Dear Editor,

In the early 1970s, my family camped with other families at Richardson Grove. Some had fathers who, like my dad, were Caltrans Resident Engineers overseeing construction of freeways on the North Coast. At that time, people were able to actually safely pull into and out of a parking area next to the Richardson Grove’s lodge because you experienced a car maybe once ever four or five minutes.

Most people are not aware that back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, long before Caltrans had computers and fancy software, their engineers developed common sense freeway routes through Prairie Creek Redwoods, bypassing Richardson Grove, and yep, even bypassing the Confusion Hill slide from Piercy to Leggett. Over 40 years ago! At Prairie Creek, Caltrans had a high-cost alternative to bypass the park. A treeroots (pun) effort ensued to secure funding through Rep. Don Clausen to build that bypass.

How can a Caltrans spokesperson state a bypass is not feasible due to “environmental issues associated with a bypass” when the average daily traffic through the grove is now 7,600 vehicles per day (that’s one vehicle every 11 seconds), with trucks continuously hauling hazardous materials at night and in bad weather. The recent overturned tanker truck on Highway 199 is just a harbinger of future events in the grove. The most environmentally sensible strategy would be to build the bypass.

It is now time to call upon our elected state and federal legislators to secure funding to build at least one-half of the bypass around the grove. Isn’t restoring the tranquility of Richardson Grove to that of the 1930s worth a couple hundred million dollars? Where’s EPIC when you really need them?

Douglas P. Jackson
Bayside