About Friends of the Gualala River

Mission
Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) is a non-profit, grassroots watershed protection association formed to share common concerns and research regarding the welfare of the Gualala River, its estuary and habitat. FoGR's goal is to protect the Gualala River watershed and the species that rely on it.

Friends of the Gualala River needs your support, as members and volunteers. Our Get Involved section can help you get started.

Location

The Gualala River enters the Pacific Ocean approximately 110 miles north of San Francisco, marking the border of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Just past the mouth of the river lies the town of Gualala, a three-hour drive from San Francisco over narrow, twisting roads and stunning ocean and mountain views. Tourism and logging are the primary local industries.
Gualala River watershed
[click to enlarge]

Photos

Photo Tour of the Gualala River watershed
showing its natural beauty as well as damage caused by unsustainable human activity.
Flyover of the Gualala River
with over 1,100 aerial photos & a Google Earth interface.
Photos of the Gualala coast
-- from the California Coastal Records Project.
Live webcam and Gualala weather conditions
-- from NorthBayWeather.com.

History
Friends of the Gualala River was formed in 1992 by a group of local residents in response to timber harvesting near a popular, heavily wooded campground on the north bank of the river.

The group was reinvigorated in 2002 by public outrage over the proposed waterbag scheme. Tom Cochrane's article in the Independent Coast Observer, "Public urged to help save river", announced FoGR's renewed energy as an advocate for the defense of the watershed.

Affiliation
Friends of the Gualala River is affiliated with the Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance (RCWA), a California non-profit, public benefit corporation. Donations to FoGR are tax-deductible.

The RCWA is comprised of community watershed protection associations in Mendocino County and has been monitoring logging activities in Mendocino County since 1990. It has brought several successful suits against timber companies for illegal logging practices.

FoGR Officers

John Holland, President
Chris Poehlmann, Vice President
Jim Jordan, Secretary
Mike Lane, Treasurer

Contact Us
For more information about FoGR and its current activities, please send email to info@gualalariver.org.

You may also send US mail, including your tax-deductible contributions, to:

Friends of the Gualala River
P.O. Box 1543
Gualala, CA 95445

For technical questions about this site, please send email to webmaster@gualalariver.org.

Mailing list
Add your email address to our mailing list for action bulletins and updates (weekly or monthly).

Privacy notice: Friends of the Gualala River will NOT share the names and email addresses on this list with any other organization.

Public Letters from FoGR

Letters from experts on behalf of FoGR
(multiple letters)
on our activities (annual reports):
to our friends and neighbors (9/07)
to our friends and neighbors (9/05) & flyer
to our friends and neighbors (9/04)
to our friends and neighbors (10/03)
on vineyard conversions:
to CDF re:Roessler Martin conversions (10/06)
to Sonoma County Supervisors (7/06)
to Sonoma County Supervisors (2/06)
to Sonoma Planning Commission (1/06)
to Sonoma County Supervisors (9/05)
to CDF re:Campbell conversion (8/04)
to CDF re:Roessler conversion (6/04)
to CDF re:Martin conversion (6/04)
to CDF re:Hansen conversion (6/04)
to Mendocino County Department of Planning (2/03)
to Sonoma County PRMD (1/03)
to Cal. Public Employees' Retirement System (1/03)
to California Department of Forestry (5/02)
on forestry issues:
to CDF re: Robinson Terrace THP (7/07)
to CDF re: Coastal Ridges THPs (4/07)
to CDF re: Coastal Ridges THPs (3/07)
to CDF re: Hernandez NTMP (2/07)
to CDF re: Haupt Creek old growth THP (2/03)
on gravel mining:
to Sonoma PRMD re: gravel mining Neg Dec (9/07)
to Sonoma PRMD re: Request for inspection (10/06)
to Sonoma PRMD re: Initial Inquiry (9/05)
on a retaining wall above the estuary:
to Mendocino County Department of Planning (11/07)
on fireworks proposed over Gualala Point Park:
to CA Coastal Commission (6/07)
to CA Coastal Commission (5/07)
to Sonoma County Parks Dept. (6/06)
to Sonoma County Parks Dept. (3/05)
on the waterbag scheme:
to Humboldt Bay MWD re:Mad River (2/03)
to State Water Resources Control Board (10/02)
to California Governor Gray Davis (8/02)
to US Army Corps of Engineers (4/02)
to Mayor of San Diego et al (4/02)

Art & Environmental Awards granted by FoGR

Acknowledgements

Thanks and farewell to FoGR's past President, Ursula Jones, a true
Friend of the Gualala River.

ICO Press Articles are provided courtesy of the Independent Coast Observer, Gualala, CA.

Friends of the Gualala River is a member of the Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce.

The disk space for this website is donated as a community service by the Mendocino Community Network.