"Holds headwater hostage"
11/96
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Sierra Club
The Planet
Beyond the Last Stand
Latest Agreement "Holds Headwaters Hostage"
The Planet, November 1996, Volume 3, number 8
by Marie Dolcini
Sierra Club activists breathed a small sigh of relief over a last-
minute reprieve for the Headwaters grove in Northern California, but
vowed to pressure for more far-reaching -- and permanent --
protection for the world's last privately held ancient redwood
forest.
On Sept. 28, the federal and state governments announced a tentative
agreement with the Pacific Lumber Company to suspend salvage logging
in two of six Headwaters groves. While the deal temporarily stops
logging in the 3,000-acre centerpiece grove, environmentalists say it
falls far short of an acceptable preservation plan.
The pact, brokered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Deputy
Interior Secretary John Garamendi with Charles Hurwitz, chief
executive officer of Pacific Lumber, will halt salvage logging in the
undisturbed Headwaters and Elkhead Springs groves for 10 months. In
exchange for ceding a total of 7,470 acres to the federal government
and state of California to form a national preserve, Pacific Lumber
will receive $130 million in state assets and $250 million in federal
assets, pending state and congressional approval.
But environmentalists are far from pleased with the terms. Mainly,
the agreement allows Hurwitz to log ancient forests in the remaining
four Headwaters groves and gives him the option of walking away from
the agreement at any time. The deal also depends on a harmless-
sounding habitat conservation plan -- a federal permit that allows
for "incidental taking" of endangered species in exchange for
sparing their habitat elsewhere.
"This agreement just means Headwaters is to be held hostage while
Hurwitz dictates how he will comply with federal law," said Kathy
Bailey, the Club's California forestry chair. "These problems could
have been prevented if the public were given a chance to see the
details before the ink was dry," added Elyssa Rosen, associate
regional representative in the Calif./Nev./Hawaii office, of the
closed-door proceedings.
As head of the Maxxam Corp., Hurwitz masterminded a hostile takeover
of Pacific Lumber in 1986 with high-interest "junk bonds."
Environmentalists accuse Hurwitz of "increasing Pacific Lumber's
clearcutting practices to make good on his buyout debt." At the same
time, the federal government accuses him of bearing major
responsibility for the failure of a Texas savings and loan that cost
taxpayers $1.6 billion.
The Sierra Club and other environmental groups contend that in order
to maintain the entire Headwaters ecosystem, a debt-for-nature swap
for additional lands in the 60,000-acre Headwaters forest, including
the four remaining unprotected groves. Club leaders are now joining a
call for a stay in all logging activity in the Headwaters ecosystem
and a place at the negotiating table so that an agreement can be
crafted that isn't just to Hurwitz's benefit.
"Headwaters is the last unprotected ancient redwood forest in the
world," added Redwood Chapter activist Josh Kaufman. "We must not be
the generation that stood by for its destruction."
To take action: Call Sen. Feinstein at (202) 224-3841; Assistant
Secretary of the Interior Garamendi at (202) 208-6291 and call
California Gov. Pete Wilson at (916) 658-2793. Urge them to protect
all six ancient forests groves. Tell them you support protection of
all 60,000 acres in the Headwaters forest.
For more information: Contact Elyssa Rosen in the Oakland office at
(510)654-7847, Kathy Bailey at (707) 895-3716 or Josh Kaufman at
(707) 443-1139.
Sierra Club, 85 Second St., Second Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-
3441,
USA. Telephone (415) 977-5500 (voice), (415) 977-5799 (FAX).
e-mail to: dan.anderson@sierraclub.org
http://www.sierraclub.org/planet/199611/headwaters.html