OFFICIAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC REVIEW
FOR SUSTAINED YIELD PLAN NO. 96-002
THE PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY
The 90-day public review period for Sustained Yield Plan (SYP) No.96-002 shall begin on Tuesday, July 14, 1998, and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 1998. This SYP has been submitted by The Pacific Lumber Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries (PALCO) for lands located in Humboldt County covering approximately 211,700 acres, as shown on the attached map, for approval by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF).
Sustained yield plans are one of the mechanisms that timberland owners can use to meet the State’s requirement for maintaining maximum sustained production of high quality timber products while giving consideration to values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range and forage, fisheries, regional economic vitality, employment and aesthetic enjoyment under the Forest Practice Act and Board of Forestry regulations. SYPs must include projections of timber growth and harvesting over a 100 year or longer planning horizon, assessment of watershed and wildlife resources, and other resource values. To the extent that issues are addressed in the approved SYP, these issues shall be considered to be addressed in a subsequent Timber Harvest Plan (THP); that is, the THP may rely on the SYP. Following approval, an SYP is in force for a period of no more than 10 years.
In accordance with the September 1996 Headwaters Agreement relating to the public acquisition of the Headwaters and Elkhead Springs Forests by the State and Federal governments, PALCO is pursuing a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) in association with their application for a 50-year incidental take permit as authorized under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and Section 2081(b) of the California Endangered Species Act. The protections developed for watersheds, fish and wildlife resources in the HCP would fulfill the requirements for protection of these resources in the SYP. In turn, the timber growth and harvest model developed in the SYP would provide for wildlife habitat projections over the life of the HCP.
TO POSTING AGENCY: Please post this notice no sooner than Monday July 13, 1998, at the place where official notices concerning environmental compliance are usually posted. If there are questions concerning posting, please contact:
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
1416 Ninth Street, Rm. 1516-4A
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916)653-5843
Posting period is 91 days.
In this case, PALCO is preparing a coordinated HCP/SYP and has also requested that the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) deem the HCP to be a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) under the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act (NCCP Act) (Cal. Fish & Game Code § 2800 et seq.). This would authorize take of specified listed and unlisted species under Section 2835 of the NCCP Act. Finally, PALCO has requested a 5-year Streambed Alteration Agreement for certain of its activities pursuant to Section 1603 of the Fish and Game Code.
As part of the State and Federal compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, CDF and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) are preparing a joint Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will cover the SYP/HCP and proposed purchase of the Headwaters and Elkhead Springs Forests from PALCO. This joint EIR/EIS is expected to be available by mid-August.
Written comments on the conformance or non-conformance of SYP No. 96-002 with requirements of the Forest Practice Act and Board of Forestry regulations may be submitted at the address given at the bottom of this page. Written comments will be considered if received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 1998, unless the public review period is extended by mutual consent of the SYP submitter and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Responses to comments submitted to CDF will be coordinated with the other permitting agencies (DFG and Services).
A public hearing on SYP No. 96-002 will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 1998 at the Main Exhibit Building on the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, which is located at 3750 Harris Street in Eureka, California. The hearing will begin at 2:00 p.m., with a recess for dinner from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., and will end at 9:00 p.m. or such earlier time as there is no further public comment. Members of the public who speak at this hearing are encouraged to submit a written text of their presentation to assure that all concerns are identified. Depending on the number of speakers, it may be necessary to limit the time of presentations so that everyone has an opportunity to speak. Additional hearings will be held during the public review period that will cover the joint EIR/EIS. The dates and locations for those hearings will be announced at a later date. CDF requests that comments at this noticed public hearing be focused on the SYP portion of the entire proposed project.
Comments received during the public review period will be considered by CDF in identifying necessary modifications, if any, and making a determination on whether to approve SYP No. 96-002.
Copies of SYP No. 96-002 will be available for public inspection at the following locations (please call ahead to determine library hours or to make arrangements at CDF offices):
Additional copies of the Implementation Agreement and major portions of the SYP/HCP and associated documents that could practicably be reproduced electronically will be available at The California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES) website (www.ceres.ca.gov) during the public review period. For additional information please call Mr. John Munn, SYP Coordinator in Sacramento at (916) 653-5843.