Take a Stand for the Wetlands

Mendocino County residents who have been on the front lines trying to save wetlands and scarce woodlands from Caltrans heavy equipment are calling people from all over the region to come out at 12 noon on Saturday, Oct. 12 to “Take a Stand for the Wetlands.”

The Rally and action site is ½ mile north of the town of Willits, with shuttles from Recreation Grove Park in downtown Willits.

Protests by area residents have been making headlines for close to 9 months for what they see as a $300 million dollar waste of taxpayer funds and huge blow to sensitive environments. The four-lane, six-mile freeway is destroying some 90 acres of wetlands, the largest wetland removal in over fifty years in northern California. It was just uncovered that Caltrans is obliterating at least one Native American cultural site.
Caltrans sunk 55,000 wick drains in the wetlands to suck up the water as dumped fill weighs down on the wicks. Activists will carry water into the Caltrans construction zone in a post-rally action.

The program features tree-sitters Amanda “Warbler” Senseman and Julia Butterfly Hill, Mike Fitzgerrald, Tribal Chair from the Sherwood Valley Rancheria, Barbara Kennedy from the Save Richardson Grove Coalition, stage performer Sherry Glaser, comedian Swami Beyondananda, music from several bands and lots more.