Dear Governor Brown: Timber, Fire and Carbon

Letter to Governor Brown

He is supporting legislation and policy that allow for a “jail break” – allow the timber industry to run wild – at great cost to you and our forests.
You can go to his web-site and send him an e-mail  (look under contact)

Dear Governor Brown

8/21/18

Timber, Fire, and Carbon

I have worked on timber harvest issues and forestry reform since 1992.  I am not opposed to logging. I support good forestry.  In fact, I help manage 73, 000 acres of forest lands (Conservation Fund projects on the north coast – Garcia, Gualala, and Big River, and Salmon Creek. These forested areas have been over-harvested – with merchantable tree inventories reduced by 90% and  with inappropriate road and skid trail construction causing erosion issues – with these practices bring these forests to near ruin. All occurring under the  current Forest Practice Rules.

Science demonstrates that bad forestry (failure to maintain uneven aged size class trees across the landscape – with the maintenance of larger trees, with thinning after harvest and regeneration) is responsible for some of the fire problems we are seeing.  Bad forestry allows for depletion of carbon stocks and the degradation of our rivers and wildlife habitat.  California’s forest practice rules do not support good forestry and the outcomes we are seeking.

I listened to the Joint Committee considering fire and fuel load management. Never once was good forestry mentioned as an application to attain resiliency.  Instead the focus is going towards mechanical management – which is expensive, not very effective, and damaging to soil and water quality values.

I understand that you are supporting legislation and rules – allowing aggregation of ownership’s on Non-Industrial Timber Plans and Working Forest Management Plans – up to 10,000 acres.  This action will  create unmanageable timber management plans that will not support good forestry or the outcomes – fuel load management, multi-aged stands, increased forest productivity, and improved water quality and wildlife conditions.

Please do some research and look at the science before supporting and approving legislation that will create more problems.

                                        
Sincerely,
Alan Levine for Coast Action Group

Alan Levine
Coast Action Group
Affiliate of Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

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