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http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/03/18/ ED40486.DTL SF Chronicle Letters to the Editor March 18, 2000 HEADWATERS AGREEMENT Editor -- The Chronicle story on the status of the Headwaters Agreement one year later, ``Headwaters Trouble,'' on March 1, was unfortunately misleading. The historic Headwaters Agreement not only preserved the last remaining large stand of old-growth redwood in private ownership, but The Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) agreed to a comprehensive Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the remainder of our forest lands. The HCP provides for unprecedented protections far in excess of those required by the state forest practice rules, and were extolled by, among others, Sen. Feinstein, Secretary Babbitt and Gov. Gray Davis at the time of their adop tion. The Pacific Lumber Company is fully implementing the Habitat Conservation Plan agreed to as part of the Headwaters Agreement. The grousing by an environmental extremist (who has consistently opposed the Headwaters Agreement) that we are ``avoiding proper implementation'' and trying to ``reinterpret the plan'' is pure bunk. The comments by the Department of Forestry spokesman make that clear. Further, CDF recently commended PALCO for ``doing an excellent job of improving compliance'' with the state's forest practice rules. This is an area of particular focus this past year and clearly reflects our commitment to doing the job in proper fashion. Under the HCP, we are gathering and analyzing scientific information that will be the basis for decisions on how best to manage our forests in the future. This watershed analysis process isn't a PALCO process -- but rather involves all relevant state and federal agencies as partners and has substantial public involvement. It is in everyone's interest that this process be kept scientific and not politicized. The site-specific measures that will be produced through the watershed analysis process will assure healthy, productive forests on a sustainable basis accompanied with more than adequate protections for fish and wildlife. JOHN A. CAMPBELL President & Chief Executive Officer The Pacific Lumber Company Scotia
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