Save the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove

Hi Friends,  I am attaching my thoughts too.

John

Please mail a letter to CAL FIRE and forward this email to friends,

Thank you for helping to spread the word.

John, Friends of the Gualala River

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Save the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove

I am writing to ask you to to take action to help protect the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove located near Gualala, CA. Doty Creek is a small stream in the Gualala River watershed.

Click here to learn more and see pictures of some of the trees. http://www.gualalariver.org/forestry/Bower-NTMP.html

Please print out, sign and mail this letter to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

Click on this link to print out a letter:

http://gualalariver.org/forestry/Bower-NTMP-letter.pdf The address for CAL FIRE is on the letter.

The Doty Creek planning watershed covers an area of 4,627 acres. It drains into the Little North Fork of the Gualala River. The California Department of Fish and Game has identified this Old Growth redwood stand as the last known 18 acres of old growth habitat in the Doty Creek planning watershed.

The landowner proposes to cut down most of the Old Growth redwood trees and other mature trees growing on this 18 acres, along with harvesting the largest trees on approximately 600 additional acres of forestland near Gualala.

Please urge CAL FIRE to accept the recommendations of the California Department of Fish and Game to protect this last Old Growth refuge.

The letter you send is very important. We need to show CAL FIRE that we are concerned and that we are watching what they do.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for CAL FIRE to receive as many letters as possible. This is an essential first step. Letters need to be received by 5:00 p.m. on December 16th.

Please forward this email to your friends and family.

* Thank you,*

John Holland Friends of the Gualala River (707) 886-5355

Visit our website:

www.GualalaRiver.org

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* Background information* Visit the Gualala River website http://www.gualalariver.org/forestry/Bower-NTMP.html

This plan to cut the trees in and around the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove has to be approved by CAL FIRE, a State agency. This means that any California citizen can make comments on this plan, including children.

The Department of Fish and Game has identified the large trees in this Grove as the last 18 acres of Old Growth redwood habitat in the Doty Creek planning watershed.

More than 99% of the original Old Growth in the Doty Creek planning watershed has been eliminated and has been replaced by a much younger forest. The 18 acre Grove represents only .4% of the Doty Creek Watershed.

These large redwood trees are estimated to be at least 120 to 450 years old. More than 65 trees have been identified that measure more than 48 inches across, with legacy trees that range between 85 and 96 inches across.

According to Fish & Game, the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove provides suitable nesting and roosting sites for both marbled murrelets and spotted owls. It is part of an irreplaceable habitat that many animals need to survive.

The Doty Creek Old Growth Grove is hidden in a steep canyon behind the Gualala Airport, in Unit 9 of the proposed Bower NTMP (Non- Industrial Timber Management Plan).

Friends of the Gualala River | PO Box 1543 | Gualala | CA | 95445