Natural History Wanderings

I’m writing to you today with utmost urgency. The fate of the Los Padres National Forest hangs in the balance, and what actions we take in the next three weeks will determine the ecological health of these lands and wildlife—and our communities—for generations to come.

Days ago, the Forest Service announced its latest logging and vegetation removal scheme, and it is simply mind-boggling: 235,495 acres of native chaparral, forest, riparian habitat, and other ecosystems across Los Padres National Forest will be ground up, chopped down, logged, grazed, and burned. That’s 368 square miles.

Dubbed the “Ecological Restoration Project,” this misnamed proposal will destroy wildlife habitat, fragment open spaces, promote the spread of invasive weeds, pollute streams with sediment, and permanently scar the landscape in ways that are truly staggering.

The one (and possibly only) public comment period closes on August 28. Click here to make your voice heard and read below for more information and ways to get involved.