|
HOW TO HELP
Get Involved – Statewide
THE CALIFORNIA OAK FOUNDATION URGES OAK ADVOCATES to write our public officials and decision-makers about the need for statewide protection of our oak forest ecosystem. Local ordinances and voluntary conservation measures are not working. We are losing oak woodlands at the rate of 14,000 acres each year, with resultant losses of critical wildlife habitat and important watershed benefits such as erosion control and clean drinking water.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Mike Chrisman, Secretary
Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dale Geldert, Director
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
Robert Hight, Director
California Department of Fish and Game
1416 9th Street - 12th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Robert Treanor, Executive Director
California Fish & Game Commission
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
Al Wright, Executive Director
Wildlife Conservation Board
California Department of Fish & Game
1807 13th St., Suite 103
Sacramento, CA 95814
To find contact information for your state legislators, go to www.assembly.ca.gov or www.senate.ca.gov.
SAMPLE SUPPORT LETTER
October 1, 2000
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
California is a state of rich natural diversity with 100 million acres. Native oak trees are the dominant vegetation type on 10 million of those acres. But population pressures and the conversion of land from passive agriculture to intensive agriculture are threatening the oak woodlands of California. Urban sprawl and the conversion of passive grazing lands to miles of vineyards are taking a toll of more than 14,000 acres of oak trees each year. Oaks are the keystone species to sustaining sufficient wildlife habitat and healthy watersheds in a cost-effective manner.
Californians cannot afford to lose the oak woodlands of our state in the manner of our wetlands - 95 percent of which have been lost because of ignorance, poor planning, and budget-draining sprawl.
Of the 48 California counties which have significant oak populations, forty have adopted statements clearly asserting the importance of protecting of oak woodland resources. None of these measures, however, has a legal basis. In addition, the Board of Forestry, after repeated requests, still refuses to use its authority over the state's forested lands to protect oak woodlands. A statewide framework for oak protection is needed to help our cities and counties conserve oaks.
Oaks are generous trees which represent our cultural and natural past. They are key to protecting the clean air, clean water and abundant diversity of plants and animals that benefit Californians today. It is our obligation to work together to pass on this rich inheritance to future generations. We ask for your leadership on this important issue. Thank you.
Signed,
(your name)
|
