| Issue Statements - Accomplishments |
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Saving Headwaters Forest
The Headwaters Forest is a 7,500-acre grove of ancient redwoods, located in Humboldt County, California. The trees contained in the grove are over 2,000 years old and are a national treasure.
Between the years 1995 and 1999, I brought together officials from the Federal Government, the State of California, and the Pacific Lumber Company together to negotiate a compromise agreement that protects the magnificent grove for all time.
The Headwaters Agreement:
- Provided for the Federal acquisition of the 7,500-acre Headwaters Forest from the Pacific Lumber Company.
- Required that the Pacific Lumber Company’s entire 210,000 acres be governed by the terms and conditions of a Habitat Conservation Plan.
- Protected 12 additional groves of ancient redwood trees, comprising over 8,000 acres, as habitat for the marbled murrelet.
- Provided habitat protection for the endangered coho salmon and other aquatic species.
I am very proud of this agreement because it saves all of the Headwaters Forest and all of the 12 lesser groves of ancient redwood trees. This is something that at the beginning of this process and even two years into the negotiations I didn't think possible. The end result was a strong plan on which all of us have worked closely together to implement satisfactorily.
In the 10 years since the enactment of the agreement, the Bureau of Land Management has removed 10 miles of roads and repaired streams, creeks and watersheds in the reserve. They have also improved public access and the trail system. Each year, there are 9,000 visitors to the reserve. The Elk River Trail has 11 miles of trails, and in the southern part of the reserve, there is a 2.5 mile loop that goes through old-growth forest.
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