Proposal to End Conflict in Mattole

Wishing to end the conflict that has polarized the residents of Northwestern Counties for decades, a delegation of local activists have attempted to issue a proposal to Robert Manne of Huston-based MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber that would end the use of certain unsound harvesting practices. Many area residents have been outraged at MAXXAM/PL’s harvesting of old growth trees, clear-cutting, and harvesting on steep slopes. Also included in the proposal is a request that the corporate executives in Texas be mindful of the needs of the local population as well. Destructive harvesting techniques have not only been detrimental to downstream water quality and fishing economies, but have also proven unstable in maintaining a stable logging economy. The boom or bust style harvesting practices have closed several mills and caused close to 400 layoffs in recent months by Pacific Lumber’s own estimates. In exchange for respecting these requests of the local community, activists have pledged to call for a ceasing of extra-legal activities on Pacific lumber property.
On Monday, July 29, an attempt to contact Robert Manne by phone was made in order to schedule a meeting on the issue of unsound timber harvests by contractors of Pacific Lumber. By Thursday morning, after still having received no intentions that Manne was planning to honor an appointment, a small group of individuals acting as liaisons for those representing the last line of defense for the Mattole watershed approached Pacific Lumber’s Scotia headquarters to hand deliver the proposal to Robert Manne. They were stopped at the doors of the office by employees of Pacific Lumber and denied permission to meet with Manne. A member of the Scotia Volunteer Fire Department offered to deliver the proposal to Manne’s office. A fax and email of the proposal were also sent to Manne’s office.
The individuals representing the welfare of the Mattole watershed, wishing to express their priorities to the general public so that a general consensus may be formed regarding the validity of their issues, have asked that the following memo be presented to the general public for open debate. It is an exact copy of the proposal presented to Robert Manne at MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber.


By Britt Pruyn


Proposal to End the Conflict in the Mattole Watershed.

As concerned community members of Humboldt county, we present the following proposal as a means of resolving the ongoing dispute over the Pacific Lumber Company’s logging operations in the Rainbow Ridge area of the Mattole River watershed. It is our goal to ensure that further destruction of the Mattole ecosystem can be averted, and that adverse impacts to company employees and contractors can be minimized. We hope that the company will consider our requests while keeping in mind that such an agreement would prevent any future tragedies such as the death of David "Gypsy" Chain, who was killed during an attempt to halt illegal logging in 1998. This is something that no one wants to see repeated. Also, we are afraid that logging operations in the Mattole area greatly increases the likelyhood of a Sudden Oak Death (SOD) outbreak there. He Mattole is home to many SOD hosts, for instance; Bay-Laurels, Madrones, Maples and several species of Oak. All these species are common to this area and can be found in large quantities throughout the Mattole watershed.

We ask that all timber harvesting related activities in the Mattole be halted at once, until a solution is created that all parties involved can agree to. Activities that we wish to see end include tree felling, road building, and the creation of new timber harvest plans. This does not include legally required surveys.
We ask that the company compensate employees and contractors whose work is interrupted by conservation efforts.
If these two steps are implemented at this time, direct action to stop logging operations in the Mattole area will cease.

If the following practices were abolished by your company (MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber,) we find it likely that direct action on all of your holdings would cease.

Clear-cutting
Logging Old-Growth
Logging on steep and unstable areas.
Spraying Herbicides.
We hope that you will respect our attempts to resolve this issue in a way that you have suggested you would be open to. Please remember that there is much community support for the effort to save the Mattole watershed.