The Gienger Report...Diggin' In

by Richard Gienger


The last ?Diggin? In? column for ?Branching Out? focused on the efforts to protect, conserve and stabilize the approximately 580 acres of forestland owned by Pacific Lumber Company (PL) across the South Fork Eel River from the town of Redway, and on the continuing struggle to achieve adequate evaluation and response to Cumulative Watershed Effects on California forestland. A number of other topics were touched upon such as consultation with California Indians regarding cultural heritage protection, the Petition to list Coho Salmon under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and closing the old-growth loophole in the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection?s (CDF?s) exemption processes.
The Redway forest issue continues. A second Town Hall meeting July 16 further developed a set of options to be presented to PL during August. The options include purchase of the land for parkland or forest stewardship, the establishment of various conservation easements, or variations of the different options. Public input so far has shown a very strong preference for acquisition over conservation easements; and that the acquisition be for community forest stewardship rather than Parks & Rec ownership. Hopefully one or more of the options will appeal to PL and an agreement will be signed to restrain operations on THP 044 to enable option culmination.
The so-called ?California energy crisis? adversely affected efforts for more funding for Redway (and a multitude of other worthy projects). Senator Chesbro?s Member?s Request for Redway funding went by the budget wayside. Efforts by Assemblymember Strom-Martin for Redway were also unsuccessful. Pacific Forest Trust is involved in helping on the Redway forest, and Trust for Public Land is showing an interest. Our fundraising and support efforts must increase to enable a positive outcome. The unresolved access issues hindering PL from operating on THP 044 could change at any time ? either from clearance by Parks & Rec or by access from other points.
The Redway Forestry Council (RFC) acquired PL?s inventory of timber in the two remnant old-growth units of THP 044. Aerial photos, maps, real estate and other information are being used for an estimate of the monetary value and other key features of the Redway forest. Two RFC field trips have added to this knowledge. A field trip later this summer will seek priority restoration work areas. The anxious mix of patient steps for positive resolution, and the possibility of old-growth logging start-up, continue.
To help in fundraising and support efforts contact:
? Taun Moondy (Stable Slopes Forever)
707-923-4854
stableslopes@asis.com
? Traci Thiele (Redway Forest Defense) 707-923-4426
tracibear@wildcalifornia.org
? Dian Griffith (EPIC-Environmental Protection Information Center)
707-923-2931 dian@wildcalifornia.org
On the Cumulative Watershed Effects issue:the long-awaited Freshwater/U.C./Dunne Report came out in June. This report, contracted for by CDF under former Director Richard Wilson in 1998, initially focusing on the Freshwater Creek Watershed, was expanded to deal with Cumulative Watershed Effects on all California state and private forestland. The University of California Committee on Cumulative Watershed Effects was asked to respond to PL?s ?whitepaper? putting blame for flood damage in Freshwater on ?a lot of rain.? The Committee?s response was, yes, PL road building and rate of vegetation removal could cause, at specific locations in the watershed, significant increases in flood level and frequency.
The Dunne Report is called, ?A Scientific Basis for the Prediction of Cumulative Watershed Effects? ? University of California Wildland Resource Center Report No. 46. It critiques the current CDF system for addressing and responding to cumulative effects, lays out the basis for procedures to deal with Cumulative Watershed Effects, and calls for a ?proof of concept? pilot project to show the viability of predicting Cumulative Watershed Effects. This predictive process would rely on currently available and developing models with spacially referenced data as applied by a highly qualified team of scientists in cooperation with landowners. This would develop a ?gaming process? whereby levels of risk to biological resources could be estimated, and choices made to keep risk below acceptable levels. Achieving a definition of acceptable levels of risk is a daunting task.
Some of my favorite parts of the Report are the quotes at various chapter headings: e.g., ?Chapter 1: Statement of the Problem ? ?There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.? ? Niccolo Machiavelli?; ?Chapter 3: Nature of Cumulative Watershed Effects and the Problem of Identification ? ?Society can not wait for scientists to understand the world scientifically.? ? J. Ortega y Gasset?; ?Chapter 4: Technical Aspects of The Current Process for Assessing CWEs in Timber Harvest Plans and Sustained Yield Plans ? ?In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.? ? Yogi Berra?; and, ?Chapter 5: A Scientific Basis for Predicting Cumulative Watershed Effects ? ?Major reform is the victim of numerous minor reforms.? ? Lord Acton?.
Much of the reform called for in the Report has been discussed for years. The 1994 Little Hoover Commission Report, for instance, in its Recommendation #4, stated: ?The Governor and the Legislature should enact legislation to require the completion of master protection plans for watersheds containing productive forests.? The Dunne Report can be read and printed out from the following website: www.cnr.berkeley.edu/forestry
Other issues continue: Water Quality confrontations with CDF over monitoring, CDF field staff versus PL and upper CDF over rates of cutting; hearings to remove old growth from CDF?s exemption processes; an initiative to ban the cutting of old growth; and State listing of Coho salmon North of San Francisco. Some recent bad news includes Governor Gray Davis? cutting of $200,000 from the new budget to enable California Indians to participate and be consulted in the THP process. Meetings are being planned with the Governor?s people over this.
Please participate in these issues as possible. Contact your favorite conservation/protection organization and see how you can help. EPIC is a good place to start ? call them at 707-923-2931. Also, please help the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC) to recover from the recent fire which destroyed its office and archives along with a 1/4 block of Arcata.


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Forest & River News is produced by Trees Foundation.