When I lived in San Francisco, I made no secret of the fact that the city and its environs really bummed me out, There were the ocassional highlights, like Fry's Electronics and the Musee Mechanique, but in the main, San Francisco left me cold.
There's one major exception to this, though: the ancient redwoods across the Golden Gate Bridge, in Muir woods and elsewhere. These millennia-old giants are Northern California's most beautiful and humbling feature. Standing alongside of one was like being in the presence of something holy. I think that if I'd spent more time with them, I might have stayed in California.
Today, California's old-growth forests are being indiscriminately logged. Conservation of these irreplaceable trees is a nonpartisan issue: it's an issue of humanity. If you love life, if you love your children, if you love your world, then saving these trees is something you should support.
The California Heritage Tree Preservation Act (SB 754) is being voted on today (August 4th) by California's Assembly Appropriations Committee. Before you go to work this morning, send your California Assembly Member an email and a fax in support fo SB 754:
I urge your support of SB 754, the Heritage Tree Preservation Act. This bill has been carefully written to protect some of California's largest and oldest trees while minimizing impacts to landowners, jobs and state revenues. The bill minimizes and offsets costs and it preserves revenues to the state from tourism, recreation and fisheries.
Fewer than one percent of California's old-growth trees remain standing on non-federal forestland. SB 754 will protect these trees and the ecological and economic benefits they bring to our state. Millions of tourists flock to California's forests each year to witness these towering giants with their own eyes. The trees protected by this bill are among the oldest, tallest, and largest living things on earth.
Please approve SB 754 and help us preserve California's ancient trees for future generations.
