Leaves have begun to turn and the wan, warm days of early fall are upon us. Here in Sonoma County, the wine grape harvest is underway and the air above the country roads is stained with the scent of fermenting fruit. Despite the fact that Labor Day is behind us, somehow things have slowed here, with little traffic and a calm, centered feeling to the days.
It’s a time when I am reminded again of how fortunate we are to be in California, this beautiful, diverse place where people care about the land.
We have a lot of news for you this month. Things are speeding up as the elections approach and uncertainty about the future intensifies. Here are the high points:
- The Bureau of Land Management’s Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan (“NCIP”) is finalized and will be entered into the record soon! The final plan, covering 380,000 acres across 9 counties, had heavy input from CalWild and is a truly visionary conservation plan which identifies new prospects for wilderness designations and Wild and Scenic Rivers.
- Comments have now closed for the US Forest Service’s proposed National Old Growth Amendment (“NOGA”) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. CalWild views the alternatives presented as inadequate and unlikely to provide much actual protection—we have pushed for tighter language.
- USFS’ Northwest Forest Plan (“NWFP”) revision process proceeds. The draft plan will be open for public comment beginning in October. This revision will cover nearly 800,000 acres of public forested lands. CalWild is actively engaged in advocating for the strongest protections for these forests.
- The deceptively named “Fix Our Forests Act”) (“FOFA”) had a floor vote in the House last week, and was approved. It now moves on to the Senate. CalWild is strongly opposed to its provisions creating gaping loopholes in bedrock environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, which would allow largely unregulated logging on public lands in the name of “fire management”. We have been meeting with Congressional offices to express our concerns and offer science-based alternatives. Our concern is that FOFA may be taken up as part of a package of bills appended to a must-pass bill following the elections.
- National monument campaigns proceed, and we are optimistic that the proposed Chuckwalla, Sattitla and Kw’tsan National Monuments will be designated in the near future.
- Meanwhile, internally CalWild is kicking off a new strategic planning process to develop our goals, priorities, action steps, measurement metrics and timelines for the next three years. Our old plan expires at the end of 2024; this is a great opportunity to begin a new chapter for the organization and really take our work to the next level.
- We held the first workshop of “ambassadors” representing interested constituencies and Tribal nations as a part of the Upper Eel River Watershed Community Visioning Project.
It’s an exciting and high-stakes time for conservation efforts in California, and we are hard at work to ensure that every last opportunity has the greatest chance for success.
As always, it is our supporters we thank for being able to do this essential work. THANK YOU for your support and caring for California’s unique natural treasures.
For the wild,
Mark Green
Executive Director
