League Purchases Westfall Ranch

Today, the League announced it purchased the scenic 77-acre Westfall Ranch to buffer Headwaters Forest Reserve south of Eureka, California. The League purchased the $1.1 million property from Andy and Sandy Westfall, preventing other potential owners from developing, subdividing or commercially logging the land. More than 3,000 League members donated to this project. Learn more about Westfall Ranch.


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Save the Redwoods League Purchases Westfall Ranch to Buffer Headwaters Forest Reserve, Restore Elk River, Create New Trails

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Save the Redwoods League today announced that it purchased the scenic 77-acre Westfall Ranch to buffer Headwaters Forest Reserve south of Eureka, California. The League purchased the $1.1 million property from Andy and Sandy Westfall, preventing other potential owners from developing, subdividing or commercially logging the land. More than 3,000 League members donated to this project.

Semi-Decadal Scientific Symposium Focuses on Iconic Coast Redwood Forest

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Coast Redwood Science Symposium 2016, hosted by the University of California. The three-day symposium will include general session speakers, concurrent presentations, poster presentations, a reception, and field trip opportunities to view current issues in redwood forest management on California’s North Coast.


3 Responses to “League Purchases Westfall Ranch”

  1. Stephanie Bennett

    The Mazzucci Family owned the “Westfall Ranch” for over 100 years before Westfall bought it. The Mazzuccis were part of our community and cared for their land in a way that respected all of us. Westfall was an absentee landlord and immediately brought in 100 head of cattle to our very impaired struggling watershed. In case some of you aren’t aware, cattle are not a benefit to any environment, and most certainly not to salmon, humans, or anyone else that relies on clean water.

    I’m rather curious how SRL defends their decision to continue operating a non-native, very detrimental species in such a ravaged watershed? Does SRL believe that we downstream residents will benefit from the additional thousands of pounds of feces in our fragile water supply or does SRL just not care because we are not wealthy landowners? Does SRL and its donors believe that the endangered coho salmon here will enjoy feces laden sediment in their spawning grounds?

    Did SRL contact any of us downstream residents (we are adjacent landowners to the Mazzuchi property) to introduce themselves and explain why they needed to continue to pollute our only domestic water supply? I’m shocked and disgusted with an alleged conservation group engaging in a known environmentally destructive activity (cattle grazing near sensitive water supplies. 19th century practices in the 21st century us hardly something to brag about, yet you claim to be protecting sensitive property for future generations.

    Are you going to delete this post, too? Perhaps you are the ones who have stolen our large protest signs, since free speech which exposes your corruption is your biggest threat. Respond to my legitimate concerns with your own truth. Explain to me how its my duty to clean up your cow feces when you have the option not to have cows. I don’t have the option to not have domestic water.

    Reply
  2. Stephanie Bennett

    We are the immediate downriver neighbors of the Westfall Ranch. We were initially excited to hear that a conservation group had purchased this property after we have been fighting for 10 years w/Westfall to not pollute our water supply w/his cattle. He was typically arrogant as only a wealthy rancher can be, and essentially told us to suck s**t in our shower! He said he had a right to pollute our water supply.
    So Save the Redwoods is now running cattle too as if it were a good thing for the river and its inhabitants. I guess Save the Redwoods believes it has a right also to pollute w/one hand while pretending to care about environmental health w/the other. Given your mission statement about preserving & protecting natural environments, running cattle is the complete antithesis to that goal.

    Do you know that one human produces 1 pound of feces per day while 1 cow produces 30 pounds? Do you know that no Elk River residents can legally add even one toilet to their homes because our water supply (Elk River) is so severely degraded that septic systems are too fragile? Did you know that we residents have been battling timber over our severely polluted river/water supply for decades? Did you really think that bringing in cow feces on top of severe sediment pollution would be a benefit to this community? Who among us did you really talk to or does it even matter that you are destroying the health & safety of this community, since none of us is as wealthy as Westfall?

    So what septic systems are being used for cattle while they produce 1000s of times more feces than we humans do? Dog poop in the Headwaters Forest ( a quarter of a mile upriver) is required to be bagged, so why not cow poop? There is no rational answer, just centuries of privileging for this this non-native mammal despite all the environmental destruction it causes. What health & safety provisions has Save the Redwoods League put in to protect us downstream residents from these 1000s of pounds of raw feces being deposited into our water supply?

    Why didn’t Save the Redwoods contact its new neighbors to warn us that you were continuing to pollute this river, our only domestic water supply? Under what theory is grazing cattle in a sensitive watershed a benefit to salmon? We find this action to be both insulting and stupid. Cattle have no place in a natural environment and certainly no place in Elk River. Who benefits when cattle destroy this river? Does Save the Redwoods make a profit at my family’s expense, just as the former landowner did?

    Why is Save the Redwoods League engaging in such a dangerous and insensitive activity? Why are your donors contributing to the further destruction of this watershed? Will Save the Redwoods bring my family an alternative water supply since they are choosing to defecate into my deeded one?

    This is shocking behavior from a conservation group. You owe us an explanation and you need to remove those non-native, defecting, polluting, obnoxious mammals from this watershed immediately.

    Please explain your position that your need to make a profit w/cattle supersedes my right as a human to not have my water supply filled with your feces. Also explain how the endangered and very struggling salmon benefit w/ this additional assault of pollution. And when you purchase property in a war-torn community who has been notoriously struggling for decades w/industrial pollution, you have a responsibility to inform this community of how & why you intend to continually harm them.

    Reply
  3. Gary Hartung

    Save The Redwoods League should work with county, state, federal agencies to build a “HIGH SPEED” train from Southern California to Northern California, to increase visitation. Also, consider having some camping sites and maybe a “LUXURY HOTEL” like Yosemites Awahnee. Showers should be available. Atleast, have electric shuttle bus vehicle transportation available from adjacents State & National Redwoods Parks to Westfall Ranch and Headwaters Forest Reserve. I live in Simi Valley and it is ridiculous for me and friends to consider driving up to the Norhern Redwoods for a few days.
    Gary Hartung, Simi Valley, [email protected]

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