The tiny town of Williams in Southern Oregon lies over the mountain ridge from the community of Takilma where I lived for more than 20 years. We always thought of Williams as our sister community in the never-ending struggle to protect the local forests, mountains and rivers. Now, Williams is facing a big threat and a great opportunity. The community wants to buy an important parcel of land. The chainsaws are scheduled to start buzzing as soon as early March and the land is expensive but they are undaunted. With our help (large and small) they just may do it an set a model for the future.
Go to the Williams project page or continue here
Our Story
Hi, We are a group of children ages 5-17 who have teamed up with the Williams Community Forest Project to save the forest in the heart of our town from a devastating 320 acre clear-cut. This pristine forest is part of a major corridor for animal migration, and home to numerous endangered and threatened species such as the Red Tree Vole, Pacific Fisher, Mariposa Lily and Northern Spotted Owl. It contains the headwaters for three of our creeks which provide the people and farms of the Williams Valley with some of the cleanest drinking and irrigation water in the nation. Because this land is privately owned, it is within the owners right to clear-cut the trees and spray noxious, cancer causing herbicides afterward which will wash down these creeks.. These are the same creeks which flow through our homes and provide irrigation water to our many organic farms. We play in these creeks in the summer. We have decided to buy this land and turn it into a community forest which will be protected by the Williams Community Forest Project in perpetuity and preserved as a Community Forest to be used by all. It will be managed ecologically and sustainably to support and enrich our local and global forest ecology and community. We have already raised over $150,000 towards the $500,000 we need to secure a million dollar low interest loan and buy the land.
The Impact
If this campaign is not successful, the consequences are devastating. A clearcut of this magnitude would have a disastrous effect on our local environment and economy. It would affect the entire watershed by destroying important habitat, causing massive erosion, and most likely poisoning our water with herbicides.
With your help, we plan to prevent this clearcut by purchasing this land to secure it's future for present and future generations. We envision a forest maintained for the benefit of our local ecology and community. This community forest will provide rich educational and recreational opportunities and serve as a model for sustainable forest management.
What We Need & What You Get
The owner could begin logging as soon as March 1. He has already initiated road building in preparation for this clearcut. We need to raise $500,000 before this date. We have already raised $150,000. That means we need to raise $350,000 more dollars. We are pursuing many avenues of funding including several grants, a concert, and a fund raising dinner. Please help us save this pristine forest. Any level of donation helps us toward our goal! Any donation over $250 receives a tax deductible receipt from the Williams Community Forest Project.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please help us get the word out. Please don't be shy about posting this and sharing this information with your friends. The lives of many creatures depend on this! Thank-you for your support.
I trust these folks, they will do what they promise. Please consider making a large or small donation here.
No comments:
Post a Comment