Pacific Lumber "Golden Bear THP" in Bear River

KMZ file for use in Google Maps and Google Earth.

see more on this plan at SAF Blog

Plan Name and Number
Golden Bear THP 1-07-071

Company/Land Owner
Scopac, subsidiary of Pacific Lumber.

Registered Professional Forester (RPF writes the plan)
Mark Distefano

Watershed/Region
Bear River on the north flank of Rainbow Ridge 1/4 mile from the boundary of Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Size in Acres

130 acres total

123.1 acres to be clearcut under the euphamism "rehab"

2.1 acres road building "right of way"

0.9 acres "non-timbered"

Forest Description
"10% Douglas Fir and 90% Hardwoods"

Originally logged in the 1950s for trees to be used for plywood. Current Douglas Fir diameters range from 14 to 30 inches diameter at breast height (DBH). Some "residual" Douglas Firs remain from before the original logging. The plan does not specify the size or age of the hardwood trees.

Plan Submission Date
5-1-07

Issues-Concerns

- "Rehab" ( a euphamism for clearcutting). The rehab "prescription" is used to replace hardwood groves of Oak and/or Madrone with Douglas Fir or Redwood seedlings. This is due to the higher monetary value of softwood boards.
The plan states “Forest Products to be harvested: Conifer and hardwood trees for saw and chip logs, fuel, split products and burls.”

-The plan states that no "even-age regeneration" (aka clearcutting) units are over 20 acres which is the maximum allowed by law. However the very next table states that Unit 2 is 26.1 acres and Unit 3 is 42.6 acres.

- In some past "rehab" logging units, the company has cut only the Douglas Fir trees and later applied herbicide to kill the remaining hardwood trees utilizing the "hack and squirt" techinque. There is no mention in the plan of herbicide use but it commonly follows "even aged management" like clearcutting and rehab. This is in order to reduce competition for planted conifer species. If the company plans to use herbicides they need to disclose this to the public.

- Clearcutting (and burning) on geologically unstable slopes, especially on "mass wasting areas of concern" or MWACs. (pronounced em-wak, usage: "This plan is hella MWAC")



- Road building on unstable areas. The plan proposes approximatly 2,000 ft. of road construction and reconstruction on MWACs.

-"Tractor Yarding"- Bulldozers dragging fallen trees to the log decks.



-"Mechanical Site Prep"- Pulverizing the clearcut areas with bulldozers.

-Broadcast burning, AKA Napalm. This method is not unlike the slash and burn technique used in the Amazon rainforest.


Public Comment
Open for comment. End date not yet posted.

you can send comment letters on this logging plan to the California Department of Forestry at;

santarosapubliccomment@fire.ca.gov

or

California Department of Forestry
attn. forest practice
135 Ridgeway Ave.
Santa Rosa, Ca. 9540

Pre-Harvest Inspection (PHI) Date
N/A- plan returned

2nd Review Date
not yet posted

Date of Decision
Earliest possible approval date May 16th (but unlikely).