Landmark deal reached to save ancient redwoods in California
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Headwaters Forest
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March 2, 1999
Web posted at: 4:22 p.m. EST (2122 GMT)
SCOTIA, California (CNN) -- Government authorities and Pacific Lumber Co.
executives reached a late-night agreement Monday on a $480 million deal to save
the Headwaters Forest, the largest remaining grove of privately owned ancient
redwoods in Northern California.
The landmark pact was struck seven minutes before a midnight deadline and
follows intense weekend negotiations to salvage the deal after it nearly fell
apart late last week.
The plan calls for the purchase of 10,000 acres of ancient redwoods in
Northern California, about 250 miles north of San Francisco, and imposes heavy
protections for streams and wildlife habitats in the area for 50 years.
The agreement follows three years of talks between federal and state
governments and Pacific Lumber, which is owned by Maxxam Corporation.
Negotiations were stalled on Friday after Pacific Lumber rejected the
deal, saying it would leave the company uncompetitive and hurt its economic
viability.
After the deal apparently fell through, California Gov. Gray Davis
pledged to "do what I have to do to protect those redwoods."
Both sides then held further discussions over the weekend, with government
officials providing enough assurances to Pacific Lumber that they can remain
competitive if they accepted the deal.
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