The Mattole River Watershed's Rainbow Ridge

FACT SHEET

• The Mattole River enters the Pacific Ocean just south of Cape Mendocino, the farthest west point in the state, about 50 miles south of Eureka, Humboldt County, California. Rainbow Ridge runs along the northeast watershed boundary. Its slopes drain into the Upper and Lower North Forks of the Mattole. Most of the headwaters area of these streams is owned by the Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Company (PL), and includes 3000 acres of old growth Douglas-fir forest along with 9000 acres of second-growth forest and 2000 acres of natural grassland.
• The Lower North Fork is the largest tributary to the Mattole River, draining 13% of the watershed's land mass. The Lower North Fork area owned by PL contains the largest, low-elevation, coastal Douglas-fir old-growth forest in the watershed and in the State of California. Globally, very few old-growth stands of this size are still in existence.
• Since 1947, 92% of the old growth forest in the Mattole River watershed has been logged.
• Rainbow Ridge is home to threatened or endangered species that depend on the older forests for survival. Included are the northern goshawk, spotted owl, Pacific fisher, tailed frog, southern torrent salamander, northwestern pond turtle, California red tree vole, coho salmon and fall and summer steelhead.
• The terrain in the Rainbow Ridge area is some of the steepest and most unstable in northern California. The Cape Mendocino region is the most seismically active area in the continental United States. The proximity of these earthquake faults combined with loosely aggregated soils and high annual rainfall (up to 200 inches per year) cause landscape instability. The likelihood of landslides occurring here is very high, particularly after timber harvesting.
• Lands in the Upper North Fork area that are owned by the Pacific Lumber Company provide the connecting link between the old growth in the Lower North Fork with Humboldt Redwoods State Park. According to current scientific opinion, large reserves of old growth forest and connectivity with other habitat areas provide the best hope for long-term viability of old-growth dependant species.
• The Mattole River is an EPA-listed "impaired water body" for high sediment loads and higher-than-optimal water temperatures. Additional logging in this area will increase the risk of generating more sediment into the river. This is especially true for the approved and proposed Timber Harvest Plans in this area which call for new road construction.
• The Mattole River and several of its tributaries provide crucial spawning habitat for imperiled populations of coho salmon, chinook salmon, and steelhead. Industrial forestry threatens the recovery and viability of these salmonid populations.
• Logging is currently underway in the Rainbow Ridge area. Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) are being proposed and approved at a rapid rate. Under the Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Company's Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), all their available old growth will be harvested in the next few years.
• Since the early 1980s, residents of the Mattole River watershed have dedicated themselves to the restoration of natural systems and native species. State and federal government agencies have funded many restoration and conservation projects in the Mattole, totaling over $2.6 million. This represents a substantial investment by the State of California to restore ecosystem health in the Mattole River watershed.
• In March of 2002, California voters passed Proposition 40, a $2.7 billion Park Bond measure. This will not only allocate money for urban and rural parks, but also for the acquisition of key habitat areas critical to maintaining California's wildlife. It is critical now to convince the California State Coastal Conservancy and the California Resources Agency that Rainbow Ridge should be a high priority for these acquisition monies.

SAMPLE LETTER

Today's Date

Ms. Mary Nichols, Secretary
The Resources Agency
State of California
1416 Ninth St., Room 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Acquisition of Rainbow Ridge, Mattole Watershed Old Growth

Dear Secretary Nichols,

I am writing to request that the Resources Agency recommend use of Proposition 40 funds for acquisition of the "Rainbow Ridge" properties, owned by the Pacific Lumber Company (PL) in the Mattole River watershed of Humboldt County. Several groups in the Mattole actively pushed for the passage of Proposition 40 in hopes of receiving support for Rainbow Ridge.

Rainbow Ridge includes the largest low-elevation, old-growth Douglas-fir forest (approximately 3,000 acres) in the state of California. The current timberland owner plans to harvest all of the old growth forest in this area. The forest is part of the natural heritage of the State of California and needs protection for the generations of Californians to come. The forest is in proximity to both the Humboldt Redwoods State Park and King Range National Conservation Area. Rainbow Ridge provides important wildlife corridors and thousands of acres of connectivity that make this area a significant habitat for many rare and endangered species. Its proximity to the coast, for example, gives it a range of diversity not found in the interior forest.

I am a _________. (Briefly describe your background, occupation, and why you support acquisition of this forestland).

The following are my requests:
" Commence negotiations with the Pacific Lumber Company
" Work to secure state funds for this high priority acquisition
" Include an employee compensation package in the agreement (for Pacific Lumber Company workers that would be directly affected)

Residents of the Mattole Valley have spent the last twenty years working to restore salmon fisheries damaged by past land use practices. To allow further logging in the Rainbow Ridge area would not only undermine the effectiveness of these efforts, it would also contradict the state's substantial financial contribution to these restoration projects. Much of the land, though breathtakingly beautiful, is on extremely steep and unstable slopes. Logging of this forest would undoubtedly cause further sedimentation of the Mattole River and its estuary.

This issue requires your immediate attention. I am counting on you to protect this part of California's glorious natural heritage. Please take action and respond to my concerns as soon as possible.

Sincerely, Your Name, Title, address CC: The Coastal Conservancy, Davis, DFG, MRC

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE LETTER-WRITING

• Use the letterhead of your business or organization, when appropriate.
• Explain who you are. Briefly describe where you live, your background, your title at your place of employment, your education, or any other relevant personal information. Do not forget your return address.
• Explain your feelings about protecting large chunks of critical habitat. How is it a benefit to the state to acquire more property? Why is it important to protect endangered and threatened species? Why is it important to protect the Mattole? Refer to the Fact Sheet for more background information.
• Encourage everyone you know (including kids!) to write letters of support. Share your knowledge and concern with others.
• Be sure that the Mattole Restoration Council has a copy of your letter. If we have solid evidence of the amount of support for protection of this area (from all over the state), Rainbow Ridge could be a likely candidate for acquisition.

NOTE: We did not put e-mail addresses for those who do not count them as letters.

ADDRESSES

Mary Nichols, Secretary
The CA Resources Agency
1416 ninth St., Rm 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 653-5656
Fax: (916) 653-8102

Assemblymember Virginia Strom-Martin
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2001
Fax: (916) 319-2101
virginia.strom-martin@asm.ca.gov

Al Wright, Executive Director
Wildlife Conservation Board
1807 Thirteenth St., Suite 103
Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 445-8448
Fax: (916) 323-0280

State Senator Wesley Chesbro
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-3375
Fax: (916) 323-6958
chesbro@senate.ca.gov

Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer
California State Coastal Conservancy
1330 Broadway, 11th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 285-1015
Fax: (510) 286-0470

Mattole Restoration Council
P.O. Box 160
Petrolia, CA 95558
Phone: (707) 629-3514
Fax: (707) 629-3577
mrc@mattole.org

Governor Davis
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633

Bob Hight, Director
CA Department of Fish and Game
1416 Ninth St., 12th floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Voice: (916) 653-7667 Fax: (916) 653-7387

For further information, visit the Rainbow Ridge website at www.rainbowridge.info

<< Back to Forest Practices Review

<< Back to Program Services