The Sanctuary Forest is a non-profit conservation land trust in the Mattole River headwaters on the northern California coast. Established in 1987,[1] as a community effort, its goal was to preserve a 2000-year-old redwood named “Big Red." The area also contains spawning grounds for Chinook salmon and steelhead in a tributary of the river.[2]

It currently covers over 10,000 acres of forest, rivers, and wildlife corridors in California.[3]

History

Sanctuary Forest began in 1987, within the temperate rainforest of the headwaters of the Matto Le River, on the northern California coast. Active community members who aimed to preserve the 2,000-year-old redwood “Big Red", that was scheduled for cutting by industrial timberland owners, launched Sanctuary Forest’s first campaign.

The origin of this organization is based on the beliefs of the Redwoods Monastery, a group of Cistercian monastic women, who educated their communities about the severe threats logging has towards the environment.[4]

Conservation efforts

Its conservation efforts are to preserve old-growth Douglas firs, redwood forests, wildlife corridors, and additional habitats and streams near the Mattole River. It has guided efforts to save 1,200 acres of old-growth forest, 4,440 acres of land for conservation purposes, and 6,075 acres of conservation easements on private property.[5]

In 2017, Sanctuary Forest, Inc. implemented the Whitethorn Clean Up Project[6] to address the impacts on Sanctuary Forest as a result of a trespass marijuana cultivation site from 2014 to 2016.

Sanctuary Forest, Inc. has worked for years to purchase land within the Whitethorn Valley to conserve the land and protect it from future development.[7]

Programs

Sanctuary Forest’s programs include Lands Conservation Program, Stewardship Program, Education and Outreach Program, and Collaboration Program:[8]

Lands conservation program

The Lands Conservation Program protects the main areas that help keep the Mattole River healthy through conservation easements and land acquisition.[9]

Stewardship program

The Stewardship Program establishes ecologically sound land management through restoration, water conservation, and other projects.[10]

Education and outreach program

The Education and Outreach Program promotes public appreciation for the land by providing summer hikes and scholarships.[11]

Collaboration program

Collaboration Punifiesm unify different perspectives with the same purpose of keeping the Mattole watershed healthy, through making partnerships to promote conservation and responsible management of the environment.

It includes the Upper Mattole River and Forest Cooperative (UMRFC), which involves public, private, federal, state, and non-profit organizations that manage 4,000 acres of Mattole River headwaters as part of a threatened salmon location. Sanctuary Forest is the non-profit land conservation group that was active in conserving this area in collaboration with the UMRFC. It is estimated that the Sanctuary Forest owns around 500 acres within the UMRFC.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Sanctuary Forest - FIC". farmlandinfo.org. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  2. ↑ Preserving Parklands, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct 1987: D6.
  3. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "Welcome to Sanctuary Forest". Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "A Brief History of Sanctuary Forest". Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "How We Began". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "Whitethorn Grove Cleanup". wildlife.ca.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  7. ↑ "Our Rivers". Whitethorn Valley Farm. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  8. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "Sanctuary Forest's Programs". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  9. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "The Promise of Land Conservation". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  10. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "Stewardship Program: 'Living with the River'". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  11. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "Educational Programs". Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  12. ↑ Sanctuary Forest, Inc. (2005). "COLLABORATION PROGRAM: 'Upper Mattole River and Forest Cooperative'". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.

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