California
 

Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Red Ribbon Ring.
A spool of red ribbon found along the roadside was used to make this simple circle in a young ponderosa growing in a 10 year old clearcut. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest contains 2.1 million acres and 14,218 ft. Mt. Shasta dominates the region. Local activists and Native American's recently won a 10 year battle to keep an expanded ski resort of Mt. Shasta's slopes. To be envolved with forestry issues concerning this huge national forest contact: Citizens for Better Forestry, POB 1510, Hayfork, CA 96041, phone-916-628-5004 or Mt. Shasta Bioregional Heritage Center, POB 1143, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067, shastahome@jps.net.

Headwaters Forest

California's Headwaters Forest is one of the most incredible and endangered forests on our planet. The  60,000 acre Headwaters forest in northern California is made up of several groves like the one pictured above. These groves contain ancient trees well over 1500 years old. Unfortunately they exist on private lands owned by the infamous corporate raider, Charles Horwitz and his company, Pacific Lumber. Many heros have emerged in the decade long effort to protect these groves. Most inspiring certainly, is Julia Butterfly Hill who climbed atop a redwood tree named 'Luna' in December 1997. She vowed not to come down until these groves achieved protection. A year into her effort, she commented on a deal passed by the California State Legislature to protect the largest grove while sacrificing the rest. "Even with the new protections incorporated by the Legislature, Luna and the slope she stands on will be destroyed under the Headwaters Forest Agreement and Habitat Conservation Plan, along with hundreds of other similarly steep, unstable slopes and thousands of acres of virgin and residual old growth.The government once again has turned its back on the local residents and the endangered species that it is required to protect. We support the protection of habitat through public acquisition where necessary, but not when attached to a Habitat Conservation Plan that amounts to a license to kill endangered species."  After completing TWO YEARS atop Luna, she eventually won protection for Luna and neighboring trees. She is on the ground now working hard as a forest and  social activist.To find out how to help protect the remaining Headwaters groves and to visit the group Julia founded called, Circle of Life. During her tree sit ZeroCircles sponsored her website which spread Julia's message to the world.  LUNATREE.ORG is now archived on In Concert With Nature.

Fern Hoop, Owl Creek Grove

Klamath National Forest

Two Circles.
Twin circles were made by using thorns to tack leaves upon two blackened stumps at the edge of a road overlooking a largeclearcut. Klamath National Forest is the headwaters of the Klamath River, the largest river in northern California. Scientists conclude there is a very real prospect of wide spread extinction of Pacific salmon and steelhead stocks in this watershed due, in large part, to extensive over cutting in the region. Clearcuts like the one below and its' associated roading network contribute tons of silt to fishbearing streams. Zero Cut would slowly recover clearcuts and roads and stop siltation of the Klamath's streams.

Contacts: Klamath forest Alliance, POB 820,
Etna, California 96027, 916-467-5405
Northcoast Environmental Center at 879 9th
Street, Arcata, CA. 95521, nec@igc.apc.org.

Six Rivers National Forest

Clear Water Circle.
In a quiet pool along the east fork of the Eel River a circle was made from submersed leaves held down by black rocks. Near by, two circular shaped turtle petroglyphs were found along the river left by an early tribe of Karuk Indians. When forest cover remains intact, rivers not only run clear and clean, they also flow throughout the year. When the forest is cleared rivers turn muddy and swell or shrink. Streams continue to decline in quality throughout our national forest system. This problem is easily linked to logging, and especially logging roads. Watershed degradation in the Six Rivers National Forest has tragically led to the severe decline of anadromous species of fish native to the region. The pool in this picture, quiet and clear in the summer when rains are infrequent, probably looks a lot different in the rainy season when runoff siltation is high. Clear, sparkling, clean water should be a birthright to all Americans. We can best protect our watersheds by ending all commercial logging on public lands.

Contact:Northcoast Environmental Center, 879 9th St., Arcata, CA 95521, nec@igc.apc.org.

Los Padres National Forest

Condor Circle.
Three California condor feathers grace the center of a pine cone circle and form the shadow crown of Teton, an activist from Colorado. The Los Padres National Forest is the home of 15 condors which have been successfully bred in captivity and returned to the wild. Prehistoric sites dating back 6,000 years include those of the Chumash people to whom the condor was a sacred being of the highest order. The Los Padres is a leader in the area of wildlife recovery and reintroduction programs. Besides its efforts to re-establish the Caliornia condor the Los Padres is involved with the reintroduction of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, tule elk, bighorn sheep and some endangered plants.

The Los Padres encompasses nearly two million acres in the beautiful coastal mountains of central California. Very little commercial timber harvesting occurs in Los Padres and those trees that are removed are used primarily for firewood.  The Los Padres is the most fire-prone National Forest in the country with more than 20,000 acres on average burned every year!

Tahoe National Forest

Repeal the Mining Law of 1872 Circle.
Sixteen people and a dog walked into the devastated mining landscape of the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park in the Tahoe National Forest to make a statement about the need to repeal an antiquated and extremely environmentally destructive law on the books: the mining law of 1872. This law gives corporations, even foriegn corporations, the right to take unlimited amounts of ore from public lands without paying a cent! Virtually no clean-up, mitigation or enviromental restoration is required. The result is that much of our public lands contain horrendous scars and polluted streams and toxic groundwater. This law needs to be repealed! The hydraulic mining that caused the extensive damage in this forest has fortunately been outlawed.

    Each person collected two items that spoke to them from a huge mining dump in the forest. At the bottom of the junk in the center of the circle is a crushed bear trap. Bullet shells, old steering wheels and gears, shovels and odd pieces of metal lay atop the trap in the circle of rocks and people. Prayers of restoration and recovery were stated by each of us.

    Mineral extraction has been an important economic and physical force on the Tahoe National Forest for over 140 years, due to its location at the heart of California's Gold Rush. It's been estimated that the Tahoe has more mining claims within our Forest Boundary than any other National Forest. Now the forest must be allowed to recover.

If you would like to get involved with protecting the Tahoe National Forest please contact:

California Wild Heritage Campaign:
Forest Guardians:

GALLERY

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