Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
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Mendocino Group Report Mary Walsh | |
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The Mendocino Group grows increasingly concerned about pesticide use in the county. In particular the very persistent and very toxic pesticide Imazapyr causes alarm. This broad spectrum pesticide is used everywhere in Mendocino County and by all timber harvesting companies. Clearcutting as a forestry management technique requires extreme practices including poisoning the broadleaf species. Imazapyr is applied in Mendocino County at a rate which is five times that of any other county in California. This coupled with the extensive use of other pesticides by the viticulture industry provides a potentially very serious hazard for Mendocino County residents. The Mendocino Group is in the process of getting as much information as possible posted on the website. As one of the terms in a long ago settled lawsuit between Beth Bosk and Louisiana Pacific, LP agreed to certain conditions regarding pesticide use on the lower Albion drainage, notification at least. Mendocino Redwood Company has said that they would abide by the agreement. A thirty day notice of advisement was received regarding a proposed cut in Deadman's Gulch which stated as well that MRC would go in prior to the cut and poison the tanoak. A meeting was arranged on the ground, the pulse of the community was taken regarding pesticide use. Nobody in Albion wants pesticides. It fell out that MRC will go in and manually remove the tanoak for sale. This turn of events is due to long term diligence and communication on the part of Albion residents, in particular, Linda Perkins and Bill Heil and the willingness of MRC to go halfway (on that day). |
A lawsuit was brought by the Friends of Big River and the Albion River Watershed Protection Association against State Parks and MRC having to do with the propriety of certain roads through property purchased by Mendocino County residents and held by State Parks as Big River State Park, being built and used by MRC for timber access and hauling. The plaintiffs were ruled against as is often the case in Superior Court and an appeal is being considered. Mark Masara will give a Conservation Easement Workshop in Gualala on Jan 27. A date in the early part of May is being arranged for an appearance by Mark in Fort Bragg regarding the Great Coastal Places Campaign. The Mendocino Group meets regularly at the Mendocino Hotel in Mendocino on the second Thursday of the even numbered months. Please call 937-0572 or 937-0903 to learn of scheduling changes or to arrange a meting in another part of the county. |