An official committee was recently formed in Mendocino County to advise on the development of a county Oak ordinance. This committee needs to be encouraged to work quickly and to propose protective measures that can be in place soon. At the same time I encourage readers to dialogue with other members of the community about this issue. In many ways this approach to land use expresses an historical attitude of land exploitation - using the land to create more profit with the cash crop of wine grapes. We desperately need to foster an alternative attitude of land stewardship if we are to leave much of our natural wooded resources to future generations. Ranchers and other landowners need to be encouraged to place their properties into conservation easements through land trusts such as the Inland Mendocino County Land Trust, Inc.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2000
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