Action
Needed by April 5, 2005
On March 16th, the Humboldt Watershed Council and EPIC appeared before the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board in Santa Rosa to present their case against enrolling new timber harvest plans for Pacific Lumber in the severely damaged watersheds of Freshwater Creek and Elk River (see http://www.wildcalifornia.org/actions/number-21 for futher details).
At the end of the day, the Regional Board voted to give Pacific Lumber the right to log 75% of the amount of board-feet they initially requested. That's 25% more than their own staff felt was prudent! We think it's 75% more than the watersheds can tolerate!
EPIC joins the Humboldt Watershed Council in appealing this process to the State Water Resources Control Board, which is holding a hearing on
Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 1:30 pm.
If you can show up at the hearing in Sacramento to witness the process, please attend:
CAL/EPA BUILDING
1001 I Street
First Floor Training Room
Sacramento, CA
If you can send a message to the Board to let them know that they should NOT permit logging in these watersheds, use our prepared email, or feel free to add your own thoughts.
At the March 16th hearing in Santa Rosa, Maxxam/Pacific Lumber presented their view that inadequate logging due to over-regulation has driven them to the brink of bankruptcy.
Mark Lovelace of Humboldt Watershed Council presented compelling evidence that Pacific Lumber has consistently over-logged and diverted profits to their parent company in Texas. He also presented video footage of the serious damage done to property of many local residents who have been fighting Maxxam/Pacific Lumber's destructive practices for years.
The Regional Water Board's own advisory staff presented data that supported their recommendation to limit Pacific Lumber to take no more than 50% of what they asked for, recognizing the damage that would be done by additional logging activities.
Several North Coast Regional WQ Board members expressed great concern for the health of the watersheds. No one argued the fact that Freshwater Creek and Elk River are impaired watersheds, or that they need to be protected.
Help us tell the State Water Resources Control Board that they must protect the health of our watersheds--and our communities.
Tell them to deny approvals for all THPs in Elk River or Freshwater Creek until adequate Watershed-wide Waste Discharge Requirements have been developed.
We think they should protect our watersheds, not provide a bail-out scheme for Pacific Lumber!
