Brief History of RRRAUL

BRIEF HISTORY OF RRRAUL

RRRAUL formed in 1996 to publicly scrutinize local timber harvesting and land conversions. The group began when neighbors, most with little or no previous experience of THPS (Timber Harvest Plans), organized to protest a 66 acre Guerneville timber harvest plan, the now locally infamous "Munchie" THP.

One of the environmental issues RRRAUL is concerned with is the destruction of Coho and Steelhead Salmon habitat, which is one of the most profound effects that unchecked logging can have, and which goes to the heart of the environmental debate. Irresponsible logging, over-development, and poorly executed agricultural activities are some of the most destructive forces unleashed upon anadromous (migrating from more to less dense waters for breeding) salmonid habitat. While RRRAUL is not opposed to timber harvesting per se, the group is concerned that the timbering be conducted safely and wisely, with a heightened sense of environmental sensitivity.

Concerning the Munchie THP, RRRAUL members argued that, because of prevailing conditions, the Munchie THP presented serious dangers to local residences and roads as well as posing environmental threats to the Russian River. The Munchie THP was ultimately rejected by CDF on numerous grounds, both formal and substantive.

Since Munchie, RRRAUL has criticized other poorly conceived logging plans, including one impacting Hulbert Creek, which involves seven water-crossings of that class III stream. Hulbert Creek, which feeds into the Russian River, is just beginning to recover from previous logging and residential development activities -- salmon have once again been observed in the Creek. With the Hulbert Creek THP, 89 acres of forest have been targeted for "Selective Cutting". The affected region is located surrounding the upper reaches of Hulbert Creek, off Old Cazadero Rd. and Camino del Arroyo, north of Highway 116. This THP is presently pending before CDF.

Land conversions involve a different (County) permit process than THPs, which are the purview of CDF. A small land coversion RRAUL has recently concerned itself with involves the headwaters of Purrington Creek, recently studied by the Department of Fish and Game. Purrington presently supports a lively population of steelhead, coho, and freshwater shrimp, and Sonoma County has spent lately spent $25,000 on replenishment of the habitat.

Both of these plans -- the Hulbert Creek THP and the Purrington conversion -- have been held up by the appropriate governmental agencies pending further review. RRRAUL's actitities have assisted the reviewing agencies in identifying and mitigating problems with THPs, including getting other agencies to visit a site on their schedule for inspection.

Early this year RRRAUL members also made a presentation (with video and photographs) before the Calif. Board of Forestry, and another to Richard Wilson, Director of C.D.F., arguing for changes in the Forest Practice Rules to 1) establish state-wide bonding requirements for loggers, and 2) mandatory public notification of THPs to Fire, School, and Water Districts. Much of the land along the Russian River is "rural-residential" and such conditions pose significant special problems in achieving responsible logging.

As part of the BOF presentation RRRAUL members showed a 15 minute video they had made of the Guerneville area, showing: 1) aerial footage of the timber on the local hillsides, 2) the constricted roads which would be used in proposed logging operations, and the ensuing traffic and safety problems, 3) soil erosion damage on the local hillsides, roads, and creeks.