Headwaters Forest Reserve - Headwaters Economics

The Headwaters Forest Reserve is a group of old growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) groves, comprising about 7,472 acres (30.24 km²), managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. Located in the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion near Humboldt Bay of the U.S. state of California, most of it was owned by the now defunct Pacific Lumber Company, which was owned by Charles Hurwitz and Maxxam Inc, as the result of a hostile takeover in 1985. Since that time the Headwaters Forest has been the site of many tree sits and anti-logging demonstrations, which ensued after Maxxam changed genera tions-old policies of sustained-yield logging at Pacific Lumber Company with clearcutting.

The climate is characterized by maritime conditions of cool, wet and foggy winters and cool to warm cloudy summers. Elevations range from 100 feet (30 m) to over 2,000 feet (610 m).

OverviewEdit

The reserve was established in 1999 (H.R. 2107, Title V. Sec.501.) The reserve was created after a 15-year effort to save the ancient ecosystem (with some trees estimated at over two thousand years old), from being clearcut. Almost 60 per cent of what is now the reserve was harvested by mostly clearcutting with over 35 miles (56 km) of road construction and over a hundred stream crossings which greatly degraded watershed ability to store and filter water runoff. The untouched portion, however, is dense, old-growth forest with pristine watershed conditions.

This reserve of 7,472 acres (30.24 km²) is public land and is under the stewardship of the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Of the total area, 3,088 acres (12.50 km²) are old-growth redwood stands surrounded by 4,384 acres (17.74 km²) of previously harvested timberlands, which were included in the purchase to protect the watershed related to the old growth forest. The reserve is located about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Eureka, CA, but is managed by BLM officials from the agency's regional offices located in nearby Arcata, CA.

According to the BLM, "the reserve is set aside to protect and preserve the ecological and wildlife values in the area, particularly the stands of old-growth redwood that provide habitat for the threatened Marbled Murrelet, Northern Spotted Owl, native salmon stocks, and other old growth forest dependent species..." As well as the stream systems that provide habitat for the threatened coho salmon. Other forest trees in the reserve include Douglas-fir, tanoak, Sitka spruce, western red ceder, western hemlock and red alder. There are limited distribution (CNPS list 4) plants in the reserve including the heart-shaped twayblade and Kellogg's lily.

The Headwaters Forest Reserve is one of the few remaining refuges for the endangered seabird the marbled murrelet. Marbled murrelets make their nests on large redwood tree branches between March 25 and September 15. The seabird nesting can be disastrously disrupted by human activity. Visitors are restricted from entering the forest during breeding season, approximately June 25 to August 1.

It is the only forest reserve in the United States and is managed as a nature reserve of the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System.

BackgroundEdit

The federal legislation (Public Law 105-83) authorizing the acquisition of the property resulted from an agreement between Department of the Interior and Pacific Lumber Company in September, 1996. This legislation established a specific boundary with access points, called for joint federal-state acquisition with the BLM the managing agency and the State of California having a conservation easement, and required a management plan for the forest. The California state easement gives the state oversight responsibility to ensure "all human activities with the Headwaters Forest shall be consistent with the stated goals and purposes..." The California Department of Fish and Wildlife represent the state's interest.

AgreementEdit

The agreement had two main parts: first, it provided $380 million of public funds for the purchase of the reserve. Second, it required a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) be developed and approved to allow limited logging on the remaining 211,000 acres (850 km²) of Pacific Lumber Company timberland. Headwaters Forest Reserve is the largest area of old-growth redwoods protected as a result of the Redwood Summer protests.

Federal and state legislationEdit

H.R. 2107 was passed by the US Congress on October 1997 which committed the government's share of $250 million of the purchase price. California provided its share of $130 million in Chapter 615, Statutes of 1998 with a requirement of stricter conditions regarding the Habitat Conservation Plan. Specifically, wider no-cut buffer zones, prohibitions on logging in certain areas, and a requirement for watershed analysis. Also, Chapter 615 authorized purchase of two additional portions, the Owl Creek, and the Grizzly Creek properties. Lastly, it provided Humboldt County with $12 million as economic assistance.

See alsoEdit

• David Chain
• Judi Bari

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Area map, from California Dept. of Fish and Game
• Headwaters Forest Reserve
• Headwaters Forest Reserve National Conservation Area
• Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters