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Opinion Editorials Coastal Voices Guest Opinion: Hurdygurdy Creek questions and answers
Coastal Voices Guest Opinion: Hurdygurdy Creek questions and answers
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Jim Erler raises some points (“Hurdygurdy Creek watershed should be sold to county, not feds,” June 10) that warrant more information. Regarding the fire buffer: this is a “Top Priority Fuel Reduction Project” in the Del Norte Fire Safe Plan, which is available on the county’s Web site. (See pages xii, 95, and 98.) The property is four miles northeast from Big Flat, not six as indicated by Mr. Erler, and as stated in the Fire Safe Plan, “given that major fire conflagrations often are pushed by winds from the northeast, this is a direct threat to this community.” At a meeting with local fire chiefs and Cal Fire representatives earlier this year, it was emphasized that during conflagration conditions a fire can travel very fast — and that was the case during the Biscuit Fire where it traveled 8.5 miles in 3 hours. Regarding the site quality for timber: the property is mostly poor quality for growing trees. This is due to the shallow, rocky, often serpentine soils found there — and the slopes which range from 30 percent to 70 percent. Del Norte’s best commercial timber land is located further west in the more productive soils found there. These better soils support double the growth rate than is possible on the Hurdygurdy Creek property. Mr. Erler is correct that the property needs timber stand improvement work.
Regarding a Del Norte County forest: this is a good idea, but due to
the poor site quality of the property (and its remoteness) the
Hurdygurdy Creek property is the wrong location for a viable county or
community forest.
Because there has been interest in a community forest, I brought the manager of the Arcata Community Forest to speak to our Board of Supervisors. I also conferred with Green Diamond Resource Company and county staff about suitable properties. A community forest is a good idea for our community, but the property must have the soils, site quality, and access such that potential revenue can support the management of the property. The good news is there are funding sources to support the purchase and development of a community forest. However, those sources require timber cruises and other verification that a candidate property has the site characteristics to support an economically sustainable working forest. Remember, no timber company has stepped up to buy this property. Regarding the Smith River National Recreation Area and management: Contrary to what Mr. Erler states in his letter, the NRA is not a park. In fact, the NRA has averaged 900,000 board feet per year of timber harvest since 1990, the year the NRA was passed by Congress. Timber production today from the NRA reflects the fact that there were significantly larger timber harvests from these U.S. Forest Service lands (pre-NRA) during the last century. The NRA is about the wise use and sustained productivity of its natural resources. And the NRA was also established to maintain and enhance fisheries and wildlife habitat and the recreation opportunities associated with the Smith River as a wild and scenic river of national distinction. We recognize we’re fortunate to have the Smith River here in Del Norte County. We look forward to working with you and other community members to continue to take up these and other issues as they arise. I welcome you and others to contact me directly with further questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Grant D. Werschkull is the executive director of Smith River Alliance. |
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