http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0825-redwoods-vineyards-20110825,0,3104451,full.story This is not Redwoods vs. Grapes so much as it is Common Sense vs. Filthy Lucre. The sheer bald-faced gall of the wine companies is breathtaking, isn't it? 'The forests can be cleared and preserved at the same time'...??? What, in photographs, or maybe in our memories? The fossil record, perhaps? And note that one of the wineries wants to build 60 (count 'em, 60) 'high-end estates' on adjacent lands. Gosh, huge houses/plumbing/roads/traffic won't have any effect at all on the ecosystem, won't pollute the Gualala River, will leave pristine the ancestral lands of the Pomo Indians! I am appalled and revolted by this news. I sincerely hope that whomever judges this benighted petition for destruction will file it where it belongs: in the recycle bin.
There was also this money making bit not really highlighted in the article's title. Build 60 High End Estates ? This is in reality what they want to achieve. The vinyard additions are only 'Eye Candy' for attracking multi-million $$$ clientel for which to profiteer from. The fact is there are no doubt plenty of acreage elsewhere for which to plant vinyards, but not ALL locations will attract those High End User Dollar$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
California has long followed the same approaches that led to desertification and permanent conversion of forest to scrub in the Mediterranean region.
Absolutely Ron. I lived in the San Jacinto Mountains for 24 years above Palm Springs, California. In the early pioneer days the loggers depleted and devastated almost everything. I actually had the privilage to speak to pioneering family descendants(born in late 1800s) in their 90s back in the early 1980 and they could point out where the vast oak/pine forests use to be and what happened to them. I then realized why many of the road names were "Old Forest Road", etc, etc. At 3500' to 4000' elevation such forests were common. Now you don't usually see the tree line until about 4500' to 5000' or what is left of it. Of course there are the few odd ball pockets of woods here and there. There is a 3000 foot level elevation point on the desert grade going towards Palm Desert on Hwy 74 where I explored extensively looking for the old forest tree line that was rumored to have existed. Sure enough sure enough I found charred remains of Jeffrey pines stumps which for no other reason were still present because of the charcoal state they were in. Two stumps were well over a couple meters in diameter. The native vegetation there presently is high desert scrub plant community. Certainly nothing by your Northwest standards, but bohemoths down there at that elevation on desert side slopes. Interestingly, most of those older folks I mentioned were in the town of Anza(hence my user handle) at 4000' Elevation and related to me that most of the oaks and pines were wholesale cut down and grassland was allowed and encouraged to take it's place. Seems Cattle ranching was the occupation of the day. Yet in ignorance they destroyed the perfect climate/rain making system that was there. Rain totals are far below historic levels of the past. Seems all across our planet there are any number of similiar stories which when put together explain the present day dilemma. Their biggest problem now is that year after year forest/brush fires rage out of control and continually deplete any future seed sources for forest regeneration. Presently I see no answer for turning things around. Ignorance, stupidity and perverted pyros simply cannot be kept in check. The climate is changing as you've stated and I know for a fact that it was common to see 10' to 12' diameter trees. Only a few are left up in Idyllwild. Most of the average ages of trees up there are 90 to 110 years old which is barely out of adolescent age by most forest standards. Where fires have had no impact, climate change and pest/disease have taken their toll. I have seen the forest tree line recede everywhere by a 1000'+ over the past 30 years. The Cedar Fire in San Diego County in 2003 destroyed the entire Cuyumaca State Park which I always considered the Yosemite of Southern California. If you visited it today, you'd be sick if you knew what it use to look like,
Well said, anza. Other horrors: the Cachuela Esperanza hydroelectric dam in Bolivia---which will flood 690 km of rainforest. The Belo Monte project in Brazil, which will dam one of the Amazon's largest tributaries. It isn't just hairspray propellants that are destroying the environment. Governments, dazzled and misled by greed, cannot see further than their short-term profits. Would that these bureaucrats would have the clear vision of the native peoples whose lives are being destroyed. These people are crying out to tell the world what will happen. http://amazonwatch.org/news/more-about?tags=Belo+Monte
The fire problem today is Finance Insurance and Real Estate. The money men are running the world and moving paper around is all they are interested in.
