| Dear Supporter,
On Tuesday, February 2, 2006, the Mendocino County
Board of Supervisors, for the first time ever, opposed a plan of the state
for Jackson State Redwood Forest. The commissioners refused to support
massive clearcutting, herbicide use, cutting of old growth trees, and
neglect of recreation. Instead they voted 3 to 2 to support an alternative
plan, one originally proposed by a diverse citizens advisory committee in
1998.
Supervisors Hal Wagenet and Kendall Smith were the
primary promoters of calling for an alternative plan. They were strongly
supported by David Colfax. A word of thanks to each of them is in order.
Contact information
Make no mistake, the supervisor's action marks a revolution in the
politics of Jackson State Forest. For the first time, the governing
political body of the home county of Jackson Forest recognized that the
forest must be operated in a way that reflects the desires of we who own
the forest. The commissioners explicitly stated that our desires, not just
those of the timber companies, must be satisfied.
This long-overdue movement is entirely due to the actions and supporters
of the Campaign to Restore Jackson State Forest. Please take a moment to
appreciate yourself and all of your allies. We made it possible by
standing up to the state, by taking them to court and repeatedly having
the court rule in our favor. We have shut down logging in Jackson Forest
since 2001, and we've made the protection of our publicly owned Jackson
State Forest into a statewide issue.
The supervisors took this action in the context of the new environmental
review that is just beginning for Jackson Forest. They held two days of
hearing prior to making their decision. I was amazed to see, first, that
the hothead timber people that attended in previous meetings were absent.
The core timber people were there, but almost every one of them began by
talking about the points of common agreement between themselves and those
wanting management reform. They minimized the differences. Very obviously,
five years of no-harvesting and broken state promises of "We'll be logging
next year" has had its impact.
The supervisors supporting the more progressive management plan,
repeatedly emphasized that, "We need to get the forest back in operation.
If we stick with the old plan, that has failed in the past, we will be
looking at four more years of non-operation." They recognized that we the
people are not going to go away until genuine reform occurs.
The vote by the supervisors today is a monumental step. Although, the plan
they supported is not all that we want, the frozen positions of the last
ten years have finally broken loose. It's like a broken ice jam. Once the
ice begins to move around, there are opportunities for influencing how it
will come together again. Real progress is possible.
Thank you for your help. Working together we are moving toward a victory
for forest preservation that is all too rare in these times.
If you haven't yet written your letter opposing the state's management
plan and supporting our alternative, please take a moment now to send off
your letter at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/jsfeir_2
Let's take advantage of this breakthrough! Please do write now. The
deadline for public comment is only six days away, Tuesday, February 14.
With great appreciation,
Vince
Vince Taylor
Executive Director
Campaign to Restore Jackson State Redwood Forest
PS: To find out how to review the environmental report and mail your own
letter, go to:
http://www.jackso
nforest.com/EIR2/comment_info_EIR2.htm
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