Posted on 12/31/2009 11:31:58 AM PST by NormsRevenge
The Bohemian Club, the secretive, men-only society known for its annual bacchanal on a sprawling forest enclave in Sonoma County, has won state approval for a logging plan allowing the group to harvest as much as 1.7 million board feet of timber a year.
The state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's endorsement of the club's controversial permit essentially eliminates government oversight of its timber-harvesting practices over the next century.
While the 130-year-old club, whose members are believed to have included every Republican president since Herbert Hoover, argues the logging plan will help reduce fire risk and restore its 2,700-acre Russian River encampment to a natural state, critics say the forest, its streams and wildlife could suffer broad, long-term damage.
"If we fly over the area in 30 or 40 years, we'll see pockets that are relatively pristine and other areas that will look like a commercial tree farm - a mosaic of industrially managed stands," said John Hooper, a former club member who resigned in 2004 in protest of the organization's logging practices.
Hooper and others are particularly concerned about the preservation of old-growth redwoods, which Hooper said have been felled on several occasions in the San Francisco club's history. Hooper said that in 2001 he helped halt the cutting of one section of the mammoth trees.
But Bohemian Club spokesman Sam Singer emphasized that the old-growth stands are of immense importance to the club's 2,000 members and that none of the giant redwoods will be chopped down; rather, logging will focus on Douglas fir and tan oaks. In addition, each harvested tree will be replaced by redwood seedlings, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Looks like there’s a little common sense still around. Good for them!!
“.....1.7 million board feet of timber a year.”
Per year??!
I’m restricted to every ten years for a limited thinning. And subjected to ridiculous fees and hoops to jump through.
““.....1.7 million board feet of timber a year.”
Per year??!
I’m restricted to every ten years for a limited thinning. And subjected to ridiculous fees and hoops to jump through.”
Shoulda been a President.
;-)
Where the elite let it all hang out.. or so I hear.
Good for the Bohemian Club members.
In September last year, we attended a wedding at the Bohemian Club in San Franciso.
The club is an older building with no numbers anywhere on the entrance. There was a guy inside the foyer checking people out as they come in. It was a Black Tie Formal Dinner, and if you didn’t have a tux on. You didn’t get in. I had some fun and wore my White Dinner Jacket as it still was summer, a white vest and a white tie, (my wife had a black tie in her purse in case I had to change).
The poor guy at the door didn’t know what to do. He found out that we were long time friends of the bride and her parents, and we had known the groom for a few years. The groom was a son of a BHC member. So they let us in.
The wedding was like something from England during the Tudor years. There was an elaborate pre wedding music/singing and instrutments. The actual wedding kicked up what was going, several notches. It went off like a graduation ceremony at Annapolis or West Point.
The dinner/reception/dance was again like something out a Tudor wedding re the champagne/wine/music/dancing.
It was quiet a show. However, it wasn’t quiet over yet. As we got ready to leave I informed the gentleman at the foyer we needed a cab back to our hotel. There was a uniformed San Francisco Cop standing in the foyer. Something happened to the first cab, and the cop came out and told us that another cab was ordered.
He started to go in and decided to stay as two other couple not from the wedding came up. It was obvious they wanted our cab. When the cab came, the ruder of the two guys rushed for the cab, only to be met by the Cop. The cop told him to go down the street and they would order a cab for him. Then, he opened the cab door for us. Before he shut the door, he told the cabbie no extra side trips if he wanted to come back to pick up passengers.
It was a great and interesting evening. I was surprised that many if not most of the BHC members were as conservative as me or more so. A rarity in Gay Frisco.
Last but not least. There were large and wonderful oil paintings on the 3 floors we were in. The paintings were originals and would be focal points in most California Museums where Art is part of the focal points.
I sure wish I had all the timber available to harvest,, it’s just going to waste if not properly thinned and such.
Sounds like they know how to throw a party. ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.