Historic Guerneville Threatened by Timber Harvest

Historic Guerneville Threatened by Timber Harvest

URGENT: 224 acres in the heart of Guerneville at risk!

Logging the hillsides overlooking Guerneville will ruin the view and endanger our health and safety.

Unless we stop it:
Redwoods: Giant redwoods and Douglas firs will be cut down for lumber on 224 acres of hills that stretch from Neeley Road, to Mays Canyon Road, to the Northwood Golf Course.

Fires: Without the redwoods, highly flammable hardwood trees such as tanoak and bay will proliferate and increase fire danger.

Road Damage: Heavy, noisy logging trucks will impact the fragile local roads, erode the hills,and cause soil to migrate down into the river.

Landslides & Floods: Trees that absorb water and hold the soil in place will be removed.

Rainwater rushing down the hills will cause landslides and increase flooding. Road blockages may prevent evacuations on no-outlet Neeley Road during floods, fires, and other emergencies.

Water Quality: Sediment, debris, rocks, and mud will run off the denuded hillsides and pollute the Russian River whose water we depend on for drinking and recreation.

Ludwigia: Added nutrients in the Russian River encourage the spread of invasive ludwigia. It robs fish of oxygen and helps mosquitoes thrive. It chokes out native plants that provide food and shelter for otters, turtles, frogs, and water birds, creating an unnatural monoculture.

Toxic Blue-Green Algae: Blue-green algae thrives in poor-quality, sediment-rich water. It can be deadly to people and pets. In Sonoma County, three dogs have already died from swallowing this toxic algae while swimming. It could happen here.

Habitat Destruction: The forest home of birds, foxes, squirrels, and deer will be diminished.

Public Safety: Wide logging trucks on narrow Neeley and Mays Canyon roads endanger pedestrians, bike riders, and other drivers.

Impaired Vistas: Lush, green vistas in the Highway 116 Scenic Corridor will never be the same.

Views from nearby homes, resorts, beaches, vacation rentals, and Northwood Golf Course will be compromised.

Tourism & Economy: Guerneville’s status as a beautiful, safe, recreation getaway will be impacted. Tourism and real estate, mainstays of our local economy, will be affected.

HELP STOP THIS PROJECT!
Act NOW before it’s too late!
Redwoods may be cut down as early as a month from now. Email a protest, express your concerns, and ask your questions. Every email counts. Write this week!

What can I do?
Send emails to Cal Fire today:
Forest Practice Program Manager
CAL FIRE
SantaRosaPublicComment@fire.ca.gov

Include the number of this Timber Harvest Plan on all communications:
Silver Estates THP #1-20-00084-SON

Join our email list:
To receive alerts and updates, email: GuernevilleForestCoalition@gmail.com

Join our Facebook group:
www.facebook.com/groups/GuernevilleForestCoalition

Donate: Help us hire professional and legal help. Make a tax-deductible donation through our non-profit partner, Forest Unlimited, by going to www.ForestUnlimited.org. Find the donations
buttons on the right sidebar, and then click Donate under Guerneville Forest Coalition.

The confirmation says “Forest Unlimited.” They will direct your donation to the Guerneville Forest Coalition. Thank you for helping save the forest!

Who are we?
The Guerneville Forest Coalition is a grassroots group of concerned citizens from Guerneville and neighboring communities. We are dedicated to the safety and protection of the Lower Russian River area. Please join us to help protect our precious forest environment.
View from Johnson’s Beach
8/2/20 10.4b