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Kirsten Dirksen has made many interesting docu-videos of some very
interesting people and lifestyles. Here... she was... a bit of a hero.
A year ago, she posted a comment to her video...
"He's almost 88 and he's very focused on finding a caretaker (or 3) to come live on his property in exchange for carrying on with the forest preservation after he dies. For anyone interested, it really is a beautiful place."
Kirsten's video about the Redwoods of Charles Bello tells the story of how
he and his wife, now deceased, built everything you can see with their
own two hands. He walks us through his artistic process of joining art
and function and structure. Educated as an architect he set out to restore his
great redwoods... making an inventory of every tree on his 400 acre
farm. He planted 40,000 trees and made his living selling Christmas
trees every year.
Video: 50 years off-grid: architect-maker paradise amid NorCal redwoods
At 18:40 in the video he begins the story of his redwoods... how 2000 year-old
redwoods were cut to make railroad ties for Argentina and Chili. Now the
stumps of those trees are surrounded by their children and grandchildren,
that sprang up from its roots. They are clones of the old growth cut tree,
and Charles calls them "fairy rings."
He describes how... in 1906... the lumber company cut the trees in the spring
and let the brush dry so that in the late summer they could burn the forest.
They did this eight or ten years in a row to make it easier to get the
trees out.
"They completely changed the ecology of the forest."
He says at 22:40:
that you get more growth when you thin these so that the remaining
trees can get the sunlight they need to be healthy.
"People say 'oh oh oh, you're cutting redwoods!'
Well, you could be cutting them detrimentally or you could be cutting
them beneficially for the ecology or for the forest... so, there's extremes.
Human beings go to extremes in whatever they do.
The redwood tree...
you got the environmentalists... they don't like cutting ANY trees. And
you have the industry that cuts them all... and they're cutting trees that
they shouldn't cut."
Charles resorted to making a contract with Humbolt State University.
Charles Bello's appeal for help
He says:
"My problem started when November 12th, 2020, Humboldt State University Foundation sent me the Donor Intent Document - EXHIBIT “G” in the Agreement, where HSUF staff along with HSUF officials assured me that they felt privileged and honored that I would choose them to carry on with my vision and legacy. With these promises, my thought was, “How could I go wrong?” So, on the 16th of April 2021, I signed the “Conditions of Gift of Land Agreement '' which represents my vision and legacy along with the Grant Deed giving them ownership of my life’s work along with this precious place.
Eight months later, to date, HSUF has violated the vast majority of conditions listed within the Agreement. For detailed information on the agreement and violations, you may refer to these actual PDF documents:
(excerpted)
Now 8 months have passed. Due to the numerous violations of the agreement by HSUF, I have since asked them to rescind the original agreement in which they have refused. I am now faced with going through the legal process to recover my land. To do so, I need your help. My attorneys tell me that this process could take up to four years and perhaps $500,000.00 or more. I can not do this without your support.
PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO FOLLOWING PERSONS
President Tom Jackson, Humboldt State University – tom.Jackson@Humboldt.edu
Frank Witlatch - frank.witlatch@Humboldt.edu
David Greene - david.greene@humboldt.edu
You might consider saying something to the effect ---
Do the right thing - give Mr. Bello back his land back so that he can continue with his vision and legacy that he and his late wife created the past 53 years?
Thankyou for your consideration. "
Took the man's dreams.
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