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Mattole Headwaters Threatened By Humboldt Redwood Company Logging Plan!

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Photo by Len Blumin

Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC) has proposed extensive logging in headwaters of the Upper North Fork of the Mattole. The Fox Camp THP 1-21-107-HUM is located directly adjacent to Humboldt Redwoods State Park within the ancestral territory of the Bear River Band.

The plan proposes cutting of Douglas fir and hardwood forest that has never been logged. Humboldt Redwood Company did not adequately disclose such stands inside the plan area. The plan area also contains multiple northern spotted owl (NSO) nest sites. Logging near nests will likely displace owls. This is unacceptable given that the NSO population continues to decline throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The plan will also make use of toxic herbicides including glyphosate. These herbicides are frequently used to kill hardwoods that are vital to our forests ecosystems. Hardwoods like tanoak provide nutrition for numerous prey species that are essential for NSO survival. Many of these trees will be killed and left standing which will increase the risk of and severity of wildfire. Given that the plan abuts Humboldt Redwood State Park, this is unacceptable.

Finally, the THP also proposes intensive logging and road building on unstable slopes in an area with very high seismic activity and numerous landslides. These roads will cause erosion which will cause sedimentation of rivers and creeks that are essential habitat for endangered coho salmon.

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Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) is a tax-exempt non-profit organization, under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and therefore all charitable donations are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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CAL FIRE Santa Rosa Review Team

Subject: Public Comment on THP 1-21-107-HUM

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I am writing to submit public comments on the Fox Camp THP 1-21-107-HUM. Please consider these comments and respond in writing to all points raised herein. The Fox Camp THP would seriously negatively impact the environment and requires more environmental review before it can be approved. First, the plan proposes to log and kill with herbicide a considerable amount of Douglas Fir and Hardwoods and then replace them by planting conifers. This kind of stand replacement of hardwoods with conifers will have serious negative impacts to the ecosystems within the plan area. Currently, sudden oak death is already raging through California’s oaks. Scientists estimate that tens of millions of oaks have been killed by sudden oak death since its emergence and there are no indications that the disease is slowing. Despite this, the plan does not consider how killing and removing so many oaks within the plan area will compound the already existing sudden oak death pandemic. It is irresponsible to kill so many oaks at a time when the oak population is threatened by this new and deadly disease. In addition, many species rely on hardwoods such as tanoak to survive. For instance, many prey species of the northern spotted owl eat acorns from tanoak. This plan area contains multiple northern spotted owl nest sites. Even if the nest sites themselves are not harvested, decimating the oak population around those sites will reduce the viability of the area for northern spotted owls by reducing their prey population. Another serious issue with the environmental review of this project thus far is the failure to adequately consider the impacts of road construction to watercourses. Road construction is the leading cause of erosion and sedimentation of the North Coast’s salmon bearing streams. In turn, sedimentation is one of the leading causes of the current endangerment of our native fish species including coho salmon, rainbow trout, and steelhead. Rattlesnake Creek is an important coldwater stream that provides habitat for these species. The plan proposes to construct new roads in areas with high seismic activity which means that they are incredibly likely to erode into watercourses. This sedimentation will compound the situation caused by the current drought in Northern California. The drought is having a negative impact on cold water fish species because it is reducing stream levels. Nowhere does the THP contemplate the interaction of the sediment produced by roadbuilding with current drought conditions. For these reasons, more environmental review is necessary to ensure that environmental impacts are adequately addressed and mitigated before approval can move forward. Thank you for your time and consideration.

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Environmental Information Protection Center (EPIC) is a tax-exempt non-profit organization, under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and therefore all charitable donations are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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Mattole Headwaters Threatened By Humboldt Redwood Company Logging Plan!

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