Although the expanded fleet of trucks that might eventually be passing through California’s coastal redwood in Garberville should be less polluting due to the administration’s recent move to regulate fuel efficiency of the traditionally exempt trucking fleet, they now face another threat besides vehicular NO_X.

CalTrans—the state’s department of transportation—has filed notice that it intends to expand US-101 which currently narrows before passing through the old growth forest of Richardson Grove State Park; view larger map. Besides the destruction of individual trees, the widened road would promote the use of this comparatively lazy country road over the I-5 corridor of the central valley.