Public Protest
Public dissatisfaction with the management of Jackson State Forest has festered and flared for years.
In early 1995, rallied by Caspar residents, activists protested the all but unpronounceable- and, in the event, impractical- Blendersaumslaug timber harvest plan. This one called for Garlon use on many acres of eucalyptus trees in the area. As a result of public protest, the eastern end of the plan containing the eucalyptus was withdrawn and a new plan, aptly named the Nettle (so named because we were nettled or CDF was, or both, we don't know) was submitted in its place.
Where is CDF Staff When They're Needed?
Unfortunately, the resources of the locals leading the way in Jackson State were exhausted at this point. A lapse of public attention to the forest occurred until Tomas Fiore discovered in early 1996 , that on another plan in the Caspar watershed that was being helicopter logged, some areas of the stream zone had been illegally cut by the logging company. That this plan, presumably set up in part for Jackson State to "study" helicopter logging (a technique that had already been amply "demonstrated" by corporate timber) should have received such lax supervision by CDF, and the inspection of the plan and discovery of the violations left to a private citizen, tells you all you need to know about the reason for public concerns for our public lands.
They're Building Stone Walls
Then, in the fall of 1996, this time on a plan out on Little Lake Road in Mendocino near the Woodlands and near the popular swimming spot on Big River called "Lilies", the public again swung into action. This plan was dubbed Mushroom Corners by the public. Dozens of comment letters were written, issues defined, meetings held, and communications with CDF sought. This time almost no response from CDF. The word from them seemed to be, "We won't budge an inch." Plan approved. The public became silent and increasingly resentful. This one festered.
Uh, Where Did You Say They Are?
Finally, this year- once again informed and rallied by Tomas Fiore who was continuing his hikes and inspections of Jackson State- the public focused on the Camp 8 sale on the Noyo River. Seems CDF had goofed again. While touting a policy of no cutting of old growth, they had marked old growth trees for cut. A meeting was held on site of CDF, and activists confirmed the mark. Trees got unmarked, and in addition, got a no-cut protective buffer. And- double goof. CDF had included in this plan the spraying of 76 miles of forest roads with herbicides. As with the Blender plan, in the face of public outrage, CDF had to delete the use of herbicides. Then- triple goof. The road lying along a stream, to be used for accessing Camp 8, was discovered by another activist, Sal Eggleston (trained to do road surveys), to be built in one section on a foundation of rotting logs. CDF and Water Quality, both of whom had inspected the plan before approval, hadn't noticed. Visions of loaded logging trucks crashing into the creek knocked the CDF inspector to his knees, head in hands.
We've Had Enough!
"Enough!" cried the activists. "We're done with playing a reactive role THP by THP on our Jackson State Demonstration Forest
own land. Done with not enough forestry staff to take care of our forest. Jackson State is preparing a new management plan, a sustained yield plan, and a habitat conservation plan. We want a place at the planning table. And we want to look at the funding."
CDF is Mum; Activists Aren't
But not easily done. Weeks of work by the activists went into a fax campaign to Richard Wilson, director of CDF, and to Redwood Empire, the logging company who bought our Camp 8 trees. Actions continued with a confrontation with Redwood Empire at their Cloverdale mill site. Next came a presentation to Virginia Strom-Martin, and then a raucous reception sponsored by 40 activists at the Mendocino Forest Council for Jon Rea of CDF Sacramento, in town to do a presentation to the council on Jackson State's sustained yield plan. Further actions continued with a meeting with Richard Wilson in Santa Rosa, and back to Mushroom Corners with the discovery of old growth trees being cut to clear for roads. Protests there included a 100 person procession down the road through the active THP. Protesters were joined by instrument-playing campers from the Woodlands. Following this was a day of nonviolence training with sheriff and CDF personnel, and conversations with the newly-appointed manager of Jackson State, Marc Jameson.
CDF Does Damage Control
Richard Wilson, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), has formed a 10 member Citizen's Advisory Committee to "advise the department during the development of a new management plan for the forest coincident to work upon a habitat conservation plan (HCP) and a sustained yield plan (SYP) for JDSF."
The first meeting of the committee, open to the public, was held at the forestry office in Fort Bragg on August 18. Richard Wilson and a number of other forestry officials, including two members from forestry's "Information and Education" - a department of which veteran forestry watchers had never heard - came to kick off the first meeting. Also present were 20 members of the skeptical public.
The public, awaiting the arrival of Wilson, were first into the meeting room. They eyed the set-up: a U-shaped arrangement of tables in front of the room for Wilson and the committee, rows of chairs facing the table for the public. Activists quickly rearranged the furniture, placing the chairs to connect in a large square with the ends of the U. Now, symbolically at least, all in the audience were "at the table".
Wilson arrived and following introductions and the obligatory "overview and history" of the forest, a formality largely wasted on an already well-informed public, a round robin of public "concerns" was heard. People again aired their views on subjects as varied, but related, as funding issues and the need to manage Jackson State from an ecosystem perspective. A major concern regarding funding is that revenue from timber sales at Jackson State funds the review of THPs, subsidizing industry cutting on private lands with public money. Where Are The Women?
But the foremost concern of the audience- the fact that the committee was hand picked by Wilson with no input from the public- found its expression in an attack on the gender balance of the committee. Wilson had appointed nine men and one woman. The audience quickly nominated five additional women (all knowledgeable in different aspects of forestry, wildlife and recreation, three of them long involved as forestry activists), and another man (who has done salvage removal on Jackson State). Next from the audience was a request for a labor union seat and a seat for a Native American.
Wilson dutifully noted names and concerns, promising as he did so that he would take all under consideration. The audience, however, was unwilling to defer the decision to Wilson and continued to insist on its right to name members to the committee. Wilson at last relented, turning over the decision to the advisory group already appointed. He then left the room to allow the committee to make its decision unconstrained by his presence.
What had been wrangled over for more than an hour was then decided within two minutes. A motion was made to accept the nominations, it was seconded (and thirded), some concerns of the committee aired ("I don't even know these people or what their expertise is"), and a vote taken with a majority of the committee (who did know "these people") approving the new members.
Wilson was then called back into the room. He seemingly accepted the decision and the meeting was completed with a date and agenda being set for the next session of the expanded committee. It's a public meeting- to be held at the forestry offices at 802 N. Main Street in Fort Bragg at 6 P.M. on September 22.
A First Step? We'll See
Whether the advice of the committee on management of the forest will be taken seriously or whether the committee will be window dressing for a CDF public relations campaign remains to be seen.
Certainly, CDF and the committee have a common interest in changing the present economic demand on the forest. Jackson State is now mandated by the legislature to produce annually a given level of revenue to the state. This money is then used to support, as noted above, CDF's processing of private industry's timber harvest plans. CDF has no control over the percentage of this money that comes back to Jackson State for the good management of the forest. Jackson State is understaffed and funds are sorely lacking for rehabilitation and restoration work. This is a funding system not only at odds with both good forestry and wise ecosystem management, but one that is economically short-sighted as well.
In the meantime, the Camp 8 sale is still being disputed. Activists have long called for a moratorium on this plan until public concerns have been addressed, particularly the proposal for set-asides and the objection to further road building. But as far as we know CDF, is moving ahead. By the time you receive your newsletter, a rally will have been held in protest on Labor Day at the Jackson State Forest Camp 8 site.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1997
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited