We were in the middle of writing an alert about threatened logging in the beautiful Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) on Mendocino’s coast when we got word that LOGGING STARTED THIS MORNING!

This, despite the fact that protesters, tree-sitters and the public are in the forest.

Activists working to preserve the integrity of the forest are urging people to take a few minutes to send a short email that you can either cut and paste from below, or simply click on the “send to” address
(santarosapubliccomments@fire.ca.gov), and an email message will pop up already filled out with the message and subject. Please add the CC addresses if you can.

Local residents have been very active in strategies to protect the forest with a multi-pronged approach. There have been tree-sits in the forest for nearly two months; there is a petition circulating; and there have been demonstrations, media outreach and phone calls to agencies.

The forest has been in state ownership since 1949. Although the mission of the State Forest is partly to demonstrate the economic viability of maintaining a sustainable cut and preserving the integrity of the habitat, Timber Harvest Plans have accelerated greatly over the last four years. Considerations regarding cultural values have also recently come to light, and the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians initiated government to government consultation with Calfire, the State Dept. of Resource Management and JDSF. They point out that what JDSF’s managers call sustainable is at odds with the Indigenous world view, and this area is their ancestral lands.

In addition, at a recent public meeting, JDSF’s own officials pointed to low flows in Caspar Creek and the complete absence of carbon sequestration studies in this State Demonstration Forest. For more info, see EPIC’s alert.

Please act today. We will send subsequent updates.
Send to: santarosapubliccomments@fire.ca.gov

CC: Robert.Hawkins@wildlife.ca.gov, Jason.Serna@fire.ca.gov, David.Fowler@waterboards.ca.gov, Jon.Hendrix@wildlife.ca.gov

Subject: Regarding Timber Harvest Plan 1-20-00006 MEN, Caspar 500, JDSF

Dear Director and others To Whom It May Concern:
The Caspar 500 plan has been significantly modified in the following ways since it was approved. The plan needs to be amended and recirculated for public review.
Jackson’s Has Unmarked Hundreds of Trees Previously Marked for Cut
Were other trees substituted and marked to be cut to replace these that were unmarked?
The mark needs to be settled on, made clear on site, and the plan record corrected so that reviewing agencies and the public, and the LTO, have a clear and complete plan to review and implement and – equally important – a clear and complete plan to monitor post harvest to assure that plan proposals and mitigations are implemented as written.
The Trails and The Trail Network are not Mapped
There are many mentions made in the Timber Harvest Plan (THP), regarding recreational use, of “the trail” or “the trail network”. What is meant by “the trail network”? It should be mapped. The ByPass Trail needs to be amended into the THP and mapped to make a clear and complete plan to review and monitor.
WLPZ In-lieu or Alternative Practices have not been Acknowledged or Inspected
All such in-lieu locations need to be mapped Pursuant to 14 CCR 916.6 (a) 916.6, 936.6, 956.6 Alternative Watercourse and Lake Protection [All Districts] (a) “Alternative prescriptions for the protection of Watercourses and lakes may be developed by the RPF or proposed by the Director on a site-specific basis…”

Cutting Snags Along Trails and Roads
The RPF needs to include a map of the trails network along with which snags will be felled. The plan states that “Retention and recruitment of snags throughout the forest is one of JDSF’s management objectives.’ (Section IV, page 154) The RPF needs to specify what concrete steps he is taking to meet this objective.

(your name and address)