August 1, 2003
We move into summer with the luxury of a very wet April behind us. The record rains of December were followed by drier months until the April rains brought us back into winter. The large sliding areas north of Confusion Hill reactivated, delaying traffic and making each drive on Highway 101 between Leggett and Piercy a potential adventure.
The late rains set back the installation of downstream migrant traps that help estimate the size of the salmon runs. The high waters in December had made spawning surveys very difficult. Preliminary snorkeling surveys for young salmonids in the upper Mattole seem to show that the emergence success of the salmon fry to be only about 10 to 25% of last year's.
The "Erosion and Turbidity Monitoring Report -- Sanctuary Forest Stream Crossing Excavations in the Upper Mattole River Basin, 2002-2003" by Hydrologist Randy Klein became public at a meeting at the Whitethorn Grange on May 29th. The report documents SB271-funded restoration work within the Sanctuary Forest cooperative of public and private lands. All 71 crossing removal sites were photo documented prior to the winter. Seventeen sites of various characteristics were carefully measured for erosion and turbidity above and below after storm events. Most of the restorations turned out quite well with a significant number of sites having less than 10 cubic yards of 'adjustment' (erosion) over the first winter. Of the 17 measured sites, however, two were problematic: one lost more than 50 cubic yards, and the second highest lost about 40 cubic yards of sediment. By extrapolation to all 71 first-year restoration sites, it is estimated that around 1,100 cubic yards of sediment mobilized out of the 65 project stream crossing removal sites. Modifications have been made to the work proposed for the second year of the project to improve results. Much, if not most of this sedimentation resulting from the first year's work is stored in upland channel areas, often trapped by woody debris, and will be metered out over time. Some of the problem sites, however, were in low gradient flood plain areas where the adjustment erosion is proximate to salmonid habitat. The headwall areas at the top of these channel adjustments also raised the issue of hampering fish passage. Proposals have been submitted to various entities by Sanctuary Forest to take corrective measures at three of this past season's sites. It is hoped that basic stabilization work will be done before next winter.
The community consensus that emerged at the public meeting seems to be that people would rather see fewer restoration sites done at a higher standard, than see more sites done at a lower standard. This issue of standards is a hot one. Most current practitioners of crossing removals are saddled by their funders with an upper 'efficiency threshold' of $15/cubic yard of material moved away from possible delivery into the stream system. When installation of grade controls of rock or wood is undertaken, or large wood is incorporated into the excavated channel, the cost inevitably goes above this arbitrary threshold. Restorationists and representatives of Fish and Game and the California Department of Parks admit that efficiency at creating pools and better habitat needs to be part of the evaluation of conditions and prescription of measures at applicable sites, but overall it is not happening currently for most of this type of work.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation has the absurd policy of leaving NO wood in the excavated channels. This really has to be changed. Wood in channels is essential for natural functioning, and is a key for the support of Coho in spawning and rearing stream habitat. Currently, Parks says they will try leaving spanning logs above the excavated channel, letting time and chance place the wood. In a real liberal move, it was indicated that some of the spanner logs would be partially cut to speed up their placement in the channel. This is a very serious issue for salmon survival: Parks plans to do more than one hundred crossing removals over the next two years on the Sinkyone Wilderness Coast.
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A big celebration will take place this summer. We hope to bring together all those who have been part of this twenty-year grass-roots struggle. Not all the key players are known, but there are hundreds just locally who raised and contributed the money that allowed the struggle to organize and made the appraisal possible, and who wrote countless letters to Parks and Recreation and PL demanding the forest not be cut. Parks and Recreation stood fast on their position that PL had no legal access for logging on the road through Whittemore Grove, their resolve stiffened in no small part by this community pressure.
The enormous community energy brought the attention of Kate Anderton, director of the Save-the-Redwoods League, to this issue. Kate became our main negotiator, along with Acting Parks and Recreation Director Ruth Coleman, and of course some combination of Maxxam/PL personnel ranging from Robert Manne to Craig Anthony and others. A list of those deserving kudos goes all the way from all those who voted for Prop 40 to unnamed 'Paul Revere-type forest defenders' on the Ridge itself, to the many years of acquisition advocacy by the community-based Stable Slopes Forever!
Writing, calling, fundraising, and general hubbubing took place over years. Lower Redway landowner Pat Dorn was one persistant voice. Dorn was one of those whose property was damaged by a logging-precipitated landslide in 1981. From the 1996 THP and lawsuit up until acquisition Traci 'Bear' Thiele, Taun Moondy, Pat Bernstein, Kevin Coles, Stephanie Gawboy, Liz Davidson, and others kept organizing the community. The 1996 THP lawsuit wouldn't have been a success without attorneys Sharon Duggan and Jay Moller. My involvement was inspired by one of the original EPICureans, Marylee Bytheriver, and her efforts with attorney Michael Solomon in the first lawsuit, the fight over the original 1978 Timber Harvest Plan. I was also inspired by the geologist Jerry Kreger and DF&G's Forrest Reynolds, and the work by world-renowned geologist Eugene Kojan on both the 1978 and 1996 lawsuits.
The third lawsuit in 2000 resulted in a settlement, and negotiations by the Redway Forestry Council lead into the final acquisition phase. We note with appreciation the members of the RFC: Robert Smythe, Tina Glaessner, Harry Vaughn, Bill Eastwood, Tim Metz, Virginia Graziani, Jude Wait, and Doug Fir. Adding support during all this were Anne Seaquist, Leib Ostrow, Julia Butterfly Hill, Paul Bassis, former P&R Director Rusty Areias, the Mateel Community Center, Redway Community Services District, EPIC, Redway Forest Defense, Trees Foundation, and People Productions. And so it is with joy and a terribly incomplete credit list we will move into celebration this summer -- along with an appreciation and respect that we hope will last for lifetimes -- and will inspire other interconnected efforts.
Bits and pieces:
The Board of Forestry continues to plod along on issues ranging from old growth to clearcutting, to oak retention, to electronic THPs. They're considering possible rules as regards 'variable retention.' Establishing Road Management Plans has taken a front seat, as has the complex (and oh so difficult) relationship with the State and regional Water Quality Control Boards.
The Department of Fish & Game and Commission have put their Coho eggs in the Coho Recovery Team and Process basket -- with preliminary results anticipated in August, and somewhat final results by December? Pretty ugly posturing here and there
-- with some productive work. It looks like some factions will try and prevent the obviously warranted listing of Coho. The Commission deemed listing warranted last August, but there is a fear that political arm twisting -- and worse -- will prevent listing-- and recovery. Coho Recovery depends on culture-wide commitment and action.
State Legislation update:
SB 754 -- Senator Perata -- This Heritage Tree Protection Act has passed both policy and appropriation committees in the Senate, with a vote expected in the Senate in the first week of June. Some say it's 50-50 there. If it passes it's on to the 'house of pain' Assembly where passage will be more difficult.
SB 810 -- Senator Burton (originally an Assembly Bill by Joe Nation) -- Directly authorizes the Regional Water Quality Boards to determine compliance of THPs with the applicable Water Quality Basin Plan -- and to determine the rate-of-cut in sediment impaired water bodies. Big industry stress over this -- passed the Senate on May 8th, now in Assembly. Ex-EPICurean, now Sierra Club lobbyist, Paul Mason is having a good time with this.
SB 217 -- Senator Sher -- Places modest limits on cutting old growth. Passed Senate -- on to the Assembly.
AB 47 -- Assemblymember Simitian -- Reforms Cumulative Watershed Effects evaluation process. Big pressures to amend -- said to be "CWE light." Provision to evaluate and document degraded riparian areas remains. Has to pass the Assembly by the end of the first week in June.
SB 557 -- Senator Kuehl -- Passed Senate policy committee. Gives tax of 1 cent per board foot at retail counter. Would fund THP review and enable watershed restoration measures. Tentatively supported by the Forest Landowners of California -- big industry not supportive. Anticipated to be part of a 'budget trailer bill.'
SB 297 -- Senator Chesbro -- Passed the Senate. Allows DF&G to enter into contracts for up to five years for watershed restoration work. It may be amended to include funding authorization and perhaps funds for continued watershed rehabilitation efforts. On to the Assembly.
Stay tuned and get involved wheneverand wherever you can.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Summer 2003