WILLITS, 5/24/18 — The Willits Bypass has been open to traffic for more than a year, but the mitigation work mandated in the Little Lake Valley as part of the project is far from complete. Estimated to be the largest mitigation project undertaken in CalTrans’ history, the bypass mitigation work will include about 2,000 acres, intended to replace the wetlands destroyed by bypass construction. And the mitigation is projected to take several years, require planting hundreds of thousands of native plants, and cost millions of dollars.
Curious about what that kind of effort looks like? On June 9, Willits Economic Localization and the Eel River Recovery Project are organizing a tour of the bypass mitigation project, led by the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District‘s Marisela de Santa Ana. After the tour, four experts will present on some of the work and environmental issues related to the bypass mitigation at the Willits “Hub,” where you can enjoy a potluck lunch and learn more about the project.
Additional speakers will include Javier Silva, a Tribal Environmental Consultant with the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo; Victoria Patterson, a local historian and the curator of the Mendocino County Museum‘s “Woven Worlds” exhibit on local Native American tribes; Hillary Renick, an attorney with Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo; and Kate Marianchild, a local writer and the author of “Secrets of the Oak Woodlands.”
Those interested in attending the tour should register by contacting Madge Strong at [email protected] or 459-1493 by June 7, who reminds everyone to “remember to bring potluck dish at 9:15 and water & shade hat on the tour!”