Friends of Gualala River Protecting the Gualala River watershed and the species living within it
Friends of the Gualala River joined the Sierra Club in legal action to strike down the Department of Forestry’s approvals of the Hansen/Whistler, Roessler and Martin projects. In 2006, the court issued a stipulated judgment setting aside CDF’s approval of the projects. The court ruled that before CDF can consider these projects, it must prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), so that potential adverse impacts can be considered, as California law requires.
CDF announced in October 2006 that they are preparing an EIR for the Roessler and Martin projects. The EIR for Artesa was announced in September 2004, but four years later the draft is still not complete. In fact, CDF has never successfully completed an EIR for a forestland-to-vineyard conversion.
In March 2007, the appellate court ruled that “…there is substantial evidence to support a fair argument that the [Campbell] timberland conversion project may have a significant effect on the environment, thus requiring the preparation of an EIR [Environmental Impact Report]” – see: Sierra Club and Friends of the Gualala River v. CA. Dept. of Forestry.
| Plan | THP # | TCP # |
|---|---|---|
| Preservation Ranch | ||
| Martin | 1-04-059 SON | 04-531 |
| Roessler | 1-04-055 SON | 04-533 |
| Hansen/Whistler | 1-04-030 SON | 04-530 |
| Ridgetop Partners | 1-02-219 SON | ? |
| Artesa | 1-01-171 SON 1-09-058 SON |
02-506 |
| Campbell | 1-00-147 SON | 00-469 |
| Read letters from experts and conservation groups evaluating the environmental impacts of these projects. |
Preservation Ranch
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Other vineyard conversions
in the Annapolis area
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Aerial photo, Campbell Vineyard, June 2003
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For additional aerial photos of vineyards in the Annapolis area, see our 2007 flyover of the Gualala River watershed (scroll down about half way).
