Logging will impact views and recreation says report

A detailed study by San Francisco landscape architects, RHAA, has revealed that the approved 224-acre Silver Estates logging plan near Guerneville will have significant visual and recreational impacts.

The study, commissioned by the Guerneville Forest Coalition and funded by a Sonoma County Tourism Impact Fund grant, examined the visual impact of the logging plan on the Highway 116 Scenic Corridor.

In a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, principal landscape arcithect Nathan Lozier wrote that "the extent of logging and logging practices allowed under the plan would noticeably and detrimentally impact the visual and recreational experience for people on and near the Russian River."

The study used Sonoma County geographic information system (GIS) data to analyze and visualize how the logging plan might affect the appearance of Neeley Hill, east of the Russian River. Researchers looked at how the logged hillside might look to kayakers, beachgoers and other users of the Russian River as well as people traveling along Scenic Highway 116 between Guerneville and the Northwood Golf Course. It also considered the impact on views from public and private places near the top of the river bank.

The report concludes that potential impacts to views will vary depending on location when moving along Highway 116, the Russian River, or the river's edge. It states that "depending on obstructions, elevation, and open and direct sightlines, a variety of viewsheds will experience a reduced forest and canopy, which may negatively impact the experience of residents, tourists, people passing by, and those actively using the river to fish, canoe, kayak, or relax."

One particular view from the Russian River that could be significantly impacted is about half a mile west of the Guerneville bridge. Kayakers and other river users heading west before Hulbert Creek are likely to see a forested hillside pockmarked with small clear cut areas. GFC member John Dunlap said: "The THP does not specify exactly where the mini clear cut areas will be but this analysis shows that this hillside will be impacted. It will definitely change the view from one of a forested hillside to a patch work of gaps of up to 2.5 acres."

Forested hillside that will be pock marked by logging

The Silver Estates THP was approved by Cal Fire in November last year despite no professional viewshed analysis. The THP states that 60 percent of the logging area is visible from the scenic highway.