The rejection of the sole bid in the first sale created a political uproar from the Mendocino timber community, causing Jackson Forest to open the sale again. In the first sale, no minimum price was set for redwood, and the bidder, Schmidbauer Lumber of Eureka, offered an absurdly low price of $50 per thousand board feet — less than 10% of the normal price.

In the second sale, Cal Fire set a minimum bid of $205 per thousand board feet for redwood. Schmidbauer was again the sole bidder, bidding just the minimums, and the bid was accepted.

At first glance, the rebid appears to have been good for Jackson Forest. It will receive about $350,000, compared to the $110,000 offered on the first sale. But, in responding to the political pressures, Cal Fire apparently bent over more than a little to ensure that the timber would be sold. The minimum bid of $205 per thousand board feet is well  below even current depressed redwood prices.

When I learned about the terms of the resale, I investigated the current market for redwood in Mendocino County and found that a more appropriate market price would have been about $300 per thousand. This would have added $150,000 to the amount received by Jackson Forest for the 4.5 million board feet of timber it sold.

I wrote my finding to Russ Henly, Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director for Resource Protection. In his reply, he attempted to justify the bid, but he did so by assuming logging costs well above those already specified by Schmidbauer in its initial bid and then tacking on a "profit and risk factor" of 12%. The current depressed market price of timber more than provides an adequate risk and profit factor.

The present practice is for managers of the forest to create a timber harvest plan (THP) that specifies the amounts of timber to be cut and the logging methods. The THP is then put out for bids and sold to the highest bidder. The winning bidder then hires a logging company to do the harvesting and hauling.

The core defect in the present system is that it was designed for a time when the timber industry in Mendocino County was very much larger and multiple mills in nearby Fort Bragg were competing for logs. Now there are no mills in Fort Bragg and only a few mills in the county.

Rather than a competitive bidding situation, we now have a few mills that all exchange information and logs; so there is not the opportunity for open, honest bidding. Equally important, Jackson Forest sales are very large and require large payments up front. These factors discourage bidders and depress the price that Jackson is likely to receive.

The solution to this is for Jackson Forest to harvest and deck logs on its own. It can then sort the logs by types and offer lots of these for sale or bid in quantities that will have the best demand. Micro mills in the area would be able to purchase logs from Jackson, something not currently possible. Not only would this improve the price received, but it would allow Jackson Forest to hire and oversee the logging contractors, ensuring that they met the high standards appropriate for Jackson forest.

The Jackson Advisory Group is expected to recommend making this change. It deserves widespread support.

he late seral harvest plan differs greatly from the harvest plan previously marked for Brandon Gulch. The former plan was intended to be a high-volume commercial harvest that favored larger trees and included small clearcuts throughout much of the harvest area in order to encourage the growth of a new generation of trees. The new plan keeps all of the larger trees and aims to keep the natural diversity of conditions found in the 90 year-old undisturbed stands of redwood and Douglas Fir in Brandon Gulch.

On the visit, Marc Jameson, Manager of Jackson Demonstration State Forest, explained the way in which the new mark was made. [The blue lines on trees are from the prior mark. These marked trees were scheduled for harvest. In the new harvest, only the trees with yellow dots will be harvested.] The heavy breathing of the camera person (me) is because I had to hurry up the slope to catch up after lagging behind to take photos on the way up.

You will notice that not many yellow dots are visible in the video. As we walked through the plan area, Mike Anderson of Anderson Logging, Fort Bragg, asked Marc how the volume of timber to be cut in the new mark compared to the original cut. Marc said that the prior volume would have been 40-50% of the stand. The goal for the new mark is no more than 30% of volume (actually “basal area”, which is reasonably related to volume). Thus, the relative volume in the new mark would be 60-75% of the prior volume.

As we continued our walk and looked at the currently marked trees compared to the prior ones, Mike Anderson offered that it looked like the cut would be down by at least 50%, if not more. Marc then said that they were marking conservatively, aiming at 25% in order to allow for trees that weren’t marked but that would be cut as part of the logging operation in order to remove the trees (primarily for cable corridors).

My own impression of the new mark was very favorable. When I saw the aftermath of a brief but intense logging that occurred in 2004 (in 5 days between court ordered prohibitions on logging in Jackson Forest), I was horrified. This time I was very happy to be able to feel that this was a harvest that would not destroy the forest values that have accumulated during 100 years of undisturbed growth.

The largest trees will all be left. Most of the harvest will remove only a minority of the redwoods growing in rings around the stumps of the original old growth trees. Trees in between the clumps will be left unless they compete seriously for light with adjacent large redwoods. The hardwoods (primarily tan oak) will be left. Although some canopy will be removed, the projections are that it will close up within 10 years, shading out new trees and brush that sprouts in the temporary openings. Within 20 years, the stands should have returned to much the same state as before the harvest, while allowing the larger trees more space to grow into still bigger trees.

I am hopeful that the approach taken at Brandon Gulch will be able to serve as a model for management of all of the old undisturbed second-growth stands that are not set aside as unmanaged preserves. This will be one of the central issues to be considered by the JAG in developing a long-term landscape plan.

Dunlap North, Jackson State Forest

Many of the harvest plans were developed long before the present management plan took its final shape. Indeed, a number of these plans were initially developed in the 1990’s under the 1984 management plan that was declared invalid by the courts. The priorities and goals for forest management in the new plan differ greatly from those of the 1984 plan (which primarily addressed managing the forest for maximum timber yield, with no attention to endangered species and ecological diversity and little attention to recreation).

The new management plan places major emphasis on restoration, habitat, recreation and research. Further, the new plan constrains the types and locations of harvests for an initial 3-year period. The initial period constraints were part of a consensus agreement for resuming operation in Jackson Forest after the near decade-long halt in logging. The constraints were designed to minimize the impact of any logging operations on the long-term options for the affected stands. In simple words, logging in the interim should not seriously impact the possibility that the stand might be designated for old-growth development or for enhanced recreation opportunity.

The harvest plan schedule in the management plan included substantial even-age management (clearcuts and variations) and group selection (small clearcuts). Both of these are prohibited by the interim period guidelines. Essentially, the plans are limited to single-tree selection. No more than 30% of the trees can be removed, and the average size of the trees cannot be decreased. Further, some of the plans with the highest potential harvest profitability were excluded by the guidelines.

Hare Creek Effects of Illegal ORV Use

In responding to this changed situation, the staff of Jackson Forest did not look for new harvest possibilities that might be more appropriate given the revised goals of the management plan and the new constraints. Rather, they simply kept the same plans and modified them to fit within the constraints. Given the minimum staffing of the forest, this decision is understandable. Unfortunately, the result is that the two plans most recently reviewed by the JAG, Hare Creek and Dunlap North, appear likely to be marginally profitable or not at all profitable. Further, the harvest plan to be reviewed by the JAG this month, North Fork Spur, is in a stand not harvested since 1920′s, and is questionable under the interim period guidelines and related agreements.

It seems appropriate for the JAG to reconsider, reevaluate, and suggest modifications in the proposed harvest schedule for Jackson. This would help the forest and forest financing in the short run, and equally important, it would help the JAG to refine its long-term landscape plan for the forest.

The JAG will be discussing the complications created by the economic situation and the interim guidelines on Monday, January 12, 2008 at 12:45 p.m..  For more information on the upcoming meeting visit www.jacksonforest.org.

Please make your own comments below. The topic deserves community discussion!
_________________

Published as one of a series of columns in the Mendocino Beacon and Fort Bragg Advocate News under the heading “Jackson Forest Wanderings”, January 8, 2009.

December 6, 2008
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Site Visit: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Presenters: Vince Taylor, JAG
Craig Pederson, JSDF/CDF

Attendees: Approximately 30 members of the public (see Appendix); Vince Taylor, Peter Braudrick, and Forest Tilley, the Jackson Advisory Group (JAG)Recreation Committee; Craig Pedersen, Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF)

Purpose of the meeting: to provide feedback to JDSF and the JAG regarding issues and concerns relative to continued recreation use after the logging has occurred.

Note: You can enter your comments and concerns by clicking in "Comment" at the end of this post. Your comments are valuable. Please take the time to enter your concerns and desires.

Meeting Notes

Vince Taylor:

§ provided background to the participants in attendance (about 30 – 35 people) and distributed maps of the proposed harvest area

§ oriented everyone to the location of the proposed logging

§ described the problems within the area including damage from erosion and illegal OHV activity

§ explained the purpose of the JAG and roles of the JAG and the Recreation Committee

§ Reviewed positive action by JDSF on various requests from the recreation community, including printing of a new map, resolving conflicts between campground users and equestrians, transferring initial trail information to electronic mapping database, and revising signs on Road 500 to clarify that public access is allowed.

Craig Pedersen provided information on the harvest plan:

§ The nature of the Timber Harvest Plan: Currently in a very preliminary stage, It will be available to the public when it has been completed and filed

§ Tree removal criteria:

o Single-tree selection

o No more than 25% – 30% of basal area removed

o Average tree diameter maintained or increased

§ Tree removal from the Hare Creek area will be via Roads 450 south to Road 500. No timber will be removed via Simpson Lane.

§ Method of harvesting – by cable and tractor

Participants (see Appendix) introduced themselves and stated their interests and concerns. Numbers in parentheses represent the number of people expressing that concern or desire :

1. Trail development, enhancement, maintenance, etc.

§ Enhance hiking/biking/horseback-riding opportunities (9)

§ Trail marking & preservation (2)

§ Name the trails, providing staging areas and parking access, add signage and publish maps and information (2)

§ Trail vandalism

§ More trails with more advance planning (2)

§ Begin trail marking & erosion prevention prior to harvesting

§ Development/restoration of small forest trails (pathways)

§ Enhance established trails before and after harvesting of trees

§ Integrate planning for enhanced recreation with THP planning; so both can be implemented together. (3)

§ Off-Road-Vehicle (ORV) damage to trails and sediment in streams

2. Harvesting methods, management of process, protecting forest during harvesting, revenue from harvesting

§ Impact of timing of forestry activity on nesting birds (2)

§ Visual impact of logging on forest

§ Stream protection follow-through

§ No clear cutting

§ Continued use of area for recreation during logging work stoppages

§ Cost/benefit of harvesting given current economy

§ Forest harvesting and revenue generation (2)

§ Potential conflict of interest for JSDF between revenue generation activities of harvesting and restoration/recreation activities

§ Oversight by CDF of the harvest company to insure it adheres to plan and follows through with final clean up

3. Problems/potential problems

§ Current erosion problems (2)

§ Address the issue of dumping at the entrance to Road 450 (4)

§ Establish an emergency escape route/fire department entry in the event of fire in the Simpson Lane area (2)

4. General comments

§ A good sense of the overall ecosystem and how to preserve it and make it accessible to the public

§ Equestrian use (3)

§ Focus on multi-use approach to recreation plans for forest/achieve equitable use plan (3)

§ Educational signage along streams and other ecological areas of interest

§ Balanced approach to recreation and harvesting – all interests balanced including ecology, recreation, signage, stream maintenance and harvesting

§ This process is a good one

§ Mushroom preservation/protection – mushrooms encourage tree growth, are a major attraction

§ Potential to convert staging area of harvesting to use as access or parking areas by recreation users

§ Expand access by developing a cadre of volunteers responsible for opening closed gates on weekends ala Marin County’s open space volunteer patrol group

§ Will it be possible to combine ORV use with harvesting, maintenance of the ecology and other recreational uses?

The group then dispersed to meet at Road 440 on Highway 20 for a tour of the area. We drove down road 440 about a mile and then hiked up to Road 450 and along it to various spots to view the proposed temporary road and staging areas as well as the slide that occurred in 2005.

Appendix: Public Members in Attendance

First
Last
Interests

Mike
Aplet
Hiking

Nancy
Banker
hiking, trails

Nancy
Barth
hiking, trails

Joyce & Jerry/Juriaan
Blok
hiking, biking, OHV, equestrian, camping

Karen
Bowers
Tourism

Stacey
Bradley
equestrian, shooting, camping, OHV

Peter
Braudrick
All

Chris
Calder

Elaine
Charkowski
Biking, hiking, trail map

Julia
Conway
hiking, biking

Noel
Daniels
Equestrian

Ray & Lorraine
Duff
trails, equestrian

Stephen
Dunlap
OHV

Valerie
Frey
hiking, biking

Marianne
Gerssing
Equestrian

David
Guerney
Hiking, salmon

Paul
Hanson
Media

Pam
Huntley
Education

Bruce
Knaus
Equestrian

Ron
Lear
equestrian

Annie
LeBus
hiking, biking, mushrooming

Linda
Leitner
hiking, no ORV

John
Loomis
Hiking

Terry & James
Lyon/Cook
Nature

Bruce
Moore
All, balanced

Verna
Oliver
More public use

Craig
Pedersen
all, Cal Fire

Rick
Riley
biking

Lari
Shea
equestrian

Allen
Stevenson
hiking, biking

Vince
Taylor
All

Forest
Tilley
JAG

Judy
Whiting
bike, hike, signs

For nearly nine years there has been no logging in Jackson Forest, and for even longer no logging plans have occurred near the residential areas of Fort Bragg and Mendocino. That is about to change. Whether this change works out for the better or the worse is up to the community.

The first logging plan on the west side of Jackson State Forest is scheduled for the Hare Creek watershed to the east of the end of Simpson Lane (map). The Timber Harvest Plan (THP) adjoins private land along its entire western boundary. Within the plan are a number of forest roads used for hiking, biking, and horse riding. They are also used illegally by off road vehicles (ORVs).

The harvest area is located primarily between the western boundary of JDSF and Roads 450 and 454. Recreation use in the THP area and on Roads 450, 454, and 400 will be affected.

Other timber harvests in Jackson Forest near Fort Bragg and Mendocino are in the planning process. (map shows the Hare Creek plan, "J,H,I,J,K", and other pending harvest plans).

People who live further west on Simpson Lane or to the north on Highway 20 may recall another Hare Creek Jackson Forest timber plan in 2000 that paid no attention to the use of the plan area by local residents for recreation. Many trails and destinations were made unusable or not worth using.

This does not have to happen again. The new management plan for Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) mandates that recreation shall be an important value in the forest. The staff of JDSF is serious about fulfilling this mandate, and the independent Jackson Advisory Group (JAG) is equally determined to see that recreation is a priority.

This Saturday at 10:00 a.m., the Recreation Committee of the JAG will hold a public meeting to consider how recreation and neighbor concerns and the desires of the community should be incorporated in planning for the Hare Creek timber harvest. The meeting will be held at JDSF headquarters at 408 North Main St., Fort Bragg. JDSF staff will show detailed maps and explain the expected operations of the plan. Recreation Committee members will lead an open discussion about protecting and expanding current legal recreation opportunities. Problems of illegal ORV use will also be discussed, with the emphasis on finding constructive, win-win solutions.

Hare Creek is only the first of a number of harvest plans on the west side that are in the works. As the first, it provides an opportunity to set a model precedent for integrating recreation and neighborhood desires into harvest planning and operations. An accompanying article in the newspaper provides more details on the harvest plan, the upcoming meeting, and a tour of the harvest area following the meeting.

I and many others have worked for almost nine years to safeguard Jackson Forest for our community and the public at large. Our work has created a great opportunity for a new way of managing Jackson Forest. Now it is up to you and your friends. This is the time to step forward to work with the staff of Jackson Forest. Otherwise, the opportunity will be lost.

More information is at www.jacksonforest.org.

[This is an expanded version of the article appearing in the December 6, 2008 editions of the Fort Bragg Advocate and Mendocino Beacon.]

One issue remained unresolved – what was to happen with the two timber harvest plans (THPs) filed in 2000, for Brandon Gulch and Camp 3. These plans were subsequently halted by the legal actions of the Campaign. The state contended that the THPs were still valid, although they were long past the 5-year expiration limit in the statutes. With the approval of the management plan, these plans could go forward.

The Campaign was unalterably opposed to allowing the plans to go forward. The THPs were located within the central recreation area of the forest, where numerous campgrounds and recreation trails are located. The stands of forest are exceptional. They were last logged one-hundred years ago, and in the century since, the redwoods and firs have completely restored a high canopy, shading out the brush and creating the play of light and shadow that make redwood forests seem like ancient cathedrals. Such stands on public land are rare to the vanishing point.

Although agreeing with the new management plan, the Campaign pressed the Board of Forestry and Cal Fire to renegotiate or terminate the contracts. The Board and the Campaign agreed to extend the time for filing a legal challenge to the management plan and environmental report while the parties to the THP contracts attempted to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The threat of legal action, which all parties wanted to avoid, created strong pressure for reaching agreement.

Finally, after numerous meetings among the parties (Cal Fire, the Campaign, and the THP contract holders), the general outlines of a settlement emerged. A key point for the Campaign was to shift the purpose of the harvests from revenue generation to restoration toward old-growth conditions (technically called “late-seral” conditions). Restoration of the forest has been a key element in the platform of the Campaign. A key element for the contractors was an agreement by Cal Fire to provide substitute timber from other harvest plans to make up for the reduction in harvests in Brandon Gulch and Camp 3 that would occur because of the shift toward restoration.

For me personally, one of the most wonderful parts of the agreement was the removal of about 150 acres within Camp 3 from the harvest plan, to be set aside as a “control” (Cal Fire’s view) or, in my view, as a preserve. This preserve is right next to the central gathering point for campers and recreationists. A recreation trail – yet to be built – will allow hikers to explore through this beautiful forest stand, knowing it will be allowed to continue to heal and grow, undisturbed by logging.

In early June, the last of the necessary signatures was affixed to the settlement agreement. In addition to agreeing to the changes in the timber harvest contracts, the parties agreed to forgo any rights to file legal challenges to the management plan or the timber harvest plans. The settlement agreement, thus, wrote the final chapter of the legal saga that began in 2000.

Still to come, though, are the chapters of the new volume being written by the independent Jackson Advisory Group. This group has until 2011 to design a long-term landscape and management plan for the forest that will provide an appropriate balance among the needs for wildlife habitat, ecological health, recreation, research and education, and revenue to support operations of Jackson Forest. It will be an interesting story. Stay tuned.

Vince Taylor
August, 2008