Stop The Paving of Highway 7

by Lisa Cahn and Linda Kelley

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is currently deciding whether or not to include Forest Highway 7, the Mendocino Pass Road, in its Forest Highway Program, jointly administered by the FHWA, CALTrans and the U.S. Forest Service. This project, spearheaded by Sacramento Valley Congressperson Vic Fazio (D), would involve paving and widening a 37-mile section of road right through the Mendocino National Forest, the last national forest in the U.S. not transected by a paved road. This section would then become the new State Highway 162 linking Interstate 5 at Willows (in Glenn County) to Highway 101 north of Willits. People's opposition to the plan was loud and clear at the FHWA public meeting held in Willits, the evening of October 9. Not a single person in attendance, except Mendocino County Supervisor John Pinches, was in favor of the idea. Even the FHWA's design project manager said their recently-completed traffic needs survey, which showed that 280 cars per day would be diverted from Highways 20 and 299, didn't justify the estimated $100 million it would cost for construction alone.

Pinches feels that paving the road would be "good for the environment" and would revitalize the town of Covelo ("bring it back to what it was 20 years ago"). Now that logging interests have pulled out of the area, leaving Round Valley environmentally compromised and economically depressed, some residents do feel that having a paved route connecting them with the Highway 5 side of the pass would be an economic boost. However, increased traffic through the area will most likely lead to fast-food franchises (low-wage jobs and profits going elsewhere), congestion, pollution and unchecked development of a secluded rural area.

Opposition

A large group of area residents also oppose the plan because a paved road would further fragment sensitive old-growth and wildlife habitat and cause damage to the Eel River, Black Butte River and Cold Creek watersheds.

Residents along the way are also aware of the tremendous difficulty and expense of maintaining such a road; there are 16 active landslides within the proposed route and there's already been damage from huge slides to paved sections of Highway 162 on both sides of the unpaved area. The $100 million cost does not include costs of engineering a steep, winding road over elevations of 6700 feet or the costs of future maintenance.

Dan Chisholm, Forest Supervisor of the Mendocino National Forest, supports the plan. He considers the forest "underutilized" and, now that the forest has been logged, wants to increase tourism. Louisiana Pacific has just sold a major holding in the Mendocino National Forest, an area accessed by this road, to a real estate development company. Is this our ultimate goal? It would pave the way - so to speak - for traffic, tourism and development to encroach even closer to the Yolla Bolly Wilderness Area.

Protecting the seclusion of this National Forest better serves the land and the people who want to enjoy it.

Adverse Effect

We are among the residents who oppose this plan; we came to this fight in a typical way: increased traffic on the road would adversely affect our daily lives. But the more we researched paving in general and considered the needs of silted watersheds and the ravaged forest, the larger the fight became. Communities should be involved in decisions about development of their local area. The deadline for public comment to be included in the traffic study has passed, but there is still time to voice opposition to your legislators.

Please write to Rep. Vic Fazio, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515, Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 and to Daniel K. Chisholm, Forest Supervisor, Mendocino National Forest, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, Ca. 95988.

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Last Update: 12/31/97