Each draft plan defers to the Forest Service's draft "Option 9" plan to save the northern spotted owl, a plan which is itself only a draft and predicts the decline of numerous forest species, including summer steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon. The draft EIS's fail to evaluate the proposed forest plans in light of Option 9's proposed changes.
Mendocino National Forest harbors one of the largest remaining summer steelhead populations (above 500 fish) and may still have a small Eel River spring Chinook population. The Mendocino draft plan fails to discuss these special populations, and, disastrously, the Forest Service is relying on its old house-of-cards, unproven "Best Management Practices," to protect their habitat. The plans fail to assure viability of other species as well, offering only bland assurances about management prescriptions and standards and guidelines.
Given these and other shortcomings, it is no surprise that each plan failed to meet its NEPA mandate to evaluate compliance with applicable environmental law; done properly, such evaluation would admit their ecologic and legal failures!
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1998
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