Save the Redwoods

December 3, 2001

San Francisco Business Times
275 Battery Street, Suite 940
San Francisco, California 94111

Attention: Jim Gardner, Managing Editor

Dear Editor:

Your November 30 article, "Gap Family Faces Logging Backlash" needs clarification. Save-the-Redwoods League, an 83-year old California non-profit corporation, is in no way associated with the group or the activities described in the article. The demonstration and boycott methods used by that group are not the manner in which the League conducts business. These anti-Gap protestors have ignored the League's repeated requests that they cease using the League's name.

Since 1918, Save-the-Redwoods League has purchased ancient redwood forests for permanent protection. Six out of every 10 acres in California's 38 redwood parks were purchased with the League's assistance.

The League works in a non-confrontational manner with private and public partners to foster and encourage better understanding of our ancient redwood, sequoia and other forests and to support reforestation and conservation of forest resources for current and future generations.

This year, the League is working to raise funds to purchase the 25,000-acre Mill Creek tract in Del Norte County; purchase of this property, which includes a stand of old-growth redwoods -- some about 260 tall -- and the pristine Mill Creek, will significantly advance rescue of the primeval redwood forest from destruction. The rewoven fabric of this forest will connect two prime areas of ancient redwood forests, Jedediah Smith and Del Norte Redwoods State Parks, which in combination with the rest of Redwood National and State Parks, contain 44% of the world's remaining ancient redwood forest. To date, the League has raised $53 million of the $62 million purchase project.

Once again we urge the anti-Gap group to distinguish itself from the League to avoid misleading the public.

Kate Anderton
Executive Director
Save-the-Redwoods League
San Francisco