Save Jackson: The People's Forest

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EPIC has been working to change the way CAL FIRE manages Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF). Jackson is an extremely important forest and should be conserved for several reasons.

 

First, Jackson houses culturally significant sites and biological resources for the Northern Pomo and Coast Yuki peoples that are threatened by ongoing timber harvesting. Preserving Jackson would also help preserve their cultural heritage.

 

Moreover, Jackson is already state owned land, which means no acquisition is required to move almost 50,000 acres into the “conserved” column. In addition, Jackson is already beloved by local residents and tourists alike as a place for outdoor recreation.

 

On top of that, JDSF is home to the endangered northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet, making the biodiversity benefits of a forest reserve large. Finally, because the dominant species in Jackson is coastal redwood, preserving this forest will have uniquely beneficial carbon sequestration impacts. Coast redwood trees sequester carbon quicker and for a longer period of time than almost any other species on earth.

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In order to accomplish this, we’ve partnered with local and national organizations like the Mendocino Trail Stewards, Jug Handle Creek Farm & Nature Center, Forests Forever Foundation, California Native Plant Society, Mama Tree Mendo, Fortunate Farmland,  Standing Up For Racial Justice Mendocino, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Mendocino County Youth for Climate.

 

We are also working with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the original stewards of the forest now called JDSF, to ensure that our advocacy is respectful of their connection to this land. Jackson is the ancestral territory of the Northern Pomo and Coast Yuki Peoples. Since time immemorial, these Peoples have gathered acorns throughout the coastal range, fished for salmon in the rivers and gathered food, basket weaving materials and medicinal plants from the coastal forest. 

 

Together, we are all committed to changing the way CAL FIRE manages JDSF for the better. That means focusing on wildlife conservation, carbon sequestration, recreation and reverence, not industrial logging. We’ll be sure to keep you updated about our fight to preserve JDSF and let you know if there are more ways you can help.