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http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1998/09/ 03/E DITORIAL7561.dtl EXAMINER EDITORIAL Salvation is at hand Sept. 3, 1998 IT WAS inevitable, we suppose, that when the ancient redwoods of Headwaters Forest were finally saved, a few boo birds would remain. Their tiresome chirping almost makes you want to become a greedy industrialist. The final deal achieved Monday in the state Legislature is, to our way of thinking, pretty nifty. Gov. Wilson says he'll sign the legislation. It provides nearly a quarter billion dollars ($230 million) to purchase the largest grove of redwoods in private ownership anywhere, plus giving other protections to the surrounding forest. Smaller groves of redwoods will be preserved for at least 50 years. Rejoice. Remember: The deal very nearly didn't happen. The federal government earlier put up $250 million as its share of the purchase price from Pacific Lumber Company. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein negotiated the basic agreement nearly two years ago and had worked hard in recent weeks to bring together the state and the lumber company. She called this $480 million deal "the last, best chance to save Headwaters." And indeed it was. Without a settlement, years of litigation would have ensued - possibly with environmentally unfriendly results. A few critics, however, derided the deal as "extortion" and a "giveaway." It was hardly either of those, although Pacific Lumber got a fair price for its land and trees. The last remaining issue of contention was the size of buffer zones around streams where no cutting will be allowed. Pacific wanted a mere 30-foot buffer; environmentalists wanted 170 feet. They compromised, for the time being, on 100 feet, allowing a scientific review to set the ultimate amount. This is the area where critics should concentrate their energies -- making sure that science -- and not politics or corporate greed -- rules. The endangered coho salmon, and other fish, need a wider buffer zone to keep streams free of dirt and debris. After any battle, we suppose, there is a letdown for the combatants in which they may feel sad, guilty or betrayed. But such postpartum depression need not, and should not, exist. Hey, high fives all around. The good guys won this one. No sawdust on the forest floor. No millions of board feet. No wanton destruction of habitat. The ancient giants of Headwaters are spared for the appreciation of generations to come. Savor it. ©1998 San Francisco Examiner Page A 20
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