Caltrans set to pave over valley oaks to build 101 bypass of Willits (Mendo)

Caltrans seems unstoppable once they decide on a paving project, regardless of how the local community may feel about it. Instead of encouraging a more pedestrian/bike transit friendly community, Caltran takes the paving way out..

This shows the same lack of foresight that has led to the freeway sprawling smog of SoCal, begun soon after WW2 with Saudi petroleum surplus. Even though Bush has now "secured" the petroleum of Iraq, we need to realize that petroleum is at peak and will only decline in availability in the future. People will have other options for transport, bikes, biodiesel and public transit being more economical, ecologically sound and fun..

Paving more freeways in this era will only lead to problems in the future (more heat, impermeable surface, flooding, etc..)

The region soon to be smothered in asphalt is a low lying valley oak woodland. Futhermore this region is prone to flooding, and the impermeable surface will only increase the floodwaters during frequent winter storms. People (and squirrels) will miss the valley oaks once they're gone. It probably only takes a few months to cut the many oaks with chainsaws and cover the earth with pavement. It will take more than one human lifetime for an acorn to sprout through freeway pavement..


The articles below describe the ongoing struggle between the community of Willits and Caltrans regarding the proposed freeway..

http://www.mecgrassroots.org/NEWSL/ISS36/36.10Willits.html

http://www.mecgrassroots.org/mecframe2.html