California: Pacific Lumber's Statement on Agreement With Julia Hill
12/18/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Statement of The Pacific Lumber Company on Preservation
Agreement With Julia Hill
Source: The Pacific Lumber Company via Business Wire
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 18, 1999
SCOTIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 1999--In an effort to end a
community controversy and concentrate its efforts upon implementing a
viable harvesting program under the landmark environmental
protections contained in the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that is
a part of the historic Headwaters Agreement, The Pacific Lumber
Company has agreed to enter into a Preservation Agreement and
Covenant with Sanctuary Forest with Julia "Butterfly" Hill to
permanently protect an old-growth redwood tree and a protective
buffer zone, on the Company's private property.
Ms. Hill has engaged in a 2-year "tree-sit" in a tree she refers to
as "Luna" in order to call attention to the issue of protecting old-
growth trees. During this time, Pacific Lumber has been deeply
concerned about Ms. Hill's safety as well as the safety of several
others who have followed her example to trespass on the Company's
private property in order to protest.
Pacific Lumber believes that the controversy surrounding timber
companies and environmentalists on the North Coast must stop, and
that it is imperative that common ground be forged between these two
groups. It hopes and believes that the Preservation Agreement will
work toward this common ground, and help create a peaceful dialogue
between two groups who ultimately care about the same thing -- the
future of the North Coast of California.
John Campbell, president and CEO of The Pacific Lumber Company said,
"We have reached this Preservation Agreement in order to end this
controversy and focus positive public attention on Pacific Lumber's
very real commitment to the environment, the community, and job
preservation. As part of the landmark Headwaters Agreement we are
very proud to be implementing an HCP that contains the most
comprehensive and sensitive environmental protections ever approved
for a private timber owner in U.S. history. The HCP provides
assurances to the Company and our employees that we can harvest our
property consistently with these protections. We are reaching out to
the environmental community with an outstretched hand, and hope that
they will join us in an effort to work together to preserve 1,300
jobs and protect the environment."
CONTACT:
Humboldt County media:
Pacific Lumber Company
Mary Bullwinkel, 707/764-4200
or
All other media:
Goddard Claussen
Shelly Sullivan, 916/448-4234