Residents Use Google Earth to Block Logging Plan Near Silicon Valley Water Source

San Jose Water Company's plan to log about 1,000 acres of forest in the Los Gatos Creek watershed above Silicon Valley's drinking water source was met with resistance from local residents.

In 2005, engineer Rebecca Moore created a map using Google Earth Outreach to visualize the proposed logging area. The map showed that the company's actual holdings exceeded California law's limit on commercially harvestable forest, making their permit request invalid.

Moore's presentation of her flypast at the group's inaugural community gathering gave residents a clear picture of how narrow mountain roads and blind curves would convey logging trucks past pathways frequented by children heading to school.

The campaign made a difference: by December 2007, San Jose Water Company had withdrawn its logging proposal, and California's forestry department found the plan invalid under state laws. Today, the company describes its approach as long-term stewardship rather than massive-scale timber harvesting.