April 15, 2009
Richardson Grove State Park, established in 1922, is approximately 2,000 acres encompassing a majestic stand of old-growth redwoods bisected by the South Fork of the Eel River. For centuries the Eel worked to create the thick layers of rich soil needed to grow the enormously tall redwoods found within the park borders.
For unknown reasons, the park is named after California's 25th governor, William Richardson, a governor that vetoed every expenditure bill presented to him for the emerging state park system. Yet Richardson Grove survived and thrived and today is alive with campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails, wildlife, and its impressive canopy of stately giants.
Located at the southern end of Humboldt County, Highway 101 also cuts through the state park past the thousand-year-old redwood giants. Cars and trucks have safely traveled the winding road through the Grove for decades although drivers must slow down for the one mile it takes to safely traverse the tight curves. The reduced speed is also necessary for safety due to the numerous driveways that are present along this stretch of highway allowing access to the park campground, visitor center, gift shops, and motels.
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According to CalTrans:
Route 101 is the primary north-south route serving the north coast of California and is critical to the commerce of the region. Route 101 through Richardson Grove is a narrow two-lane road with large old growth redwood trees adjacent to the traveled way.
This project will adjust the roadway alignment to accommodate STAA truck travel through Richardson Grove. Improvement of goods movement will help local businesses stay competitive in the marketplace.
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The Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 allows large trucks, referred to as STAA trucks, to operate on routes that are part of the National Network. The National Network includes the Interstate System and other designated highways which were a part of the Federal-Aid Primary System on June 1, 1991.
Highway 101 is not part of the Interstate highway system and was not part of the Federal-Aid Primary System on June 1, 1991. Right now, without the `improvement' project,
"California-Legal truck configurations, with a 65 foot overall length are allowed to travel on State highways throughout Humboldt County."
What are We Trading our Trees For?
To what purpose are we sacrificing the well being of Richardson Grove's redwood trees? According to the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared for the "improvement" plan:
The total number of trucks utilizing Route 101 would not be likely to change regardless of truck size for routine truck trips, regardless of the vehicle's volume or the payload's weight. This is particularly true in light of economic trends. Truck transport has been declining nationwide with the rise in fuel prices and many firms are requiring full return payloads in order to maximize fuel economy.
From the Save Richardson Grove website, we learn that all highway trucks are allowed the same maximum gross weight of 80,000 lbs. However, the larger the truck, the heavier its empty weight, allowing it to carry less product weight. For example, food products are heavy and reach their maximum weight before they fill their cubic space.
This is why Safeway and Costco use 48' trailers and Winco uses 53' trailers. All use tractors (cabs) that are short enough to accommodate the longer trailer lengths legally. The larger, heavier STAA trucks will result in more expense. Costco, Safeway and Winco are the largest importers in Humboldt County of the most frequently imported products--food. These stores use smaller tractors to accommodate the longer trailers legally, and will therefore not need, nor benefit from, the CalTrans Project.
Gasoline, diesel, and propane are other imported products that attain their weight limit before their space limit. Same with building products, like cement, block, plywood, sheetrock, etc. Light products can be shipped in the longer 48 and 53 foot trailers with the shorter, safer tractors, as currently utilized on the 62 other California state highways with similar restrictions as 101.
We need to ask, for what purpose is this "improvement" project being undertaken?
Environmental groups throughout the region including EPIC, Friends of the Eel River, the Northcoast Environmental Center, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council have all come out in opposition to the widening project, as have local business, residents, and visitors alike.
The deadline for submitting written comments on the draft Environmental Impact Report has passed. Trees Foundation spoke with Kim Floyd, CalTrans project manager for the `improvement' plan, and asked when the next opportunity for public involvement would occur. According to Floyd, there are no more opportunities. Trees asked at what point the agency would decide which alternative from the draft Environmental Impact Report would be chosen. "There is only the preferred alternative," claimed Floyd. Trees reminded her of the `no build alternative.'
Floyd then pointed out that choosing which alternative to select is not a voting process, that even if the overwhelming majority of respondents were in favor of `no build,' it would have no effect on CalTrans' plans for the highway.
Floyd went on to say that CalTrans is currently evaluating the written comments submitted, and will make whatever minor adjustments are necessary and proceed to construction. Trees asked why CalTrans was so insistent on widening the highway through the State Park. Floyd explained that the larger trucks were now `the standard' and they were already driving in Humboldt County because they could enter from the north, and it was desirable for those large trucks to be able to drive through the County from both directions.
Desirable for whom, we wonder.
From this conversation, Trees has concluded that the real reason for this widening project really has nothing at all to do with helping local businesses stay competitive in the marketplace as CalTrans has claimed. It also seems that CalTrans is not the least bit interested in what the public wants. We are talking about a public park, and a public highway, yet the public's interests are not considered.
Contrary to what Ms. Floyd would like us to believe, there is still opportunity for the pubic to stop this project, but we must become a little more creative. Your state representative would be a good starting point. You can find the contact information for your state representatives here: www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg. With all of the budget cuts and tax hikes occurring in California this year, there must be better ways to spend the six to ten million dollars that this unwanted project is going to cost California citizens.
According to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the average working family of four is going to be taxed an additional $1,100 this year and next by the state of California as part of the recent budget-deficit solution. Business will be paying no increase in taxes, in fact it was never even considered. State Parks had their funding slashed as well as education, health services, and a variety of public programs. Yet we can spend millions of dollars on a project that the public doesn't want! Ask your state representatives why the state is taking money away from the Park's maintenance and visitor service's budget, and spending money to degrade the Park.
EPIC's website contains in-depth information about the Richardson Grove Plan at www.wildcalifornia.org, as does the Save Richardson Grove website at *saverichardsongrove.org*.
Please support these groups who are working to stop this plan. Thank you.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Spring 2009