This logging company has no Sustained Yield Plan, has done no cumulative effects assessment and is in violation of a court judgment against them on these issues. They bought already devastated forestlands from Louisiana Pacific (LP), whose cut and run logging has severely compromised the environment and economy of Mendocino County. All that's left to log is steep land in critical habitats and watersheds. In order to log in these already depleted forests MRC needs to apply for an Incidental Take Permit to complete the devastation. They made a poor financial decision when they bought the "leftovers" of LP. Too bad! The timber base has been destroyed. MRC can't expect to further destroy the endangered and threatened species and ecology of these forestlands to protect their bottom line.
We are aware of how the Endangered Species Act defines the term "take." We would like answers to the following questions specific to MRC lands:
How does incidental take support recovery?
How can incidental take be considered appropriate development?
How is incidental take compatible with enhancing endangered species in their habitat?
The full economic and environmental value of a forest ecosystem is clearly huge and requires an Environmental Impact Report to fully evaluate the effects of management alternatives developed by MRC. We want a full assessment of cumulative effects on all MRC forestlands and the watersheds they impact.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2002
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