Kathy Bailey

The struggle to reform management at California's largest state forest continues in spite of persistent recalcitrance by its managing agency, the California Department of Forestry (CDF). May 2003 saw both a win and a loss in the effort.

The 50,000-acre Jackson Demonstration State Forest is located east of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County. It is, by far, the largest publicly-owned forest in the redwood region between the San Francisco Bay and Humboldt County. The 459 acres of remaining old growth, scattered in 11 groves, is protected. But the approximately 10,000 acres of 100-year-old second growth is mostly slated for commercial logging. Over the years, CDF has approved Timber Harvest Plans in Mendocino County that eliminated not only most old growth but the county's older second-growth as well. The second-growth stands at Jackson are some of the largest and oldest in the region and reformers want CDF to manage them for restoration to older forest. Additionally there is a call to increase forest-wide stream protection to benefit salmon recovery. Ending clearcutting is another major goal.

Meanwhile in Sacramento, Senator Byron Sher successfully attached a provision to the CDF budget that would prohibit spending from the fund generated by logging state forests if CDF prepares or implements any THP at Jackson "that authorizes clearcutting or other harvest methods that result in the removal in one operation of more than 70% of the average conifer basal area per acre of the dominant or co-dominant trees". The language is so specific because CDF has put a lot of effort into making it seem as if they have already stopped clearcutting at Jackson, claiming they are now doing "variable retention" instead. When quizzed by the Board of Forestry what this meant, CDF replied they would be leaving approximately 12 trees per acre. According to CDF managers, the "demonstration" (Jackson is supposed to "demonstrate" good logging) would be clumping the 12 trees on some acres and spreading them around on others.

As the budget process proceeds, we will need the support of both Assemblymember Patty Berg and Senator Wes Chesbro to keep this item attached to the CDF budget. Those interested in helping with Jackson are urged to ask their representatives to support the budget language. CDF public relations person, Louis Blumberg, has already expended significant effort to try and defeat this simple one-year measure. If CDF continues with its current attitude, one can be sure it will vigorously work against efforts to eliminate clearcutting at Jackson. What's really needed is recognition by the leadership of CDF that, with some relatively simple reforms, Jackson could be a showplace of good forest management rather than a persistent public relations hassle and focus of continuing litigation.