[RWG] 100 acres every 15 miles across the country-- preserve the original ecosystems?

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear Marc and Phillip and All,

Maybe we could pick area that already contain rare, sensitive or
endangered plants that need our protection to begin with, and make sure
that the 100 acres surrounding them are both preserved and restored to the
99% quality.

That is the problem faced by most of the Endangered and Threatened plants
and animals here in California--their habitats are begin over run by
exotics, within a very short amount of time.

For example, we have a Potentilla hickmanii, that you can read about on
Wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_hickmanii, where there are
less than a dozen places where this plant survives in two counties.

In only three years, one of the largest populations in San Mateo County
has been engulfed by weeds, wiping out 80% of that population.  And the
weeds ate the entire original Monterey population, and only a few dozen
nursery-grown plants survive there today.

We need to get those populations of this tiny wildflower that only grows 3
inches tall, free of the 2-6 foot tall weeds surrounding them, and the 100
acres surrounding the Hickmaniis also contains some of the best coastal
grasslands that are left in this part of California, so we would be
helping to protect those other native species as well?

I think if we focus on those 100 acre sites every 15 miles that already
contain good ecosystem examples, that might be a good start?  I am sure
that everyone on  these lists, can think of at least one 100-acre site
around you, that would qualify for this future protection, and it would be
fantastic to see it be 99% weed-free?

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333