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.]