave
http://humboldtforestdefense.blogspot.com
“Rumored” and “word on the street”. How about a fact or two Jeff. What little credibility you had is pretty much gone. You’re just digging yourself in deeper with all this B.S..
Are you asking me to reveal my sources, Mr. Kirby?
Let’s let Hank Sims go first…
Someone you sent the e-mail to forwarded it to the Journal, or forwarded it to a friend who forwarded it to the Journal, or forwarded it to a friend who forwarded it to a friend who forwarded it to the Journal, and so forth.
Are you getting a hang of how e-mail works now? Once you send an e-mail, you lose any semblance of control over who sees your message.
As for sources, the Tree-Sit Blog has published your e-mail too. The only significant difference (as seen via an MS Word compare-and-merge function) is that Hank has an extra a line at the end: “I will begin composing a training agenda if that pleases the group.”
Given that we know the e-mail is apparently legitimate (via a second published source and your not denying authorship), Hank’s source is irrelevant, except to you.
If you are making claims about other people and organizations, you’d best provide evidence (such as your sources) if you want to be taken seriously.
How disingenuous to present this issue as environmentally significant, when all along it’s really about a small group of radicals trying to impose their will on the rest of us.
Don’t like Big Box stores, don’t shop there! Personally, I’ve had enough of loud mouthed ignorant freaks telling lies. Tea Party tactics may work for right wing nuts, but I expect more from the “Environmental” community. Only eight pairs of spotted owls left on Green Diamond lands? Tell me Felice Pace, “environmental activist and Klamath Forest Alliance director”, why should we ever believe anything written under your name again. Answer me this Gary Hughes: Why has it been OK for the environmental community to take advantage of every conceivable legal loophole to accomplish your agenda, but CalTran’s can’t. Last time I checked the law applied equally to everyone, you should try reading it sometime. Hey there “Jeff Muskrat”, care to tell us how much money have you and your buddies collected up to date. Hope it’s enough to pay for a frivolous lawsuit that is sure to go nowhere. Oh, but I forget, we taxpayers have to pay even if you loose.
Here’s a question for the “Enviros”: If you are so concerned about the marbled murrelet, why are you allowing Grove campers to kill them?
Ah, more baiting.
Fueling the flames of division and misinformation?
And what colorful responses.
I suppose it did generate traffic on Northcoast Journal’s website, and continue to divide those opposing the very real widening of 101 through the old growth redwood grove at Richardson Grove State Park.
What I saw when I checked it out was one tree cut, but I believe it is possible that there were two large trees cut at the location. It does seem heavy handed and problematic, but unrelated to the Richardson Grove project.
I am unclear on whether Caltrans will begin some portion of the Richardson Grove project without first fulfilling all of the processes necessary to start construction. I do believe it would not be in Caltrans’ best interest to start this project during Murrellet season, much less before the public document of their final plan is available for public review. Here is what I found on the Caltrans website relating to this issue:
“Route 101 (92.5/98.9) – PG&E of Eureka has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility maintenance and tree trimming from 0.5 mile south of the Jitney Gulch Bridge to 0.4 mile south of Confusion Hill. Work hours are 7AM to 4PM, weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. LC#P101GA?”
I think that is the project that was observed and Jeff responded to.
Don’t get me wrong. Things are urgent. Please support the campaign to protect our State Park.
-Kerul Dyer, EPIC
Thanks much for the update, Kerul.
In disputing someone’s argument, it is customary for reasonable people to counter with a retort that shows the error in your opponents thinking. Members of wing nut activist groups however, having already made up their minds, will simply shout down ANYONE that disagrees. This “Mob Rule” is costing us dearly. Nobody needs to be reminded how the actions of a few loud mouthed activists have succeeded in denying women their reproductive rights in large parts of the country, or how nearly half of the people in this so called developed country don’t believe in Evolution; goodbye science, hello speculation and spiritual beliefs. In this case, we are dealing with a small group of radicals, enabled by environmental lawyers who collect millions of dollars, win or lose! If you retain the ability of critical thinking, here are some facts to consider:
Comments provided by Park officials express concern for marbled murrelets, but they have no idea as to the status of this federally endangered species inside the park, I wonder why? Highway 101 has snaked through RGSP over sixty years, way before this species became endangered, and as such, the associated disturbance is allowed under the ESA. However, I find it INEXPLICABLE that State Park biologists have allowed campers to continue to degrade RGSP habitat. Surely, RGSP could have taken some of the money they collect from visitors to survey for murrelets, rather than trying to extort it from Cal-Trans.
Imma go buy a gang of Great White, Humboldt Fog, and Sun Valley greenhouse tulips even though I don’t drink, don’t eat cheese, and already have tulips blooming at home.
“Leave Richardson Grove Alone” nobody gives a fuck about your $50 on groceries dropping, cheap, anti-local ass. No local company is out there chopping trees and laying out asphalt, it’s all the feds and their grants to states for safety compliance in linking up the national interstate system. It’s not as if you can’t already drive big ass trucks through Richardson Grove, it is the fucked up legislation designed to protect truck drivers which makes Richardson Grove legally unsafe.
Y’all seriously need to find a real environmental cause to get behind because this highway freakout is bullshit. Half of y’all live 90 miles away and never go to Richardson Grove anyway. FIX THE BATHROOMS at Richardson Grove.
The world we live in is so disconnected from nature that we argue about whether the trees or trucks have the right of way on the planet. Industry has encroached on enough of the planet, to allow continuance when we’ve seen such devastation already from human planning for corporate greed is just plain stupidity. Richardson is a State Park. The agreement in this park is that it not have expansion of roads. It is a treaty with the original owners (not GOD who owns it all) that industry wants and plans on breaking by widening the road through Richardsons Grove.
Environmentalists didn’t just pull this out of the hat as a way to get glory, that’s what the Kinetic Sculpture Race is about, no, it is about promises and what is right and good for ALL, not just those who will make a buck.