Cal Fire ignores Scenic Highway Requirement

CAL FIRE has ignored a key requirement of the Sonoma 116 Scenic Highway Corridor Study (called the “Final Report”) in its review of the 224-acre Silver Estates timber harvest plan (THP), according to the Guerneville Forest Coalition (GFC).

The Final Report requires that all timber harvest plans that affect the view along the scenic corridor be reviewed by Sonoma County. The GFC has discovered that no such review has been conducted despite the fact that 96 percent of the THP plan area (216 out of 224 acres) is within the Highway 116 designated scenic corridor.

CAL FIRE is the lead agency responsible for approving timber harvest plans and appears to have failed to request a review of the plan by Sonoma County.

Highway 116 in Sonoma County was officially designated a Scenic Highway on September 20, 1988, by the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS).

GFC member Kristina Young said: “What is really concerning is that the highway could actually lose its designation as scenic by CALTRANS if the County fails to enforce the requirements of the Final Report. This could have a significant impact on tourism in Sonoma and along the Russian River. Action needs to be taken to ensure that a full visual assessment is carried out before this logging plan is approved.”

CAL FIRE is expected to announce its decision on the plan within the next few weeks.