The California Legislature added $20 million dollars to purchase land near Grizzly Creek State Park as part of the bill to fund the Headwaters Deal, yet more than 1,000 acres surrounding the Park are targeted by Maxxam/Pacific Lumber that remain unprotected from chainsaws. These areas, including the forest that activist David "Gypsy" Chain tragically died defending, are clear examples of the deficiencies with the Headwaters Deal and of the many losses species would bear if Maxxam's Habitat "Conversion" Plan were approved.

The area currently planned for acquisition includes approximately 1,050 acres, of which about 40% has been recently logged. Many hundreds of acres of unlogged and residual old growth redwood, however, were written off by agencies, legislators and Maxxam in their compromise. The forest David Chain took action to defend, for example, is located less than 1,000 feet from the border of Grizzly Creek State Park and is part of a residual old growth redwood stand that provides important habitat for marbled murrelets, spotted owls and red tree voles.

The actual amount of land around Grizzly Creek now under siege by Maxxam/PL is alarming, as 414 acres in the vicinity were approved for them to log just in the last year. They have additional Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) for the area are in the works as well, and 609 acres are currently pending the California Department of Forestry's (CDF) rubber stamp approval.

Grizzly Creek is one of the steepest and most unstable areas found on the generally steep and unstable North Coast, and accelerated logging over the last decade in this area has caused severe damage to coho salmon and other aquatic life. All of the pending and active Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) near Grizzly Creek include very intensive logging prescriptions on these slopes and maintain logging at the same alarming rate that began when Maxxam took over the company. State Park officials have voiced strong concerns with the problems beginning to unfold from this rate and style of logging and have protested the ongoing destruction of the area. In a letter written by a Department of Parks and Recreation employee to CDF, it states:

"Since accelerated timber harvesting started around Grizzly Creek State Park in the 1980s we have observed clear and obvious aggravation of both Grizzly Creek and the Van Duzen River. Our most popular swimming hole, just below the confluence of Grizzly Creek and the Van Duzen River, existed for decades prior to this timber harvesting. Now it is gone, filled in with sediment from logged slopes and roads, along with many other pools that used to exist in the two watercourses. As the creek and river widens we have lost trees which existed along the banks for 500 to 1000 years..."

The continued destruction of this area has serious implications for salmon, murrelets, spotted owls, salamanders, red tree voles, and other imperiled wildlife. Please contact EPIC to learn more about the THPs in the Grizzly Creek area and what you can do to help protect this priceless land. (707) 923-2931 or epic@wildcalifornia.org.

Pacific Lumber THPs Near Grizzly Creek State Park
1997 - 1998

THP # *** # of Acres *** Status
1-97-121 *** 81 *** approved 2/17/98
1-97-172 *** 51 *** approved 12/9/97
1-97-363 *** 91 *** approved 12/29/97
1-97-386 *** 75 *** approved 11/10/97
1-97-497 *** 276 *** pending approval
1-97-519 *** 243 *** pending approval
1-98-280 *** 116 *** approved 9/29/98
1-98-307 *** 90 *** pending approval
 
1,023 Total

TOTAL 1,023