Summer 2008 Forestwatch the Quarterly Membership Publication of Los Padres Forestwatch
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Summer 2008 ForestWatch The Quarterly Membership Publication of Los Padres ForestWatch FORESTWATCH is the only organization working to protect the entire Los Padres National Court Halts Logging Project in Fragile Burn Area Forest — from the Big Sur coast to the Sespe wildlands — In a case with far-reaching effects across the West, a federal from damage caused by oil court has ruled that the Forest Service “ignored or entirely drilling, off-road vehicle abuse, dismissed” its own regulations in approving commercial log- unmanaged livestock grazing, ging in a remote section of the Los Padres National Forest. and other resource extraction. The ruling halts the 1,000-acre project until officials prepare an Environmental Assessment or shrink the project’s foot- print to reduce the environmental impacts in this fragile burn Inside this issue: area in northern Ventura County. Director’s Message 2 The court’s ruling responded to a lawsuit filed by Forest- Watch in February challenging the Forest Service’s approval Oak Group Art Show Benefit 2 of the so-called Day Fire Hazard Tree Removal Project. We filed the lawsuit after officials refused to prepare an Environ- mental Assessment for the project to evaluate the impacts of Thanks for Your Support 3 heavy machinery on the post-fire landscape. The areas slated for logging had partially burned in the 2006 Day Fire Wild Wilderness Spring BBQ 3 and were just beginning to recover. Non-Lead Bullets 4 “This ruling is a tremendous victory for our local forests, wild- in Condor Country life, and watersheds,” said Jeff Kuyper, ForestWatch execu- Volunteers Clean Up (Continued on page 10) 4 Thorn Point Lookout Removing Tamarisk 5 in the Sisquoc River Fire Season Returns to the Los Padres Looking Across the Forest 6-7 Fire season started with a fury this year in the Los Padres National Forest, one of the most fire-prone forests in the country. On June 8, an escaped campfire in the Monterey Truck Ban on Highway 33 9 Ranger District started the Indians Fire that burned more than 76,000 acres in and around the Ventana Wilderness. Two weeks later, lightning strikes near Big Sur ignited Oil Drilling on the Carrizo 9 two additional fires which have since merged into the Basin Complex fire, burning more than 140,000 acres. And with resources already stretched thin by these and more than Forest Plan Update 11 three hundred lightning fires burning throughout California, another fire was reported on July 1 in the front range of the Santa Ynez Mountains above Goleta. It burned nearly ForestWatch Hosts Wild & 9,500 acres before firefighters contained that blaze. It's going to be a long fire season 11 Scenic Film Festival in SLO in the Los Padres National Forest and throughout the state. Field Notes: Sisquoc River 12 It all began on June 8, when an escaped campfire at Escondido Campground quickly spread into the rugged Ventana Wilderness. The fire - now fully contained - burned more than 76,000 acres, from the Arroyo Seco River on the west to Reliz Canyon on the east. (Continued on page 8) printed using vegetable-based inks on 100% recycled paper produced with renewable wind power Page 2 ForestWatch ould our region’s wild lands look any different today if you and I weren’t willing to protect them? That’s the mark of a truly effective conservation organization, and without the dedication and commitment of our growing alliance of supporters, W these special places would be a little less special today. Without us, the Bureau of Land Management in 2006 would have auctioned off more than 10,000 acres along the frontiers of our region’s public lands to oil companies. Without us, the oil industry would have already started to expand their operations in the Los Padres Na- Jeff Kuyper is the Executive tional Forest...for less than a day’s supply of crude. Without us, the multinational oil company Director of ForestWatch. responsible for last year’s devastating spill in the Sespe Creek watershed would have gone unanswered and likely unpunished. We’ve protected our public lands from commercial ex- BOARD OF ploitation for three years and counting, demanding accountability from the oil industry. DIRECTORS Without us, logging companies would be removing live, healthy trees from Grade Valley and BRAD Alamo Mountain as we speak. Without us, the Forest Service would have cut down large old- MONSMA President growth conifers on Figueroa Mountain without even preparing an Environmental Assessment. Camarillo Our advocacy efforts have compelled agencies to follow our nation’s environmental laws. PAT VEESART Without us, two more oil wells would have been drilled on the boundary of the Sespe Condor Vice President Sanctuary, dangerously close to critical nesting sites. Without us, more than seven hundred San Luis Obispo pounds of microtrash would still be scattered across the forest, waiting for condors to swoop PHILIP down and bring the small bits of trash to their young. We have directly protected endangered TSENG California condors, and their habitat, from harm. Secretary/ Treasurer Santa Barbara And without us, sixty mature tamarisk plants would have spread thousands of seeds along the Sisquoc River this spring. Our volunteers are keeping this highly invasive plant in check. RUTH LASELL Ojai We’re the only nonprofit organization working exclusively on these issues day after day. We’re a small but effective bunch, channeling our resources where it matters most and tackling the MICHAEL tough issues that would otherwise fly under the radar screen. We’re making a difference and, SUMMERS Santa Barbara with your continued support, we can leave our region’s wild lands even more majestic tomor- row than they are today. LOUIS ANDALORO Santa Barbara For the forest, Oak Group Art Show Benefits ForestWatch In March, more than one hundred ForestWatch supporters and art aficio- nados gathered at Marcia Burtt Studio in Santa Barbara to celebrate the opening of Backcountry Majesty, an exhibition of landscape paintings of the Los Padres. The month-long art show featured eighty paintings and photographs from more than two dozen local artists who donated half of the proceeds from art sales to ForestWatch. Altogether, the event raised nearly $10,000 for our local forest protection efforts! The exhibit was hosted by Marcia Burtt Studio and organized by The Oak Group, a collec- tive of local artists who dedicate their work to the preservation of open space throughout the Central Coast. Our sincerest thanks to everyone who participated in this successful event! Page 3 Thank You to Our Recent Supporters! We’d like to thank these new and existing members for your generous contributions since our last newsletter through the end of June. Your support allows us to continue our important work to protect our region’s natural treasures. NEW MEMBERS RENEWED SUPPORT Greg + Jennifer Frugoli, Michael Mulligan + OJAI WILD! EVENT Richard Maxwell, Ecotones Joy Sawyer Mulligan Bon Appetit Jesse Arnold Dolli Alexander Dieter + Cynthia Goetze Babak Naficy Lesley Alexander George + Peggy Melton Doug Campbell Sheila + Lincoln Anderson Linda + Frank Granat Paulita Neal + Edwin Pounder Louis Andaloro William + Marlene Miley Jeremy Carroll George Appel Carl + Marian Greenfield New Camaldoli Hermitage Don Anderson + Nita Whaley Brett Millar Michael Crookston Astrov Fund Dennis Hadenfeldt Joanna Newton George Appel Spence + Mildred Mitchell Marge Erickson Luann Beach Jan Hamber Peggy Nielsen Robert Auric + Anna Jacobs Brad Monsma Vince Gerwe June + Shed Behar Curtis Harrington Carole + Dennis Nord Tessa Barnhardt Michael Mulligan + Michele + Glenn Havskjold Larry Bennett John Heinsius Ken + Alex Palley Bettina Barrett Joy Sawyer Mulligan Jaspa George Berg Barbara + Gerald Hess Jon + Maria Parisen Christopher Bates Lisa + Mitch Myers David + Phyllis Johnston Ron Bottorff Winifred Hirsch Patagonia Holly Blackwell Barbara Perkins Norman Livermore III Karen Bradstreet Donn Howell Robert Pavlik Emily + Brad Boyes Linda + Ron Phillips Laurence LoVerde Tom + Betty Budlong Kathe Hustace Gena Pennington Doug + Lee Buckmaster Sagebrush Annie's Jim Lowery Gary Bulla Angelica Jochim Lorna Pinassi Tom + Betty Budlong Fred + Phyllis Schoen Margaret Mansfield Jones Brad + Beth Cardinale Ernest Jones Kate Pond Sandy + George Buechley Tassajara Zen Mountain Ctr Jennifer Mello Lee Chiacos Donald Kahn David + Valerie Powdrell Thomas + Frances Chadwick Thacher School Jeanine Moret Jim Childress Kalon + Karen Kelley Patricia Puterbaugh Mike Chambliss + Sonia Son- Charlotte + Ron Williams Ken Owen Walter + Louise Choate Ron Kopp Alan + Jan Rains damer Keith Zandona Melissa Riparetti-Stepien Cornelia Corbett Don + Carol Lauer Arnie Schildhaus Mark Condon Gareth Sadler Kevin Corse Tony Lee Lorraine Schulmeister Kevin + Sonia Connors OAK GROUP BENEFIT Bill Shanbrom Karen Cotter Jim Little Celia + Peter Scott Alasdair + Lauren Coyne Robert + Tomika Sollen B.D. + Liz Dautch Suzanne + Tom Londo John + Aida Shellabarger Carlos Frilot Bob Barker Nick Todd Arden Day Ken MacDonald + Stuart Sherman Greg + Jennifer Frugoli Michele Coyle Scott Waters Nan Deal Rachel Haymon Lynne Stark Lydia Golden + Brock Tom Farr Jim Williams Bill Denneen Steven + Jan Howell Marx Martin Stevenson Bernstein Peter Ford Kenneth Wolf Peter Dolan Steven Marx Richard + Suzanne Still Carol + Brian Gravelle Cassandra Grant Keith + Claudette York Peter Dullea Jane McCord John Swanson Brian Halvorsen + Rose Quinn Christy Hamari Jeri Edwards Bob + LaVerne McDonnell Peter Swanson Louise Heydt Tina Hasche FOUNDATION SUPPORT Clyde Eriksen