S.F. Chronicle Takes a Look at Redway Redwood Controversy—Calls Us a “Blog,” We’ll Return the Favor
The residential property in Lower Redway where redwood trees were being removed in January, with freshly cut wood and disturbed ground visible. [Photo by Lisa Music]
San Francisco Chronicle writer Anna Bauman has turned her attention to Southern Humboldt’s recent redwood controversy, publishing a detailed piece in the San Francisco Chronicle examining the removal of several large trees in Redway and the ongoing debate surrounding the final one still standing.
In the article—where this publication is somewhat dismissively referred to as a “blog” (we’ll resist the urge to call the Chronicle a “big-city newsletter” and move on)—Bauman outlines the sequence of events that led to the removal of four old-growth redwoods and the scrutiny that followed.
Of particular note are comments from Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Ward, who stated there was “nothing illegal” about the process and pushed back on claims that the property owner received any special treatment. According to Ward, “Everything was done right based on our understanding of the rules.”
The Chronicle also reports on the latest development regarding the remaining tree. After a county-issued stop-work order, an arborist evaluated the redwood and identified structural concerns. As the article explains, “The county lifted the stop-work order last month in response to the report, paving the way for the massive tree to come down. It’s not clear when the homeowner plans to remove the tree.”
For additional details, including photographs of the property and more background on the dispute, read the full Chronicle article.
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I’m tired of watching private property owners cut down redwoods. In Arizona saguaro cactuses are protected, even on private property, and they need to be relocated rather than destroyed. Why not a similar law here?
Frankly if there was a redwood I didn’t want on my property, I would rather move than destroy the tree. I think that should be policy.
You have to get a permit to even remove a dying arm on those, let alone try to move. AZ is very specific about those and other native species being moved.
Please consider moving to arizona. And take the problem tree with you.
That’s where I came from! In general AZ is very well managed and they don’t have many of our “California problems”. But if someone buys a house with a saguaro on the property, they are generally aware of their status. That said after reading more, it seems like these trees were rotting and dangerous, so I’m not opposed to removing them in that case.
Then why are you on Humboldt if arizona is so much better? Same goes.for all the city folks that have moved the humboldt over the last 40 years. They move to rural areas to get away from their lifestyle then bring their politics and lifestyle with them and turn an area into what they tried to escape.
Because it’s 150 degrees there and I like redwoods
Are you seriously suggesting that redwood trees be moved? Or that any land that has a redwood tree on it is hereby protected from development? Or do you think there are miles and miles of dense saguaro forests? Or that saguaro cactus routinely drop tree size limbs or tip over in windstorms that can kill people even inside a house?
The irony of building your home under a giant tree then being mad that the tree exists is baffling.
He didn’t build the house- he bought it. Down the road near his house to be a residence for his mother. It was built in 1945.
Next, while neighbors were angry apparently, a 300 year old tree is not all that old by redwood standards. And likely made the house both unsafe and uninsurable. Since it was only a less-than-half acre property, it not only was a risk for his property but likely the next houses too. In fact one of the photos in the ad seem to show a tarp cover a part of the roof that was holed by a redwood limb which can be as big as other whole trees. Probably why it sold at such a discount.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/20-Oakridge-Dr-Redway-CA-95560/18824793_zpid/
Thank you for the info it’s nice to know the background.
Well, I lived for a bit in AZ while in college. I know that people have been killed when a rotten saguaro arm fell off and landed on them because it was rotted or some genius decided to hit it with a stick or something trying to dislodge an arm for a souvenir. Each 1-foot of cactus can weigh 80#, and be full of spines. Granted giant saguaros are not 200 feet tall, but people are smarter about building around them, if anything because it’s state law not to F- with them except in very specific scenarios. And moving one will cost….and arm and a leg. But there is an obscene amount of money floating around places like Phoenix, Scottsdale and Carefree or Ahwatukee, so, getting your way is rather easy when building.
Redwoods are different. Imagine a tree branch the size of a fully grown saguaro falling from 200 feet. It will go straight through a roof. You also can’t move them without killing them when they get more than about 8-10 tall, but I’m no arborist. They have no tap root so they spread out as far as the tree is tall and lock roots underground with other trees. Moving one is simply not an option. I don’t fault the owner for being safety conscious, but there are ways to mitigate big trees. One of which is well….you decided to live among the tallest trees on Earth, learn to live with your choice.
As far as I’m concerned this is the cost of living among the redwoods; you could have chose another place or just not live in it. Same as living along a river that might flood. But you don’t reroute the whole river. That home is small enough that the lumber they just got from the trees could have paid to have it lifted and moved a couple hundred feet or to another parcel. It would not be the first time someone has moved a home around here to a more acceptable location that wasn’t at risk of being crushed.
I can all my redwoods down, so the solar panels would work.
nobody is stopping you from buying a forest. Otherwise……
Tell me you’re a communist who has never lived in the redwood forest without telling me your a leninist from the city.
A most interesting “blog” indeed. The Chron, not so much.
Kym, why are you picking a tit for tat fight with the San Francisco Chronicle over the word “blog” and then name calling? If anyone looked at RHBB for the first time, that is exactly what RHBB would be considered, a “blog”. You may not like it, but that is reality.
Now, I would like to quote what was included into the meeting minutes of the Redway CSD from March 25, 2026 (page 8 of the link below):
8. Discussion Regarding the Q Zone; Lower Redway: The Board discussed the issue of the felled redwood trees which took place in Lower Redway. The trees were determined by the property owner to be dangerous during stormy weather. Chairman McClure reported that only Cal Fire has all control over the felling of trees in Lower Redway and that Humboldt County has no control. Dian Griffith reported that the Old Growth Neighborhood Association under the 501C3 of the Trees Foundation met with Supervisor Bushnell and John Ford, Humboldt County Planning & Building Department Director, to review how the original QZone was worded and discussed how the wording can be strengthened. A Residential area, the Q-Zone and the California Department of Parks and Recreation property are located within a large area. Humboldt County has placed a stop order on additional logging on the residential property. The Board requested the Old Growth Neighborhood Association send a letter to the District addressing the issue.
https://redwaycsd.org/documents/1114/2026.04.22_regular_business_meeting_PACKET.pdf
So it would be interesting to read the points made by “Old Growth Neighborhood Association under the 501C3 of the Trees Foundation”. And I would like to know the conversation between Supervisor Bushnell, Planning Director Ford and “Old Growth Neighborhood Association”. Maybe the “Old Growth Neighborhood Association” would like to share its opinion on this blog.
Absurd! Maybe you need to look up the definition of a blog!
This is the best news site we have in Humboldt!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Website
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website
Tomato, Tomauto.
A website is a foofoo blogsite.
Eeether or eyether way this is an IMPORTANT site to this community.
It’s the platform format and site architecture, along with its use of WordPress, that can easily lead users to classify RHBB as a blog and unintentionally trigger unwarranted bristling from staff.
It’s news to me, but since when is “blog” is an insult? The content here stands on its own merit. 💜
A rose is a rose. No one is arguing content or value – even the Chron , if anyone bothered to ask.
And, because words matter – Define Blog :
Humboldt Lady, It is something a lot of folks don’t comprehend–apparently even the SF Chron. However, the Wikipedia link actually clarifies the point a bit if you read it.
Yes—many sites publish posts chronologically and allow comments. That includes most modern news outlets including the SF Chron. Format alone doesn’t define journalism.
The key distinction in what Ed shared is that blogs “often provide commentary” and are informal or diary-style. That’s not what Redheaded Blackbelt does. Our work is based on reporting—scanner traffic, public records, agency confirmation, court coverage, and direct sourcing—with an emphasis on verification, attribution, and corrections.
Now Wikipedia notes that multi-author blogs now include newspapers and media organizations. At that point, the term becomes so broad it can apply to almost anything online—including legacy outlets.
So if “blog” just means “a site that publishes posts,” fine. But here it’s being used dismissively as in an opinion based site not a fact based site—and that’s why I couldn’t resist a little humor at their expense.
The interesting thing is that after reading the actual Chronicle piece the alleged “dismissiveness” feels more inferred than explicit. The only references to “local blogger” and “comments section of a blog” reads like casual descriptors of format and role. I didn’t see the article mocking RHBB’s reporting or treating it as unreliable anywhere. If anything, the Chronicle relied on your prior local coverage and community discussion throughout the piece!
Let’s really move on. Because ATP the distinction between “blog,” “news site,” and “independent media outlet” has become pretty blurry across the internet anyway, to be frank, it’s a stretch to think they were trying to be dismissive of your work. Be happy ! You have a great thing going. And the quality of the reporting matters far more than a label attached to the platform.
BUT I do think that if you’re going to in one breath, promise not to insult them – then drop the insult right in the middle of the paragraph – at least make it a little rougher on them! We all know the SFChron (a formerly amazing news source) is far lower than big City newsletter, it’s nothing but “a paywalled ad-carousel with occasional journalism.” 😏
RHBB covers a huge piece of real estate within and beyond the redwood curtain, and it’s done well with Kym at the helm. If you sometimes think it seems like a thankless endeavor, I am thanking you now for all those hours on the phone, sitting in front of a monitor, listening to a scratchy scanner, missing hours of sleep, etc, etc, etc, to get a news story out to us as best as you possibly can!
Thank you!
Well this may be the least biased news source in Humboldt, and use WordPress is extremely commonplace even for large corporations and Banks, if I had to make a suggestion to reduce the risk of future implied insults it would be to change the name of the site and make both the domain name and the header consistent. I must admit that the first time I saw Kym Kemp as the URL I was slightly confused how it related to red-headed black belt and neither one really sounds like a professional news site as much as a personal blog. In other words you can’t judge a book by its cover and this is one case of that. On the other hand if one wants to market something it’s important to make the appearance at least as good as the content. Nothing wrong with the name Kym just saying branding is an issue perhaps. Choose one and go all the way with it.
I understand. I’ve thought about that also. But the website didn’t spring up full blown as an award winning news site. It did start as a blog. About 2015, I was in a position to change things and…the response from readers was overwhelming. ‘Don’t. We like your funky local vibe.’ And since I’m not trying to impress folks from out of the area, I stuck with what my readers want.
“The key distinction in what Ed shared is that blogs “often provide commentary” and are informal or diary-style. That’s not what Redheaded Blackbelt does. Our work is based on reporting—scanner traffic, public records, agency confirmation, court coverage, and direct sourcing—with an emphasis on verification, attribution, and corrections.”
-Kym Kemp-
-RHBB-
___________________________________
Provides commentary…
Then says, “That’s not what Redhead Blackbelt does.”
_________________________________
Kym Kemp,
if RHBB is not a blog or a news blog, then how exactly would you describe it…???
And I disagree that the SF Chronicle used the term “blog”, “dismissively”…
For lack of a better term, maybe, but if you have a term that you would prefer, what exactly would it be, because you may have mentioned it before somewhere else, but I don’t see where you have identified what you would consider a more accurate term for just exactly be what you consider RHBB to be, here, now…
That would be very helpful, thank you…
From AI…
Is redheaded Blackbelt a news blog?
“Yes, Redheaded Blackbelt is a prominent online news blog and community site focusing on Humboldt County and the surrounding Northern California region.
Founded by journalist Kym Kemp, it operates as a modern newsroom covering local crime, fire, cannabis, and community news.
Key Details About Redheaded Blackbelt:
Focus:
It is considered one of the most comprehensive local news sources in the area, often cited for its rapid coverage of breaking news.Content: Covers news and features, including daily news digests, and is recognized for using both human-verified reporting and AI tools for efficiency
Format:
Operates as a “blogsite” (frequently referred to as such by its founder) that acts as a modern newsroom, often detailing happenings in local courts and rural communities.
Reputation:
Recognized by community members as a “hard-hitting news publication”.The site is frequently updated with news and features, maintaining a strong community focus on its homepage.
___________________________________
If it not a news blog, fine…
Then what would you call it…???
Calling a local news website a blog is an extremely hateful racial slur in the news world
“It did start as a blog. About 2015, I was in a position to change things and…the response from readers was overwhelming. ‘Don’t. We like your funky local vibe.’ And since I’m not trying to impress folks from out of the area, I stuck with what my readers want.”
-Kym Kemp-
-Redheaded Blackbelt-
_________________________________________
Man you just like to argue.
All major “news” organizations have sold out are nothing more than propaganda machines that take their orders from someplace else. While many things I disagree with Kym politically I at least respect her honesty and the fact she is what news started out in this nation. A local person reporting the happenings of what is going on and keeping people informed.
[edit]
I just wonder why no news agency has identified the property owner in question.
That isn’t true…
https://kymkemp.com/2026/01/07/weighing-the-choices-balancing-safety-and-redwood-preservation-in-lower-redway/
“Homeowner Robert Scarlett*, a Cal Fire employee who has lived across the street from the property for much of his 25 years, said the removal is being done under a hazard-tree exemption approved by Cal Fire and county authorities. He recently purchased the piece in question across from his home for his mother to live in.”
“Scarlett said he does not intend to remove all redwoods on the parcel, only those he believes pose a direct threat to the structure and its occupants.”
Red Headed Blackbelt- warts and all (commenters like me)- is a much more useful, community-important and hard-hitting news publication than the SF Chron has been in many years. It has become essentially the National Enquirer of San Francisco with maybe more fluff. There are a couple standout reporters but the overall paper is weak sauce full of puff pieces…but perhaps that is what city people prefer? I still miss Herb Caen…
Western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia)are protected as well, but neither the saguaro cactus or Western Joshua tree will come crashing through your roof.
Lets not compare apples to oranges.
‘The biggest middle finger’: California homeowner cuts down four redwoods, enraging neighbors By Anna Bauman, Staff Writer April 30, 2026
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/redwood-trees-cut-down-22220281.php
P.S. Imo a MUCH better article is on this most-treasured Local News Destination Website:
[Update] Weighing the Choices: Balancing Safety and Redwood Preservation in Lower Redway
https://kymkemp.com/2026/01/07/weighing-the-choices-balancing-safety-and-redwood-preservation-in-lower-redway/
This article is more recent though with updates we didn’t have. So I wanted everyone to see the new info.
Kudos for your professionalism of the returned favor of linking to Anna’s article!
I will also point readers to:
Singing Our Own Praises: We Receive the Society of Professional Journalists’ NorCal Unsung Hero Award
https://kymkemp.com/2018/10/31/singing-our-own-praises-we-receive-the-society-of-professional-journalists-norcal-unsung-hero-award/
But no one seemed to post the photo from the real estate ad showing a hole in the roof covered by a decaying tarp nor the fact it sold after months with a huge discount. Which I suspect was because removing the trees was necessary but way too expensive without the discount.
RHBB mentioned it in the article you linked. Did the SFC do that? I couldn’t access their article. Seems like the goal was to discount reality by so many who are not themselves at risk.
Not the worst I’ve seen around here up for sale. I’m of a notion that the tree removal paid for the property, if a bit later. Redwood that isn’t a toothpick like what comes out on trucks now is quite valuable.
Can’t even read the article because the ads keep moving my phone screen
Are you able to take video of that? Some people have complained about a month ago and I spoke to the provider and the ad problem appeared to stop. I can’t replicate it.
Keeps happening to me also…
Just happened again a few minutes ago…
Typical rich elite city people looking down on us poor backward low IQ hillbillies that need to be told what to do like a bunch of children
Hey, if the shoe fits…
Just lost my respect Ed
And if I only knew who “Paul” was I might respect the comment. You know what they say…
Who cares what. That leftwing rag newspaper says. Those trees were a hazard.
Not if no one ever even occupies that old run down house…
I’d wager that the mother never will…
But of course, I could be wrong…
I personally wouldn’t want that tree over my house, and I can understand why he wants it out, but it can be pretty common to cut into an old-growth red and not see any heart rot. Redwoods are pretty resilient and can thrive with hollow centers. It’s just showing the tree’s life is in decline. I think they’re making the right decision to remove the tree.
They don’t die. You could leave just a twenty foot stump and it would sprout back up in no time. I CANT BELIVE EVERYONE FEELS SO JUSTIFIED TO START CRAP. TOTAL KARENS
And antone south can shut up where are your redwoods? Completely gone. Santa Rosa used to be old growth.
It seems like townys and city people make the most fuss pretending they know something .shit they drink water that otherwise wood have went to a tree. Southern California draws water off the eel, and the trinity
Sprout maybe. Grow to 150 feet in your lifetime or to any marketable size, not likely. What comes out of the forests now on trucks is just pecker-poles to what used to be hauled.
The full article is behind a paywall. I’m not paying to read an article in some big-city newsletter on a topic that’s been more than fully covered by a small-town news site.
? Try clearing cookies or this link:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/redwood-trees-cut-down-22220281.php
If you quickly ” select all > copy ” as soon as the page starts to load, then you can paste it into Word or Gmail and read it there. 🤓
My connection is too fast and the procedure to select all too slow to win the race.
What’s interesting is Firefox with uBlock Origin plug-in must defeat the Chron’s non-payer detection because I have no problem reading the article no matter how many times I go there to read it…LCO, however, detects an ad-blocker — I can’t read LCO articles (no great loss imo. 🙂
Try selecting just a few letters immediately
Then Ctrl+A
Ctrl+C
And paste (cntrl +V) into something like Gmail or Word .
Apple use command key instead.
not everybody uses a computer…
On phone same. Select word(s) and then the “select all” option comes up (sometimes it’s hidden behind the three dots) then copy.. paste ..Bypassing the dastardly subscription bots is a crucial skill on any device. Keep clicking.
on phone tap & hold to select a word (or image) to get the select all popup.
on computer mouse right-click
Try this: https://archive.is/
Put in the URL you want to “archive” or see, do a quick pic captcha and you get a stripped down version.
Heard they were cutting today or tomorrow..
Who was this arborist hired by, the property owner or county?
The Chronicle says that it was the landowner.
Well who posted a picture of PRIVATE PROPERTY online. I WOULD BE TALKING TO A LAWYER ABOUT PRIVACY ISSUES.
Anything a reasonable person could see from public property is absolutely legal to take a photo of.
Good luck with that. Let us know how it works out. What’s IN your house is your business, what we can clearly see with two eyes among everything is everyone’s. Keep your clothes on when outside. But if you want to talk to a lawyer, keep in mind you’ll be trying to sue half of the planet that has easy access to things like Google Earth and Street view and others to look right in your back yard. For free.
Suspect then. The county should have hired a neutral arborist and been onsite when they examined it. 🙄
From the Chron: “Before it was purchased last October, the unkempt, half-acre property on Oakridge Drive had languished on the market for almost a year. Robert Scarlett, a 24-year-old local and Cal Fire firefighter, bought it for $160,000, records show.”
At $3- over $10 per board ft, that’s a solid down payment on the home loan from what those trees sold for.
No matter what’s done to their redwoods, Mr. Scarlett’s mom is so worked up, she’ll need to wear a hard hat and cork boots when she takes walks in Lower Redway.
The real threat, or hazard if you prefer, if the mother ever truly steps foot in that rickety old house, will be going through the rotten old floor, not limbs coming through the rotten old roof…
I’ll believe his story when the mother actually moves in to that worthless old rotten shack…
Until then, it was just a likely story…
It will most likely never happen…
That house will likely just go right back on the market, just as soon as the trees are done being cashed in on…
Cha ching…!!! Cha ching…!!!
Which would not have any meaning if he did. This is not a PR campaign to win the hearts and minds of Subaru Forester drivers. This is a matter of the law. So good for him if he succeeds at whatever he wants to do.
Yeah, but if he was really doing it just for the money, the honest thing to have done is to have just said he was doing it for the money…
“What kind of an internet site is Redheaded Blackbelt?”
“Redheaded Blackbelt (kymkemp.com) is a prominent, independent news website and community blog focused on Northern California’s “Emerald Triangle,” primarily covering Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties.Known for its rapid, hyper-local reporting, it is run by editor and publisher Kym Kemp.
Key Aspects of the Website:
Focus:
It specializes in breaking news, specifically emergencies, law enforcement activities, road closures, fire updates, and local politics.
Coverage Areas:
The site covers community stories, local achievements, environmental stories, and cannabis industry updates, often providing a “voice” for the region’s residents.
Format:
It operates as a modern newsroom that uses WordPress, featuring a mix of professional reporting, reader-submitted tips, and a lively, moderated comment section.
AI Usage:
The site uses AI tools to assist in transcription and organizing information, though all stories are verified and edited by humans.
Reputation:
It is widely considered a trusted, essential source for immediate updates on the North Coast, with many readers referring to it as a valuable alternative to traditional local media.The site is sustained by a mix of advertising and community support.”
To think the Ukiah Valley was full of redwoods back in the old days! The redwood tree cleans the air more efficiently than any other tree. They are very beautiful!
Do people not realize that redwoods are connected underground, and when you cut one down you weaken the whole grove? That tree looks fine to me, and would likely survive many more years. This is a money making logging scam.
Tell SF to stay out of our business
I’m not surprised the Chronic Liar called you a blog. They also apparently didn’t investigate the possibility that the guy is doing it to mill the wood. That would be a no-brainer question to ask and look into to get the full story.