Protests Keep CalTrans At Bay

Had it not been for a direct action last week by supporters of The Warbler’s tree sit south of Willits, this would have been the week CalTrans and its contractors dispatched crews with chainsaws and heavy equipment to mow down oak, madrone, manzanita, Oregon ash, and pine trees on the east side of Little Lake Valley, as a step toward construction of Big Orange’s planned new superhighway through Willits.

In conducting research for this story, I obtained a letter written by CalTrans Senior Resident Engineer Geoffrey T. Wright to the California State Water Resources Control Board, dated February 21st, with an update on CalTrans’ construction schedule. The following paragraph is the letter’s kicker.