Save the Doty Creek Old Growth Grove

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:
http://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watershed has been eliminated and has been replaced by a much younger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