News

December 12, 2023 Sonoma County Board of Supervisors 575 Administration Drive Room 100 A Santa Rosa, CA 95403 To the Honorable Members of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors: Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) thanks you for the opportunity to comment once again upon the importance of passing the Oak Woodland Protection Ordinance. Our previous letter of November 21, 2023 …

November 21, 2023 Sonoma County Board of Supervisors 575 Administration Drive Room 100 A Santa Rosa, CA. 95403 To the Honorable Members of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors: Friends of Gualala River thanks you for the opportunity to comment in support of the proposed Oak Woodland Protection Ordinance, a critically important step in saving our wild oaks, one of …

By John Reid, September 25, 2023 YaleEnvironment360 Published at the Yale School of the Environment [Excerpt:] Only 5 percent of the redwood forests that once stretched across coastal Northern California have never been logged. An initiative to restore these forests is gaining momentum, aided by research showing that redwoods store more aboveground carbon than any forest on Earth. Lyndon Johnson …

These have been busy times for Friends of Gualala River.  We’d like to update you on our activities involving litigation, advocacy, and education and outreach.  The brief reports below are linked to more in-depth information elsewhere on our website. Litigation and Advocacy Spring at the Gualala River lagoon; photo by Craig Tooley, reprinted with permission. FoGR Wins Fight to Enforce Legal …

Press release by Earthjustice, August 15, 2023 [excerpt] The Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) today notified U.S. tire manufacturers of their intent to sue over the use of a chemical called 6PPD in rubber tires because of its devastating impacts on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-protected salmon and steelhead. When 6PPD reacts …

Chris Grassano receives the Environmental Art Award sponsored by Friends of Gualala River at the 2023 Art in the Redwoods Fine Arts Festival Redwood Melody, by Chris Grassano Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) sponsored an award at the Art in the Redwoods Festival in 2023, for the twenty-second year in a row. A cash prize contributed by FoGR was given …

Spring at the Gualala River lagoonPhoto by Craig Tooley, reprinted with permission.

  Friends of the Jenner Creek will be hosting a Community Workshop on the Fort Ross proposal on: Thursday, August 17, starting at 7 pmat the Jenner Community Center An Alabama corporation wants to construct a major industrial facility involving Fort Ross State Historical Park and the surrounding countryside to pump saltwater from the ocean to the top of Seaview …

The Gualala River Stream Team will be heading out into the Gualala River watershed to track water quality conditions and you can join us! When: Saturday, August 19th, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Where: Redwood Coast Land Conservancy Mill Bend Preserve (46902 Old State Hwy – if running late meet at kayak boat launch – Adventure Rents) Please RSVP by …

For Immediate Release, August 5, 2023 Contact: Ethan Arutunian, Friends of the South Fork Gualala, info@fosfg.org, 206-353-3487Daniel Garrett-Steinman, Garrett-Steinman Law Offices, dan@dpgslaw.com, 415-996-7823   SANTA ROSA, CA – In a legal victory for the Gualala River watershed, Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Bradford DeMeo has ordered the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to annul and set …

by Mary Callahan, The Press Democrat, August 2, 2023 [excerpt:] A new program targeting 1,500 commercial grape growers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties and designed to improve water quality in local creeks and rivers is drawing criticism from members of the agricultural community. The draft rules include reporting requirements, annual fees, well and groundwater monitoring, ground cover requirements and restrictions …

by Mary Callahan, The Press Democrat, August 1, 2023 [excerpt:] Save the Redwoods League has secured a deal to purchase nearly 400 acres of redwood forest above the Russian River near Guerneville, including 224 acres that were targeted for logging under a controversial timber harvest plan long fought by local community groups. The Clar Tree is believed to be one …

Added December 21, 2023: Federal regulators reject controversial pumped storage project proposed for Sonoma Coast MEDIA ADVISORY July 11, 2023 Press Contact Person: Richard Charter Director, Coastal Coordination Program The Ocean Foundation 707-875-2345 waterway@monitor.net The scenic rural Sonoma Coast at Fort Ross State Historic Park has been revealed to be the new target of a large “pumped storage” electrical power …

After Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) filed suit in 2021 against the State and Regional Water Boards for failing to create a plan to improve water quality conditions in the watershed as required by federal law, the Water Boards have finally agreed to do so. FoGR reached an agreement with the Water Boards in early 2023 requiring the launch of …

The Gualala River Stream Team’s next monitoring event will be in August!    When: Saturday, August 19th, 9:00 a.m. sharp! to 11:00 a.m. Where: Meet at the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC) Mill Bend Preserve, 46902 Old Stage Rd., Gualala (take the gravel road 400ft from Highway 1) When you arrive, we will divide into four teams (each with a team leader to …

The Gualala River Stream Team will be heading out into the watershed and I hope you will join us! When: Saturday, June 17th, 9:00 a.m. sharp! to 11:00 a.m. Where: Meet at the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC) Mill Bend, 46902 Old Stage Rd., Gualala (take the gravel road 400ft from Highway 1). When you arrive, we will divide into four teams …

Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) achieved a major accomplishment that will help improve water quality and reduce sediment pollution in the Gualala River and its tributaries – a pivotal step in assisting salmonid recovery efforts. After nearly two years of legal actions and negotiations, a settlement agreement was reached last month between FoGR, the State Water Resources Control Board (State …

Please mark your calendar for the Gualala River Stream Team monitoring event. When: Saturday, May 20, 2023, 9:00 a.m. sharp! – 11 a.m. Where: Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC) Upper Mill Bend (46902 Old State Highway, Gualala)  The plan is to meet at the RCLC picnic tables, where we held the training.  When you arrive, we will divide into four teams (each …

Hello All, The Gualala River Stream Team is kicking off the 2023 monitoring season to track the health of the Gualala River and you can join us! When: Saturday, April 22nd, 9-11AM Where: Redwood Coast Land Conservancy – Mill Bend (46902 Old Stage Rd. , Gualala – take the gravel road 400ft from Highway 1) What:  This training will educate …

River mouth opened on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Photo by Rebecca Williams; reprinted with permission.