Feds sign deal to protect redwood forests

Environmentalists describe it as an 'insult'

September 28, 1996
Web posted at: 11:00 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Officials Saturday signed an 11th hour deal to protect the world's largest privately-held stand of virgin redwoods, although conservationists are calling the agreement a sellout to timber interests.

Under the terms of the $380 million tentative agreement, which must be approved by Congress, state and federal governments would obtain the 3,000 acre Headwaters Forest and 4,500 acres of adjacent forest.

In turn, Pacific Lumber Co. would get $380 million from state and federal sources and agree not to conduct any logging there for 10 months.

That would give officials time to finalize the deal and make the remote area 280 miles north of San Francisco a preserve, putting an end to the salvage logging of the towering trees, some more than 1,000 years old.

But environmental groups weren't included in the negotiations, and some described it as little more than a sham that fails to protect some of the world's most magnificent trees from the chainsaw.

Darryl Cherney of Earth First called the agreement "an insult" and Josh Kaufman of the Sierra Club said four out of six redwood groves remain vulnerable, with logging "a near certainty."

Environmentalists argue that logging damages the fragile ecosystem of the coastal area.

But U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein of California, who worked out the deal, describes is as "win-win."

She notes that 7,000 acres of virgin forests including the Headwaters Forest will be preserved. Also included is the Elkhead Springs forest, a buffer of 4,200 acres, and 150 acres on the banks of the North fork of the Elk River.

The Maxxam Corp. gives 8,000 acres of less sensitive timber to its Pacific Lumber subsidiary, which owns and manages more than 190,000 acres of timberland in California.

"We have a contiguous unique preserve that links together with a buffer two stands of ancient redwoods," said Feinstein.

The agreement puts a 10 month moratorium on logging in two groves included in the preserve, but four other groves and 200,000 acres in Humboldt County will be unprotected as part of a habitat conservation plan.

Logging in these areas could begin as early as Monday. "It's our intention at some point we will be logging in all of the areas covered by that plan," said Pacific Lumber President John Campbell.

Protesters have stepped up their opposition to the logging. In the past month, more than 1,000 were arrested, including singer Bonnie Raitt, in connection with the Headwaters controversy.

Environmentalists said they wanted an agreement to preserve 60,000 acres, and nothing less would suffice.

Feinstein said that's not possible, adding that the acreage transferred to state and federal ownership will provide adequate protection for the wildlife and fish habitat in the area.

Logging opponents are also trying to make an issue of the financial background of Charles Hurwitz, head of Maxxam, which owns the Headwaters Forest.

He was a major investor in a Texas savings and loan. That failed, costing taxpayers $1.6 billion. Environmentalists said the government should pressure Hurwitz to trade the entire redwood acreage for that debt.

Hurwitz denies there is a debt, but the federal government has filed two lawsuits that are pending involving his defunct thrift.

Related story:

• Time running out for redwoods deal - September 27, 1996

Related sites:

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• California Redwood's facts and information
• The Old Growth Standing
• Spare that tree
• Bay Area Action League
• Headwaters Forest
• Senator Dianne Feinstein
• California's Natural Resources

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