Redwood Forest Defense, a grassroots non-violent direct action group committed to protecting the forest and best known for the tree-sits outside of Trinidad, came to today’s Humboldt Board of Supervisors meeting in mass to demand, in song, that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors increase the riparian zone protections under the general plan as well as urge the timber companies that are operating in Humboldt County to cease their clear-cutting, deforestation activities.
A member of RFD opened with a statement directed to the Board regarding their position of authority to make positive change.(see below) Following the statement multiple ukuleles, a flute, and a harmonica wailed as twelve community members sang to Humboldt County to bring an end to Green Diamond Resource Company’s destructive and short sighted forestry practices. Even Supervisor Rex Bohn added to the atmosphere by beat-boxing with the music on his microphone.
Green Diamond owns 425,000 acres of predominate Redwood Forest and has a stated plan of clear-cutting all of their holding in a 45 year rotation. If completed, this would be devastating to both the biosphere and the economy here in Northern California, undermining future generation’s ability to have a sustainable working forest.
Video from the Humboldt Board Of supervisors meetings:
https://humboldt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=837
RFD sing along starts at 1:35:25
Letter to the Humboldt Board of Supervisors:
Dear Humboldt County Board of Supervisors,
You have much power in determining how the land, air, and water is managed here in this special place we callHumboldt County. It should be clear to all of you, that our resources, or better yet, our biosphere has been dealt several severe blows and is now in a precarious state that is in urgent need of action, political and otherwise.
Did you know that here in Northern California mature forests are our best safeguard against drought, and that clear-cutting a forest is a certain way of insuring that our creeks and springs go dry during the summer months? And did you know that as redwoods age, their ability to sequester CO2 from the atmospbere exponentially increases? And did you know that when you clear cut a forest, not only are you taking away the habitat of several key endangered species such as the spotted owl, coho salmon and the marbled murrelet, but you are also stripping the soil of nutrients and microbes that are essential components of a healthy forest, furthering the deforestation process here in California, forever.
We urge you to do all that is in your power to put an end to the practice of clear cut logging. Sustainable forestry is a viable alternative. It offers both long term skilled careers and healthy mature forests. Promoting and maintaining a healthy working forest habitat is a crucial undertaking to ensuring a stable economy.
Green Diamond, Humboldt Redwood Company, and Sierra Pacific industries are continuing the long process of stripping this area’s wealth. They do not care for the people here, they only care for their bottom line: profits at any cost.
Do not weaken the protections of our riparian zones in the general plan update, rather increase the buffer zone. These areas are sensitive and provide many services to all beings, including endemic and endangered salmon populations.
For the Wild,
Redwood Forest Defense
Lyrics to the sing along:
Hey Humboldt County have you heard the saws
the noise of clear cuts in your back yard
Green Diamond Resource Company
Isn’t being very neighborly
Taking our forests for corporate greed
Outsourcing our local economy
They cut on the slopes it kills the roots
And all the dirt on the hill comes loose
the land is sliding into the ravine
these logging practices aren’t very green
Chorus
CFDG
So what’s green about their diamond
when they plan to clear cut the land
spotted owl salmon bear and bat
without habitat can they stay at your flat
Hey Humboldt County have you heard the news
Redwood trees sequester C02s
The longer that a redwood lives
The more clean air that it can give
Stop cutting down the second growth
And ancient forests cuz we need them both
All we want from you is to care for the trees
So future generations have air to breathe
To heal our planet and save our air
No more clear cuts anywhere
Chorus
CFDG
So what’s green about their diamond
when they plan to clear cut the land
spotted owl salmon bear and bat
without habitat can they stay at your flat
Hey Humboldt County lets take a stand
Our rivers are in danger from the General Plan
Shortening the length from clear cut to stream
Ruining watersheds ain’t a bad dream
Protect the water from river to sink
So our h2o is good to drink
Tell green diamond to clean their mess
Leaving the land like a board of chess
The answers restorative forestry
Don’t repeat logging history
Chorus
CFDG
So what’s green about their diamond
when they plan to clear cut the land
spotted owl salmon bear and bat
without habitat can they stay at your flat
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