The issue of state-wide forest practices reform is surrounded by a large and complex web of players. Changes in forest practices are proposed from a variety of sources and the type of change being proposed can vary so wildly that it practically defies description. Now, set this web of players and proposals in motion; complete with its counter proposals, intimidation, back room deals, changing alliances, conflicting interests, lies, misperceptions, deliberate misinformation, orchestrated hate campaigns and down right skulduggery, and what you get is a kaleidoscopic pattern of ever changing permutations and combinations. What you don't get is forestry reform. Indeed, forestry reform has become a giant tar baby waiting to entangle all who come near it. It's no wonder the Grand Accord didn't pass.
It is a wonder that the Board of Forestry was able to pass Emergency Rules after Wilson's veto of the Sierra Accord. But it's no wonder that these rules were recently enjoined by the court under the weight of a landslide of industry lawsuits. It was surprising to many that Hal Arbit decided to scrap his forestry initiative after he had collected enough signatures to qualify it for the June ballot. (The last MEC newsletter predicted he would do just that, but it still surprised people when that's what he did.) After some behind the scenes dealing, Arbit evidently gave up his initiative in trade for some support of the Grand Accord. The Audubon Society and the Planning and Conservation League are presently siding with the Arbit camp and also supporting the Grand Accord. The Sierra Club has managed to do an impressive about-face since the demise of the Sierra Accord which it supported, and the Club now opposes the Grand Accord. The influential Assemblyman, Willie Brown, has temporarily joined the Sierra Club in opposition to the Grand Accord. Those "in the know" expect Willie to trade away this opposition in exchange for support of certain items Willie wants in the upcoming state budget process.
In the meantime, Sierra Club is expected to unveil its alternative plan to the Grand Accord. The Board of Forestry is expected to consider passing some new rules to replace the lost Emergency Rules. The California Forest and Watershed Council has already presented its Grand Accord alternative to the legislature. CDF would like to do something, anything, to get the system moving again (seems like the forestry tar baby has managed to plug up the THP pipeline). The timber industry is expected to side with CDF and do something in an attempt to get the THPs flowing again, but we are entirely unable to predict what form that might take. It probably doesn't matter. All of these efforts will likely come to naught in the grip of the merciless tar baby.
There were two items that had a better than average chance of breaking free of the tar baby and moving on to actually accomplish something. One is a lawsuit filed by the Redwood Coast Watershed Alliance (RCWA). This suit is currently driving the whole of the forestry issue, albeit from behind the scene, and is probably the reason that the tar baby has grown so large and gooey. This suit, against the Resources Agency itself, alleges that the THP process is NOT the functional equivalent of an EIR under CEQA. At first glance, this may not sound very exciting, but if this suit is successful, it will permanently change the face of forestry in California. And it will embarrass many prominent and powerful people as it does so. Consequently, there is a tremendous effort to delay this suit as long as possible, thereby allowing as much time as possible for something to break loose from the tar baby that will make the suit moot. There will also be considerable effort to "defend" the state against this suit if it ever gets its day in court.
The other item which could have accomplished its goal was the Forests Forever initiative. However, signature gathering to qualify the initiative for the November '92 ballot has been stopped and the '92 FF campaign has become the most tragic victim of the tar baby so far. The MEC had endorsed the Forests Forever initiative and believed it was an excellent package that deserved everyone's support. However, all of the prominent players who would ordinarily lend support to such a deserving package are stuck in the tar baby and unable to move. This left Forests Forever to take its cause directly to the people without the aid of either large financial contributions that would enable paid signature gathering and advertising or large environmental organizations whose members could help gather signatures. It required an unprecedented effort from the grassroots to gather the required number of signatures within the compressed time period, and this proved to be too large an order during the reign of the tar baby. Forests Forever intends to be back for the '94 elections, so we have not seen the last of FF yet either.
This concludes our overview of state forestry reform as it exists today. However, we would be remiss if we did not mention that it is, for the sake of brevity, a very over-simplified view. Some other major players in the forestry issue who will not receive adequate mention here, for lack of space, are: the spotted owl, the marbled murrelet, the Department of Fish and Game, the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, those working for forestry reform on the county, federal or bioregional level, litigants who have challenged individual THPs, the fishing industry, numerous large and small environmental organizations, small timberland owners, RPFs, woodworkers, and last, but not least, you and me. A large number of people must unite and pull together in some direction if they are to break free of the tar baby and accomplish their state forestry goal. Right now, though, the tar baby is winning. Don't miss the next exciting issue of the MEC newsletter, where the new episode on state forestry may be called, "Life In The Brier Patch."
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2004
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited