Friends of Gualala River Protecting the Gualala River watershed and the species living within it

Independence Day event stalls after complaints over impact on seabirds by Bob Norberg The Press Democrat June 27, 2007 [excerpt:] A quarter-acre rock 100 yards from shore, where thousands of seabirds nest, has become the front line in Gualala’s war over an Independence Day fireworks celebration. “It is the Fourth of July, we are celebrating our Independence Day like thousands …

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

Piping spring flow from Dos Rios to reservoir could run afoul of Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by Glenda Anderson The Press Democrat October 12, 2007 [excerpt:] A decade after Mendocino County Supervisor John Pinches first proposed piping water from a protected portion of the Eel River to as far south as Ukiah, the much maligned plan is getting a …

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

Letter regarding CDP #55-2006 by Julie Verran Ms. Beddoe, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Hall, CDP #55-2006 should be denied. The only viable alternatives are No Project, or public use as a park with a bluff trail, parking and more native trees and shrubs planted to help shield Highway 1 and the rest of downtown Gualala from tsunami run-up. That would be …

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

Published in the Independent Coast Observer on November 3, 2006. Only 70 years ago, in the mid 1930s, most of the central and upper reaches of the Gualala River Watershed still were covered with virgin old-growth redwood forests. The trees shaded the river and its tributaries, and a deep network of tree roots helped prevent erosion of forest soils. Salmon …

From Manchester School Friends of the Gualala River awarded Manchester School its first grant to help develop a system of nature paths and outdoor classrooms on the school campus. Randy Sinclair presents FoGR’s first ‘Eco-Hero’ award to Cindy Gonzales, principal of Manchester SchoolThe nature trail, with a raised walkway and meeting areas for classes, is a significant component of the …

2006 Environmental Art exhibit Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) sponsored an award at the Environmental Art exhibit, “Nature Working with Artists,” at the Gualala Arts Center in September 2006. Donna Lane, with Jane Reichhold’s ‘It Pays to Pick Up Litter’Congratulations to local artist Jane Reichhold, whose entry, “It Pays to Pick Up Litter,” was selected as the winner of …

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

Historical Proposals 1955 – Sonoma County Planning Commission Revised Beach and Shoreline Master Plan Excerpt:   Priority 1 – F. Gualala Riverbank and coastal shoreline. “This area is proposed for a major park because of its size, its natural beauty of second growth timber and other foliage, and because of its location along the Gualala River and the south fork. …

Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) sponsored an award at the Art in the Redwoods festival in 2006, for the fifth year in a row.A cash prize of $100 contributed by the Friends of the Gualala River was given to the artist who best captured the ecology of the Sonoma-Mendocino coast, as determined by the festival judges. Congratulations to artist …

Two separate reports by Residents of The Sea Ranch Report No. 1 Several of us walked to the bluff next to Gualala Point Island rookery to monitor the fireworks’ effect on rookery residents, not knowing WHAT to expect – IF anything. We were amazed and troubled by how immediate and extensive the effect was. Alarm cries from the seabirds began …

Friends of the Gualala River protects the Gualala River watershed in Northern California and the species living within it.

by Genevieve Bookwalter, Santa Cruz Sentinel staff writer, June 30, 2006 [excerpt:] … The 4-3 decision in favor of Santa Cruz County over Davenport-based Big Creek Lumber grants a local government the power to restrict timber operations to certain areas. Historically, logging was under the purview of the state; the court’s ruling validates Santa Cruz County’s 7-year-old law regulating where …

As part of Friends of the Gualala River’s continuing community outreach efforts, several awards are given each year for student art projects. The most recent award was presented to Horicon School (Annapolis), for their stunning mural entitled “Fish and Their Habitat.” Especially impressive is the fact that the work was done by first and second grade students who studied the …

3/20/2006   Peter “All the big new vineyards on Annapolis Road have recently been sprayed with herbicides, and the characteristic brown-out and discoloration is showing up now, demonstrating how extensive the spray area is… and during an intense period of rain and runoff to seasonal creeks. The old Annapolis vineyard and new olive plantations are managed for weeds by non-chemical …

“At Twin Bridges (Valley Crossing), the big gravel bar at the confluence of the south fork has split into two channels: one running right through the alder riparian zone, and a shallower one that has breached the gravel bar. The gravel bar is very low in height compared with previous years.” “The willows planted by Matrix of Change a few …

                 “At the tip of the Gualala Point sand spit on March 17, nine small harbor seals were hauled out on the back of the spit, near the edge of the muddly freshwater river outflow. There were no human footprints in the sand because the low beach was overwashed until low tide, barring …