10 years In The Works, Whitethorn Area Community Forest Project Approaches Completion

Graphic showing loss of Mattole watershed forestland

The Sanctuary Forest land and water trust is advancing toward completion of one its most ambitious projects, the creation of Vanauken Creek Community Forest.

Sanctuary Forest Executive Director April Newlander gave an update on the conservation, restoration and public access project during a June 24 online presentation to the Community Economic Resilience Consortium.

Beginning in 2016 with fundraising followed by land and conservation easement purchases in the Whitethorn area of the Mattole River watershed, the project has proceeded with restoration, including instream habitat restoration.

The impetus for the conservation effort was to head off a timber harvest plan.

“There was actually 300 acres approved on a timber harvest plan for clear cuts and so we were really concerned,” Newlander said. “We didn’t want to see that happening.”

There was another concern – potential future subdivision.

“It had 24 different legal parcels that could have been divided up and this is a watershed that’s already has insufficient water supply,” said Newlander. “So we really felt strongly about keeping this all in one piece.”

An initial challenge was meeting the land buy’s $9 million cost.

Sanctuary Forest launched a “fund an acre” campaign that drew donations from 85 families and people, raising over $700,000.

“That was really unheard of for what we normally do,” Newlander said.

The initial success got wider attention.

“We really wanted to show the public support — that’s what the state funders want to see, is that you and the community really want to see this watershed protected,” she continued.

State grants for the project include those from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Proposition 68.

The land purchase was made by Lost Coast Forestlands, which then sold a 300-acre conservation easement to Sanctuary Forest with conditions related to sustainable forestry, restoration and public access.

Vanauken Creek has been impacted by past industrial logging operations and is habitat for coho, Chinook and steelhead salmon, all listed as threatened species.

Newlander said the creek is a “high priority” for state and federal recovery planning.

To create water sources during low flow periods, Sanctuary Forest has developed seven off-channel ponds that pump water to augment stream flows.

That work was made possible through a $5 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources.

The pond project has a public access element, with 25 miles of trails possible, including an ADA-accessible trail encircling one of the ponds.

Vanauken Creek Community Forest draft trail map

During a question and answer session, Newlander described Lost Coast Forestlands as an “impact investment group” that has worked with Sanctuary Forest on other projects.

“They purchased the property and then they make their money back by us buying a conservation easement, then doing sustainable forestry in a way that makes a little bit of money,” Newlander said, adding that carbon offset projects are also in the mix.

Sanctuary Forest is locally well-known for its water storage and forbearance project which Laura Lassiter, executive director of the Southern Humboldt Business and Visitors Bureau, is very familiar with.

“My family land is about 14 years in the water forbearance program,” she said. “I have two tributaries that are in the forbearance as well as the main stem up in the headwaters of the Mattole.”

She said because of the program, her family has 50,000 gallons of storage.

“So always props to you all for all that you do in Whitethorn and for the Mattole,” she continued.

The Community Economic Resilience Consortium networks economic progress and Newlander was asked about the community forest project’s economic significance.

She said Sanctuary Forest paid out $3.7 million to contractors and vendors from 10 local businesses last year.

“A lot more people are getting to know about us now, too, because people are getting jobs on these projects,” she continued. “And it’s been really great to see a lot of people who are really needing jobs be able to find something.”

Vanauken Creek Community Forest project timeline

What’s known as the “restoration economy” is more valuable than ever as it’s “building new jobs and new sources of jobs,” Newlander said. “So I really think focusing on the economy and ways that we can support our economy has been really important in this time of economic downturn.”

The community forest project’s near future restoration work includes instream habitat restoration of 4,000 feet of Vanauken Creek this summer and the public access program is expected to begin in 2027.