> > > > Sen. Burton Calls Headwaters Deal > Toppled > Greg Lucas, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau > > Friday, August >21, 1998 > > The leader of the state Senate said yesterday that as > far as he is concerned, a much-debated deal to > purchase the Headwaters Forest has collapsed. > > Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San > Francisco, said Pacific Lumber, the owner of the > 3,000 acres of ancient redwoods in Humboldt > County, has refused to compromise. > > ``The company has taken a no- negotiation, > no-change position. They refuse to address our > legitimate concerns,'' Burton said after an afternoon > of talks with company officials. > > Pacific Lumber President John Campbell disputed > the claims. > > Burton's comments came on the same day Pacific > Lumber began running newspaper ads touting a deal > it cut with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Clinton > administration and the Wilson administration. > > That deal, which would combine $250 million in > federal money with the state's $130 million to buy > Headwaters and an adjoining 4,500 acres, does not > go far enough, Burton and other state Senate > Democrats say. > > Burton has made the state's participation in the > Headwaters purchase contingent on commitments > by Pacific Lumber to not log within 100 feet on each > side of fish-spawning streams located on the firm's > other 190,000 acres in Humboldt County. > > ``If they ain't budging, they ain't getting $130 million > of state taxpayer money outta me,'' Burton said. > > Environmentalists say the no- cut buffers should be > 170 feet. Until yesterday, Pacific Lumber would > agree to no more than 30 feet. > > Campbell said yesterday that his firm has agreed to > not log within 100 feet of fish-bearing streams > whose banks are susceptible to landslides, at least > for three years while watershed studies are > conducted. ``The company's come a very, very long > way on this issue and we've been more than > reasonable,'' Campbell said. > > State lawmakers and the firm have been negotiating > for months. It is unclear whether further talks are > scheduled. If no further progress is made, the > Headwaters deal dissolves in March 1999, when the > $250 million pledge from the federal government > expires. > > > >The Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) >P.O. Box 397 >Garberville, CA 95542 >(707) 923-2931 >Fax 923-4210 >http://www.igc.org/epic/ >Contact us at epic@igc.org to join our listserver > > > > > David M. Walsh P.O. Box 903 Redway, CA 95560 Office and Fax(707) 923-3015 Home (707) 986-1644
|
Return to Home