There is no more bittersweet moment than when Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) pauses to remember and thank those who gave a portion of their lives over to the river. Such a friend to the river was Jim Biller.   Jim passed away in December, 2020, after a valiant battle with lung cancer. Together with his wife, Susan-Marie Hagen, from …

Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) is pleased to publish a new issue of our monthly publication, “FoGR Monthly,” detailing different places along the Gualala River to visit.  This month’s feature is Gualala Point Regional Park. Each month will have a participation feature like a contest or list an upcoming event. It will feature different types of outdoor activities and where …

Photo Contest Winner: March, 2021 — Female Merganser, by Chris Beach

by Mary Callahan, The Press Democrat, March 28, 2021 [excerpt:] A legal battle over plans to log in the lower Gualala River flood plain is heading into a fifth year, despite a recent victory in state appeals court by Gualala Redwood Timber and Cal Fire which first approved the project back in 2016. The fight over the 342-acre timber project …

PRESS RELEASE Contact Information: Friends of Gualala River Charles Ivor, President (707) 337-0147 cfifish@mac.com or info@gualalariver.org For Immediate Release, March 22, 2021 Endangered Species Act Lawsuit Advances The Endangered Species Act [ESA] lawsuit filed by Friends of Gualala River [FoGR] and the Center for Biological Diversity [CBD] against Gualala Redwoods Timber [GRT] was given approval to move forward last Thursday. …

by John Dunlap, member of the Guerneville Forest Coalition This op-ed was published in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on March 7, 2021 Reprinted with permission of the author A plan to log 224 acres of redwood and Douglas fir trees along the Russian River in Guerneville is just one of several timber harvests proposed or scheduled to take place …

FoGR is excited to tell you about a new monthly publication, “FoGR Monthly,” that will detail different places along the Gualala River to visit. Each month will have a participation feature like a contest or list an upcoming event. It will feature different types of outdoor activities and where you can do them. Click on the image below to download …

The Far North timber harvest plan (THP 1-20-00150-MEN) was filed by Gualala Redwood Timber in September, 2020. The plan calls for logging redwood trees in 227 acres of the headwaters of the Little North Fork of the Gualala River. The plan was approved by the California Department of Forestry and Fire protection (CDF, also known as CalFire) in February, 2021. …

Save the Redwoods League press release Feb. 9, 2021 [excerpt:] Save the Redwoods League today announced the successful protection of Mailliard Ranch, a 14,838-acre property in southern Mendocino County and the largest coast redwood forest left in private family hands. The $24.7 million project secures three conservation easements across the entire property, which safeguard the land from subdivision and development, …

Drone video of ocean waves, estuary and river mouth opening after atmospheric river dropped several inches of rain on the Gualala River watershed. Video created by Mike Nelson; used with permission.

  The mouth of the Gualala River opened to the ocean on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020 at ~11:30am, reconnecting the important lagoon fish rearing habitat for out-migrating salmonids, synchronized with suitable stream conditions for returning spawners. This is a high tide, high swell, low-energy breach condition in the photos. When the lagoon is full and it breaches on a low …

When we think of timber road runoff threats, we habitually think of fine sediment, indirectly affecting coho (and steelhead) by habitat degradation. But this is direct acute mortality by rubber tire chemicals. A new wrinkle on wheeled vehicles operating on rough, abrasive gravel haul roads. – FoGR by Erik Stokstad Science  04 Dec 2020: Vol. 370, Issue 6521, pp. 1145 …

We are excited! This annual newsletter is packed with news about the successes in Friends of Gualala River’s (FoGR’s) work in the watershed this past year: from the progress of our lawsuits (yes, we have two separate suits against egregious logging plans!) and the fundraising efforts to support them, to the many education and outreach projects we’ve undertaken to increase …

In a year of continued pressure on species of plants and animals around the world from climate change and local land use practices, members of Friends of Gualala River continue to organize to protect our beautiful watershed from impacts from egregious logging plans. We want to reverse these impacts and help our river overcome decades of pressure on all the …

This annual newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Friends of Gualala River Vice President Richard “Rick” Jackson who passed away on October 27, 2020 from complications of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Rick joined FoGR’s board in early 2017 at a crucial time when the volunteer organization was undergoing a transition and needed a serious boost in leadership to face the many …

by Jeanne Jackson November, 2020 Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) appealed the most recent ruling on the Dogwood THP (Timber Harvest Plan) to the state appeals court. Attorney Edward Yates represents FoGR. Briefs are in to the three-judge panel. Yates estimates we will know the judges’ decision by the end of the year if Gualala Redwood Timber (GRT) doesn’t request …

Friends of Gualala River is proposing to build a powerful interactive educational exhibit for the public to learn more about the river, its history, and the complex ecosystem that makes its home in the watershed. Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) is hoping that one or more of our supporters would like to fund a truly worthy project. FoGR is proposing …

Friends of Gualala River takes action to protect the Gualala River from damage caused by all-terrain vehicles. For more than a decade, Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) has called attention to the harm caused by driving in the river. Many community members are aware of FoGR’s long-standing public education campaign about the damage that off-road vehicles cause the river’s ecosystem, …

Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) is pleased to announce that the Sonoma County Conservation Council (SCCC) has recognized Chris Poehlmann, FoGR president emeritus, with the 2020 Ernestine I. Smith Environmentalist of the Year award in the category of Forest Champion. Chris was one of three recipients of this year’s award, along with Rick Coates, director of Forest Unlimited and wildlife …

(members: Chris Poehlmann, Lynn Walton, Pat Maxwell, Nathan Ramser, Rachael Klapko, Brody Klapko, Laura Baker, Chair) When the Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) Education and Outreach Committee formed 4 years ago, we came together over the idea that providing the Gualala River watershed community with good factual, science-based information was key to the success of protecting the river and its …