It’s hard to write this column with the incredible pressures growing, in particular, what we see and feel in our own country, pushing for authoritarian control and fomenting more and more, deeper and deeper conflict. This tends to permeate deeply into our consciousness. Of course, this has been with us, and much of the world, for a long time.

Just when strides have been made to come to grips with working together to recover from adverse social and natural impacts, positive changes thought to be starting are stymied, ridiculed, and sought to be reversed. We are faced with those problems nationally and in California. There are letters to be written and actions taken to prevent the drastic reversal of hard-won conservation, protection, and social/cultural respect.

Through the lens of experience, history, and personal circumstance, observation, inclination, motivation, and ability, there’s been a dedicated movement for many decades, particularly in California. This movement, while very broad, emphasizes restoration of forests and watersheds, carried out by connected human working partnerships. While most people seem to be unaware or dismissive of this, especially in the swirling chaos and noise confronting us day after day, there is a rooted dedication to transcend and continue restoration and recovery. A not-so-easy-to-accomplish example of this is the removal of four destructive dams in the Klamath River after decades of advocacy by Tribes, environmental groups, and others.

In contrast to this: RIGHT NOW the precious ~ 60 million acre remnants of unexploited, unroaded national forest lands are blithely put up for sacrifice, another corrupt, visionless, vicious abject depletion of the natural world that is a conservational foundation for present and future life. This is a local, national, and worldwide threat. Hopefully, overwhelming public response will stop this sacrifice of the Roadless Rule.

We are fortunate to have real models for a positive, supportive future for both forested watersheds and the life they support. Three examples and ongoing manifestations of where restoration and recovery may come about: 1) Forested watersheds acquired in the last few years from Green Diamond by the Yurok Tribe, which includes Blue Creek, an especially vital and revered tributary of the Klamath River. 2) Former Georgia-Pacific forested watersheds acquired in 2007 by Redwood Forest Foundation(RFFI), now Usal Redwood Forest, includes the renowned Indian Creek, other important spawning tributaries of the South Fork Eel River, and the coastal Usal Creek, and 3) Forested watersheds acquired after World War II by California, now Jackson Demonstration State Forest, mainly from Caspar Creek Timber Company, with large parts of both Noyo and Big River watersheds, and coastal Caspar Creek. All three acquisitions are about 50,000 acres, all have been heavily impacted by logging, and you have three different perspectives in play: the Yurok Tribe, a public non-profit, and the State of California.

The restoration work in RFFI’s Usal Redwood Forest continues to roll, with new Executive Director Matt Hill and Head Forester Steve Severi, able field and office staff, and new board members, including Markida Hoaglin. The Gulch 7 Healthy Forests Proposal was awarded over 4 million, mostly for prescribed and cultural fire in ridge areas between Chinquapin Springs Tan Oak Grove (between Indian Creek, Piercy Creek and Moody Creek), all the way over to Kenny (town site) on Usal Road, and includes a Lost Coast Forestlands effort on the ridge between Coulborn and Sebbas Creeks, major spawning tributaries on the north side of Indian Creek that back up on the upper Mattole watershed. Work will be done over the next 4-5 years. RFFI also just received a $2.8 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant for fuel reduction along Hwy 1.

CalTrans mitigation funding for “bad deeds” (over $2 million) has been awarded for sediment reduction in the lower half of Indian Creek, possibly a two-year project. A stream and riparian restoration project has been submitted for funding to CDFW for Gulch 7 Creek. Also, a very big deal is the coming completion of a planning grant for restoration in ~5,000 acres of the Standley Creek Planning Watershed, with at least 5-10 potential implementation projects to be considered for submission in the next year.

Sanctuary Forest has updates (see pg.) of their work in the Mattole Valley, some pretty incredible stuff that includes big upgrades in the quality of habitat in McKee Creek, from Ettersburg Junction to the Mattole near the Whitethorn Junction. A Sunday tour recently included hiking over the ridge to VanAuken [aka VanArken] Creek on Lost Coast Forestlands’ holding with a conservation easement, including future public access. We saw two very large, lined reservoirs for storing water to be released in the creek during the summer, enabling juvenile fish to survive, and hopefully flourish, to get to the ocean and return as spawning adult salmon and steelhead. Very good, low gradient salmonid habitat there. Tasha McKee, Cam Thompson, and the incredible staff and contractors are quite a team.

The big story (see pg.) is of the largest run of coho salmon in the Mattole since at least the 1980s, and probably going back much further. The progress in this area was also covered in the spring edition of FRN by Nathan Queener.

There has been significant restoration work in the Mattole, especially in the headwaters, ranging from extensive road decommissioning and removal, paving of county road, bank stabilization and habitat improvement. Huge factors involved include very little logging activity since the 1970s, and optimum rainfall resulting in vigorous forest recovery and growth.

The Wooly THP [1-25-00027HUM] with significant clearcuts on extremely damaged and hazardous terrain is a serious threat to the Lower North Fork Mattole’s recovering salmon and steelhead populations and habitat. Over 200 comments in opposition have been submitted. The public comment period has been extended until October 23, but stay tuned, comment deadline may be even further extended. Your awareness and support are needed to help recover the forests and watersheds of the Mattole and California. 

Richard Gienger, Restoration Leadership Project

In Memoriam: Richard Remembers

Robert “Man-Who-Walks-In-The-Woods” Sutherland aka Woods

I think I first met Woods when we moved to the first road west off the Ettersburg Road, north of the junction. Woods was ensconced on the ridge between Eubanks Creek and the hills above Whitethorn Construction. A lot of particulars are a little fuzzy as I age, but I particularly recall Woods’ scientific and passionate bent. He was so knowledgeable and tended to be quite agitated by those whom he considered indifferent to higher standards and principles. He could be patient and kind, but his ire could be suddenly triggered. I recall some of his friends, including myself, had to spirit him out of a packed meeting in Shelter Cove. I think the subject was wilderness protection for the King Range, and Woods would brook no fools or those he considered to be in the “no-nothing party”. I recently talked with someone who remembered, at around 5 years old, when he and his Dad would visit Woods, their vigorous discussions about a variety of topics, and the amount of stacked and sorted documents and binders. I imagine Woods was in his prime in his studies of the incredible variations of Manzanita and Ceanothus at the time. 

Later, after the community and region-wide resistance to the aerial spraying of phenoxy herbicides (used in Agent Orange), the official founders of EPIC: Woods, Marylee Bytheriver, Ruthanne Cecil, and many ‘village’ representatives, broadened the whole scope of environmental action and consciousness. The struggle to protect Gilham Butte had been ongoing, but Red Mountain, the King Range, the Coast, and other causes were taken up. People just spontaneously picked causes and places they cared about and went at it! The Bear Harbor Ranch was purchased by California in 1975, rescued from a Sea Ranch-type fate, where all the locals would earn big bucks building $50,000 mansions for investors who would have the run of the development – a resounding NO! In September 1977, there was the submission by Georgia Pacific (GP) of a THP for ‘overstory removal’ of all of what would become the Sally Bell Watershed. The same month, there was a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in Fort Bragg to classify the combined area of the Bear Harbor Ranch and the Usal Project. Ranger John Jennings and Ray Raphael were there with a whole raft of locals that I dare not name for cloudy memory, but Woods was likely there. The upshot is that everyone spoke in favor of designating the area as wilderness, even the last older gentleman, who we thought would be a yellow ribbon/wise-user, whom we hadn’t heard from all evening. Turns out it was William Penn Mott, a former Director of California Parks & Recreation, and future Reagan appointee to the federal version of that position. He’d been a long-term advocate for the protection of the whole Lost Coast. He spoke most eloquently for wilderness!

What followed was almost ten years of harrowing and difficult advocacy to wrest the coast from GP liquidation. Woods was on it – articulate and prepared. Most of us were devouring all the new federal and state laws, especially the California Environmental Quality Act, the Forest Practice Act, water quality laws, and the Endangered Species Act. There was some momentum going on, and Woods was a leader on our side!

Making a long story longer, State Senator Barry Keene was successful with legislation enabling negotiations over 40 acres of isolated old growth SE of Bear Harbor and addressed some parameters for wilderness designation. Somehow, Woods and I found ourselves sitting in front of his desk, in a huge room, I think he was president pro tem at the time. Senator Keene advised us that if we wouldn’t accept three-fifths of a loaf, we would get no loaf at all. Unshaken, we and hundreds of others kept at it.

On the importance of sharp memory: Both of us had been aware that GP had agreed to accept a conservation easement for a coastal trail in exchange for doing an overstory removal of the 1,200 acres of the Hotel Gulch watershed tributary of Usal Creek. This was 1975, when the Coastal Commission still had mandatory approval authority for THPs in the coastal zone. Years later, in the 80s, EPIC et al. were locked in vicious combat over a coastal trail with GP’s head forester, who insisted it could only be a dollar-a-year lease. This went on for a significant chunk of wasted time. I fogged out on my memory of what actually happened with GP and the Coastal Commission, just fixated on the dictated terms of the battle. Woods DID NOT, he remembered, and that particular BS phase of GP was over – trail easement it had to be!

There are so many vital stories to tell of Woods and those times. He was an individual plaintiff on the EPIC and International Indian Treaty Council v. CDF and GP. Fred “Coyote” Downey and I joined him. The case, lost in local court in ‘83, was under a stay by the state appeals court until they ended up deciding in our favor in summer ‘85. CDF had not done what was required: to evaluate and respond to cumulative impacts, to adequately consult with California Indians and Tribes, ensuring Native American heritage was protected, and they violated a procedural rule about proper response to the public. All this could not have come about without the efforts of Sharon Duggan, Jay Moller, and a cast of hundreds over many years and venues, including civil defense. I distinctly remember being in the CDF office in Santa Rosa, ensuring letters were in by deadline. Woods amazingly let me read his. I saw the issue of cumulative impact raised and said, “Mind if I add my signature?” There you go.

One more little addendum, you may learn elsewhere of Woods’ incredible career regarding Headwaters, the Forests Forever Initiative, emissary to forests and lakes of Siberia, fighting for small family farmers, and he sure liked everything about Red Mountain; but after EPIC v. Johnson was won, there was EPIC v. Johnson 2, that same forester resubmitted the THP that was struck down by the Appeals Court, with nothing changed but the date! Woods was going to meet the forester in the Sally Bell Grove area to call for Spotted Owls, and came to our cabin about midnight. It may have been raining, but I do know that it was wet. He had gotten stuck in a quagmire at the top of the first ridge, south of Four Corners on Usal Road. We got the customary planks, shovels, and jacks together and got him out, but he kept getting stuck and never did get to call for owls that morning with the forester. The happy ending was that the Trust for Public Land signed an option with GP, with $3.4 million from the state, and additional sums from the Save the Redwoods League for the acquisition of GP’s holding between Bear Harbor and Usal, west of Usal Road, accomplished in December 1986. There’s much more continuing through today, over half the acquired lands became the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness, and other lands have been added to the Council’s ownership at Four Corners and between Bear Harbor and Indian Creek.

So many positive things over the last 50 years in our region would not have happened without Woods. Thank you, Robert Sutherland.

Digging Deeper

For more on the Yurok acquisition: lastrealindians.com, nativenewsonline.net

Usal Redwood Forest Links: usalredwoodforestcompany.com/, youtube.com/@redwoodforestfoundationin

Jackson Forest: mendocinotrailstewards.org/