Challenge for EPIC’s Richardson Grove Legal Fund:

We need to raise $10,000 this week

Please help us achieve our goal!

Please join EPIC in protecting the old growth redwood ecosystem in Richardson Grove State Park. With your help, we can ensure the grove receives the type of stewardship that a world-class park deserves. For the last four years EPIC has successfully stopped Caltrans from starting construction on their ill-conceived project. To continue in those efforts, we need your support right now.

I am writing today to ask for your help to raise ten thousand dollars, for our Richardson Grove Legal Fund.

Will you be a part of the EPIC Challenge, and pledge your support this week?

Ancient redwoods are some of the tallest and oldest living things on earth. Old growth redwood forests provide important habitat for endangered species and a cathedral-like, peaceful setting for personal reflection. The incredible roots of these trees provide the lifeblood for their health and the structural integrity they need to stand tall. These globally famous organisms are found nowhere else on the planet except for Northern California.

Caltrans has plans to impact the structural root zone of at least 87 trees, averaging about eight feet wide, within Richardson Grove State Park.

Caltrans claims that their actions will not hurt the trees, but the California State Parks issued guidelines that clearly direct the agency on how to conduct their construction projects within parks. (more…)

A new network of activists organizing against the ill-advised Caltrans project at Richardson Grove State Park, called Richardson Grove Action Now have organized a rally for the public, at noon on February 7 at District 1 Caltrans in Eureka. This rally will offer opponents of the project an opportunity to instruct District 1 Deputy Director Charlie Fielder to cancel the controversial project that threatens ancient redwoods and Richardson Grove State Park. Amidst two lawsuits challenging the legality of project planning and a lack of public input, the agency barrels forward toward project construction.

“It seems that we have no other choice than to bring our message straight to the decision-makers,” said Kerul Dyer, EPIC’s Richardson Grove campaign coordinator. “Even with two lawsuits pending, the agency continues to barrel ahead with tunnel vision. They seem dead set on damaging the gateway into the redwood region.”

Over the last three years, the campaign to protect Richardson Grove State Park from the ill-advised Caltrans project has collected thousands of letters in opposition, generated tens of thousands of online protest actions and organized dozens of events to educate the public about the myth that local businesses need the project to thrive.

“The many citizen activists who have led this coalition have carried a message forward, but to deaf ears,” said Dyer. “These people can see no other option than to stage a rally at the doors of Caltrans. Perhaps then they will have to listen to the public’s concerns for the trees, and our local community.”

While EPIC, the Center for Biological Diversity, Californians for Alternatives to Toxins, and five citizen plaintiffs are engaged in a lawsuit challenging the plan in California and Federal courts, the grassroots campaign continues to gain momentum. A public update and planning event will take place at the Bayside Grange February 2, at 5 p.m.. In Southern Humboldt, Richardson Grove Action Now organizers have extended an invitation to meet on Sunday, February 6 at noon in the Garberville town square to coordinate efforts for their rally next monday.

For more information about the rally or other events, call (707) 602-7551 or write rgroveactionnow@gmail.com.

Today EPIC and our allies filed suit to protect the ancient redwoods in Richardson Grove State Park from Caltrans’ ill-conceived plan to widen Highway 101. We are very pleased to have the pro-bono support of the Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy law firm, including the inspiration of Pete McCloskey, former US Congressman and veteran environmental advocate.

We are teaming up with the Center for Biological Diversity, Californians for Alternatives to Toxins and local citizens Loreen Eliason, Trisha Lee Lotus, Bruce Edwards and Jeff Hedin in our upcoming court battle.

Our plaintiff group is confident that we can protect the ancient trees at Richardson Grove, and unravel the misinformation campaign that Caltrans, big business interests and local officials have waged to promote the project.

I want to offer a special thank you to all of the amazing supporters who have made our own challenge to raise $5000 in one week to support this effort. With your help, we have had great success in exceeding our goal!

Please take a moment and read our joint press release, and keep checking back for more updates.

This filing marks an important elevation in our campaign to protect the grove, but it is only the beginning.

In addition to winning on legal merits, we must continue to build momentum so that we also might win in another, very important arena. The court of public opinion has been swayed by years of lobbying and deal-making by a few businesses influencing Caltrans and local officials to support this disastrous project.

To achieve these efforts, we will need volunteers and further financial support, as well as the support of our cultural activists, including musicians, poets and artists who support our campaign to protect Richardson Grove.We look forward to bringing our community a number of entertaining events locally to highlight the offerings made to us from a plethra of artists.

We look forward to finding many more creative ways for people who oppose this project to participate in a grassroots campaign to protect these ancient trees from harm.

Additionally, please feel free to download our Endorsed Richardson Grove Complaint (petition for writ of mandate).

Thanks for your attention!

Kerul Dyer

Richardson Grove Campaign Coordinator

Please help us achieve our goal of raising $5000 in one week.

Please help EPIC protect the old growth redwoods in Richardson Grove State Park. With your help, we can ensure the grove remains fully protected.

Right now, EPIC needs your help to make the kick-off for our Richardson Grove Legal Fund a success.

Already  four dedicated people have pledged to match up to $2500 to support the kick-off.

Will you be a part of the EPIC Challenge, and pledge your support this week?

Ancient redwoods are some of the tallest and oldest living things on earth. Old growth redwood forests provide important habitat for endangered species and a cathedral-like, peaceful setting for personal reflection. The incredible roots of these trees provide the lifeblood for their health and the structural integrity they need to stand tall. (more…)

Richardson Grove State Park marks the southern entrance to Humboldt County, and is considered to be the famous redwood curtain that has kept the county from becoming another exit along the superhighway of modern development. In 1922, concerns about “potential destruction of the trees by highway construction and logging” persuaded the State to protect the redwood grove. But now Caltrans is proposing to widen the highway through the Grove, resulting in removal of trees and destruction of old growth root systems.

Caltrans originally prepared a Categorical Exemption, attempting to do minimal environmental analysis for the proposed project. However, with the involvement of EPIC and other environmental advocates, Caltrans has been forced back to the drawing board to do more extensive research, stalling the proposed project in the planning process for the past year. The trees have been allowed to remain while Caltrans conducts further analysis, preparing an Environemtal Impact Report on the impacts associated with the proposed “Richardson Grove Operational Improvement Project.”

The Save Richardson Grove Campaign has already stalled Caltrans, now its our job to stop them. You can be part of winning this battle right now by joining the campaign, educating yourself, signing postcards, petitioning your elected officials, reviewing the environmental documents for inadequacies, publishing opinion articles in news outlets or by doing your own unique something to spread awareness and stop the project!

Click on the links below to view Caltrans’ environmental analysis documents for the proposed Richardson Grove highway widening project:

• Caltrans’ Draft Environmental Impact Report - Full Report
• Appendix I Natural Environment Study - Includes analysis of biological resources
• Appendix L Layout Maps – Includes maps of proposed tree and root removal
• Purpose and Need

The Save Richardson Grove Campaign has been accumulating community support for efforts to stop Caltrans’ widening project through the grove. View the pages below to learn more about the Campaign to Save Richardson Grove and find out how you can get involved:

Take Action Now!

Caltrans plans to release their final proposal in May of 2010, and will stop accepting public comments at that time. Please visit EPIC’s action center to send a letter to Caltrans, to let them know your feelings about the Richardson Grove project.

Sign up for EPIC’s Save Richardson Grove listserve

You can receive regular updates about upcoming events and campaign developments. We can update you on our efforts to stop the Caltrans project threatening old growth redwoods in Richardson Grove State Park.

Join the Coalition to Save Richardson Grove.

This group of organizers has kept the heat on CalTrans and have brought many issues to light.  Already this group has successfully forced CalTrans to produce environmental planning documents to examine expected impacts of the proposed project.

The Big Picture: A Sacred Place, Not a Truck Rodeo

Widening the highway through Richardson Grove is just the first step in a larger scheme to alter the character of the county; to rob it of its quaint charm and turn it into a replica of so many Los Angeles suburbs.

Donate to EPIC’s “Save Richardson Grove Fund”

The power is in your hands, EPIC needs support from people like you to keep the Richardson Grove campaign going. We are up against large scale developers with unlimited budgets. Every donation helps.