EPIC is back before the Humboldt County Superior Court to defend the ancient groves of Richardson Grove State Park from Caltran’s bulldozers. This is a major hearing and we need your support. Help us pack the courtroom to show the people’s support of the grove! Join us on March 18 at 1:45 p.m., Humboldt County Superior Court, 525 Fifth Street, Courtroom 4 (Hon. Kelly Neel). We do not anticipate the hearing to take more than two hours.
According to the legal brief:
“This case challenges the May 22 2017 approval of the Richardson Grove Operational Improvement Project (“Project”) by the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”), and its accompanying certification of a 2010 Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) and approval of a 2017 Addendum. Intent upon allowing large trucks through the Richardson Grove State Park, Caltrans continues to pursue its realignment of State Highway 101 within the State Park, placing at risk the destruction of California’s most irreplaceable public resources: ancient redwoods and the habitat they provide. Caltrans refuses to satisfy its legal obligation to adequately disclose and evaluate the Project’s environmental effects on these resources – effects which threaten the loss of these scarce resources and directly impact the Park.
This case follows a successful 2010 action challenging Caltrans’ initial approval of its project to alter the road to allow the big trucks. In response to that action, in 2014 Caltrans set aside its approvals, and then in May 2017, without notice, or invitation to review, approved the Project, relying almost entirely on its invalidated 2010 EIR and an improperly approved addendum. At issue now is Caltrans’ failure to comply with CEQA in its certification and use of the 2010 EIR and approval of its 2017 Addendum.”
For those who want to come prepared, you can find the briefings for the hearing here, here, and here. Check out our archives here for more on the struggle to save Richardson Grove.
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