Friends of Gualala River

Section 4 was recirculated for public comment on July 22, 2026.
New close of Public Comment period is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 5pm.

Gualala Redwood Timber’s 167-acre Card Timber Harvest Plan (THP 1-26-00021-SON) is located in the floodplain on the west side of the South Fork Gualala River, from confluence of the North and South Forks, down past Buckeye Creek. The plan was submitted to Cal Fire on February 20, 2026, but Cal Fire determined that the plan was unacceptable due to required information which was missing. GRT re-submitted the plan on March 26, 2026.

The Public Comment period closed on July 6, 2026 but was re-opened on July 22 for comments on Section 4 (cumulative impacts). New close of Public Comment period is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 5pm.

This is essentially ‘Dogwood West‘ – the Dogwood THP was entirely in the floodplain on the east side of the South Fork (except for a few acres on the south side of the main stem of the Gualala River). The Card THP is entirely in the floodplain on the west side of the South Fork.

Read Friends of Gualala River’s July 6, 2026 comments on this THP.

Note: CalFire’s standard procedure is to print out the plan documents, scan them, and post the images to their publicly accessible database, CalTREES. As a result, it is impossible to search for text in the documents, because there are no words in the documents posted, only images of words. In order to make the documents more useful, whenever possible we have used optical character recognition (OCR) on the documents posted below, so that you can search them.

(Re-submitted 3/26/2026)

Card THP Section 1 – [3 MB, 11 pages] Legal description: Cover pages, signatures.

Card THP Section 2 – [14 MB, 103 pages] Operations: Silviculture, yarding, erosion hazard rating, winter operations, roads & landings, watercourse & lake protections, alternative watercourse & lake protections (in lieu of standard rules), biological resources, maps.

Card THP Section 3 – [3 MB, 24 pages] Supporting materials: General site description, analysis of alternatives, discussion and justification of in-lieu and/or alternative watercourse and lake protection practices, cultural resources.

Card THP Section 4 – [40 MB, 165 pages] Cumulative Impacts: Past, present and future projects, assessment of cumulative watershed effects, soil productivity, biological resources, recreational, visual, traffic, greenhouse gas impacts, wildfire risks.

Section 4 was recirculated for public comment on July 22, 2026.
New close of Public Comment period is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 5pm.

Card THP Section 5 – [20 MB, 147 pages] Attachments: Including soil erosion hazards, Erosion Control Plan, culvert sizing, botanical surveys, geology report, Northern Spotted Owl information, road work.

Card THP Section 6 – [1 MB, 1 page] Archeological information: (confidential)

Card THP – Response to 1st Review Questions, by Registered Pro. Forester
[4/2/26, 13 MB, 51 pages]

Card THP – Pre-Harvest Inspection, by Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
[4/28/26, 0.1 MB, 7 pages]

Card THP – Pre-Harvest Inspection, by Cal Fire
[4/30/26, 1.4 MB, 17 pages]

Card THP – Pre-Harvest Inspection, by Regional Water Quality Control Board
[5/1/26, 0.3 MB, 6 pages]

Card THP – Response to Agency Recommendations, by Registered Pro. Forester
[6/2/26, 33 MB, 54 pages]

Card THP – 2nd Review Recommendations, by Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
[6/17/26, 0.1 MB, 3 pages]

Card THP – 2nd Review Questions, by Cal Fire
[6/18/26, 1 MB, 3 pages]

Card THP – Response to 2nd Review Questions, by Registered Pro. Forester
[6/19/26, 2.5 MB, 28 pages]

Card THP – Recommended for approval, by Cal Fire
[6/25/26, 1 MB, 1 pages]

Card THP – Comments by Jeanne Jackson
[7/1/26, 1 MB, 2 pages]

Card THP – Comments by Chris Poehlmann
[7/2/26, 1 MB, 2 pages]

Card THP – Comments by Friends of South Fork Gualala
[7/6/26, 1 MB, 2 pages]

Card THP – Comments by Friends of Gualala River
[7/6/26, 16 MB, 36 pages + 100 pages of attachments]

Card THP map, northern portion

Card THP map, southern portion

All documents regarding this logging plan are available in the new CalTREES system.

Unfortunately, CalTREES is not easy to use, so FoGR has compiled some
basic instructions for use of CalTREES to help you navigate the system.

To download additional documents for this logging plan,
if you want to follow the back & forth as agencies ask questions and the RPF replies,
visit the Card THP page on the CalTREES website.

Below are instructions on how to submit comments during the public comment period.

Public Comment period closed on July 6, 2026 but was re-opened
on July 22 for comments on Section 4 (cumulative impacts).
New close of Public Comment period is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 5pm.

To submit your comments on a logging plan, email your comments to: santarosapubliccomment@fire.ca.gov
or send your comments via U.S. Mail to:

Forest Practice
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
135 Ridgway Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

In the subject line of your email message, or at the top of your letter,
be sure to reference the THP number and name, for example:
THP 1-26-00021-SON “Card”

HRRR = Harold Richardson Redwood Reserve

The 129-acre HRRR Timber Harvest Plan (THP 1-26-00099-SON) is located between Tin Barn Road and Haupt Creek in the Haupt Creek watershed of the Gualala River basin. The majority of the acreage (102 acres) is designated “fuel break / defensible space.” The plan was submitted to Cal Fire by the Save The Redwood League on July 22, 2026.

Submitted on July 22, 2026

“HRRR” THP Section 1 – [7 MB, 10 pages] Legal description: Cover pages, signatures.

“HRRR” THP Section 2 – [14 MB, 109 pages] Operations: Silviculture, yarding, erosion hazard rating, winter operations, roads & landings, watercourse & lake protections, alternative watercourse & lake protections (in lieu of standard rules), biological resources, maps.

“HRRR” THP Section 3 – [3 MB, 28 pages] Supporting materials: General site description, project alternative analysis, Section II Items with Explanation and Justification.

“HRRR” THP Section 4 – [7 MB, 123 pages] Cumulative Impacts: Past, present and future projects, assessment of cumulative watershed effects, soil productivity, biological resources, recreational, visual, traffic, greenhouse gas impacts, wildfire risks.

“HRRR” THP Section 5 – [49 MB, 228 pages] Attachments: Including soil erosion hazards, Erosion Control Plan, Furlbreak / Defensible Space letters, botanical surveys, Marbled Murrelet and Northern Spotted Owl information.

“HRRR” THP Section 6 – [1 MB, 1 page] Archeological information: (confidential)

All documents regarding this logging plan are available in the new CalTREES system.

Unfortunately, CalTREES is not easy to use, so FoGR has compiled some
basic instructions for use of CalTREES to help you navigate the system.

To download additional documents for this logging plan,
if you want to follow the back & forth as agencies ask questions and the RPF replies,
visit the “HRRR” THP page on the CalTREES website.

Below are instructions on how to submit comments during the public comment period.

To submit your comments on a logging plan, email your comments to: santarosapubliccomment@fire.ca.gov
or send your comments via U.S. Mail to:

Forest Practice
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
135 Ridgway Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

In the subject line of your email message, or at the top of your letter,
be sure to reference the THP number and name, for example:
THP 1-26-00099-SON “HRRR”

From the San Francisco Estuary Institute,
via Maven’s Notebook July 10, 2026

San Francisco’s rain gardens—the unassuming patches of greenery and mulch designed to soak up rainwater alongside urban roadways—may improve the environment in more ways than realized. A new SFEI-led study shows that rain gardens substantially reduce levels of 21 contaminants in stormwater before that water ends up in San Francisco Bay.

. . .

In the Visitacion Valley neighborhood, where stormwater from an area larger than a football field drained to a rain garden with the footprint of a small house, the soil and plants filtered out at least three-quarters of every contaminant tested in the study. Most were reduced by 90% or more. Overall, the rain gardens were even better at removing most of the emerging contaminants than they were at removing better-studied water quality pollutants like toxic metals.

. . .

The rain gardens could also remove up to 99% of tire wear particles, which vehicles shed on the road as tires wear down. Modern tires are a concoction of hundreds of ingredients, and their fragments are considered a type of microplastic. In fact, tire particles are estimated to be the most common microplastics in San Francisco Bay, with trillions entering it each year. The study also tested for several chemicals that leach into the environment from tires and vehicles, and found that the rain gardens absorbed large portions of these chemicals.

. . .

To read the complete article, visit Maven’s Notebook: San Francisco rain gardens filter microplastic tire particles and dozens of chemicals from stormwater

The North Coast Water Board has developed a draft Water Code Section 13267 Informational Order Directing Applicable Landowners in the Gualala River Watershed to Submit Technical Reports Pertaining to the Inventory, Assessment, and Prioritization of Ownership-Wide Road-Related Sediment Discharge Sites (draft Gualala Roads Assessment Order).

The draft Gualala Roads Assessment Order and related attachments are now available for public review, in advance of the planned July 13, 2026 release date. Public review is available through Friday, August 14, 2026. Read the Notice of Public Comment Opportunity, Board Workshop, and December Public Hearing for more information.

Draft Order and Attachments:

• Staff Summary Report
• Draft Gualala Roads Assessment Order
• Attachment A: Applicable Landowners
• Attachment B: Watershed Map
• Attachment C: Definitions and Acronyms
• Attachment D: Calculation of Estimated Assessment Costs
• Attachment E: Evaluation Methodology
• Attachment F: Annual Status Report Form
• Attachment G: Independent Contractor Certification Form

Written Comment Instructions:

Written comments must be received no later than 5:00 PM on August 14, 2026. Send comments by selecting from the following methods:

• Email up to 15 megabytes to RB1-Gualala@waterboards.ca.gov and use the subject heading “Draft Gualala Roads Assessment Order Comments”
• Follow electronic submittal guidelines for comments greater than 15 megabytes
• Fax to 707-523-0135
• Mail or Hand Deliver to:
  North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
  Attention: Matt Graves
  5550 Skylane Blvd., Suite A
  Santa Rosa, California 95403-1072

Public Workshop:

On July 23, 2026, the North Coast Water Board will hold a public workshop on the draft Gualala Roads Assessment Order. During the public workshop, North Coast Water Board staff will give an oral presentation on the draft Order, followed by Board member questions and discussion. Oral and written comments from members of the public will be accepted. The workshop will be held during the following North Coast Water Board meeting:

Ways to Attend:

• In person
• By Zoom – [Click HERE to register]
• Watch live online at CAL-SPAN

Additional information about the public workshop, including meeting procedures and information on making presentations, can be found on the North Coast Water Board webpage for the 07/23/2026 Board Meeting agenda. 

by Sonoma Resource Conservation District
January 31, 2026

The primary purpose of this report is to create a baseline of watershed conditions to support the Gualala TMDL Action Plan Implementation program. The program will utilize this report to then develop a framework for prioritizing subwatersheds based on their contribution of sediment loading within the Gualala River Watershed, and the creation of a road assessment methodology. The ultimate objective is to conduct on-the-ground road assessments required to produce a detailed road erosion mitigation plan to protect water quality,  improve habitat for coho and other salmonids, and support other beneficial uses.

This report provides a high-level, desktop assessment to determine present-day land use, road networks and densities, forested landscapes, as well as provide a summary of relevant background information about the Gualala River watershed.

Read the report: Gualala River Watershed Conditions Report
[1/31/2026, 12 MB, 169 pages]

In June, 2026, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission awarded $750,000 to the Western Rivers Conservancy (with Kashia Band of Pomo Indians) through the Priority Conservation Area (PCA) Grant Program, to protect 298 acres of river corridor and redwood forest, supporting habitat restoration and Tribal cultural uses.

Western Rivers Conservancy is working to conserve the 298-acre South Fork Gualala property, which lies along 1.2 miles of the South Fork Gualala River. This effort builds on our recent project on the Wheatfield Fork, where WRC conserved 4,440 acres of land spanning 6.6 miles of river and tributary streams in 2022. . . .

WRC’s goal is to purchase the South Fork Gualala property and convey it to the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, whose ancestral lands encompass this area. The Tribe plans to use both current forestry methods and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to restore nearly 300 acres of second growth redwoods to accelerate progress toward a mature forest. This will benefit the river and its fish by reducing sediment loads and water temperature, while improving habitat for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species.

The acquisition will also provide new opportunities for tribal members to reconnect with their ancestral territory and engage in traditional cultural activities on their own land. Given our shared conservation vision for the Gualala River, this is a partnership that will deliver critically important gains for the river system, its fish and wildlife and the people who call this place home.

To read the complete article, visit the Western Rivers Conservancy.