U.S. races to block loss of ancient redwoods
9/13/96
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Subject: U.S. races to block loss of ancient redwoods
Organization: Copyright 1996 by Reuters
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 18:30:04 PDT
WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The federal government was locked in talks
Thursday to prevent a lumber company from chopping ancient redwoods
next week in a northern California forest that is home to threatened
animals, Deputy Interior Secretary John Garamendi said.
Pacific Lumber Co., a unit of MAXXAM Inc., could begin taking downed
trees in the Headwaters Grove in Humboldt County Monday, but has been
negotiating with the government to exchange the 3,000 acres of virgin
forest for surplus federal land or rights to harvest trees on other
federal land.
``We are continuing our negotiations,'' Garamendi told reporters
after a House panel hearing on legislation that sought to set terms
for any Headwaters land exchange.
He declined to say whether the talks were progressing, but said Sept.
15 -- the last day of the nesting season for the endangered marbled
murrelet in the Headwaters forest -- was the target date for reaching
an agreement.
MAXXAM is allowed to enter the forest after the end of the
bird's nesting season to remove downed trees. ``We hope between now
and that time we will be able to achieve success in these
negotiations,'' Garamendi said. Talks remained snagged on assessing
the value of the 3,000 acres of land to be exchanged and finding
suitable land to be transferred ``without creating new economic
problems, new environmental problems,'' Garamendi said.
A spokesman for MAXXAM would not comment on how the talks were going
or whether Pacific Lumber would enter the forest Monday. ``We hope to
see a resolution,'' said Bryan Oakley.