MEDIA ALERT June 19,2001

The County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution today by unanimous vote opposing the Lompico THP

The pre-harvest inspection for the Lompico Watershed logging project, THP # 1-01-170-SCR, proposed by Roger Burch and Redwood Empire/ Pacific States Industries is scheduled for Tuesday June 20 at 8:30 AM
This company has a record of logging violations. The Gamecock Canyon THP begun in 1998 has numerous violations recorded against the logging operators. The RPF for the plan was notified by CDF twice for failure to "control" the operation. The most serious violations had to do with over-cutting the streamside protection areas (WLPZ), excessively wide cable corridors, falling trees across the streams, and cutting unmarked trees.

The Lompico Creek Headwaters logging project will directly affect the main source of drinking water for more than 500 homes in Lompico and poses a number of serious environmental concerns.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 20 at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: CDF office -- 6059 Highway 9, Felton

INFO: www.lompicocreek.org
Lompico Watershed Conservancy
Kevin Collins
335-8136

CONTACT: Margo Mateas, 335-1353

* NOTE: Permission to attend the inspection is granted by the land owner. Contact David Van Lennup at 464-8788 -- OR attend that morning and ask to be taken along.

MEDIA ALERT

LOMPICO WATERSHED PRE-HARVEST INSPECTION CALLED OFF

CDF'S NEGLECT TO RESPOND TO LOMPICO NEIGHBORHOOD REQUEST TO ATTEND THE INSPECTION LED TO EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED

FELTON, Ca., June 20, 2001 - After being pressed by Lompico Watershed Conservancy president Kevin Collins,15 other Lompico residents and a Channel 8 TV reporter about why Collins was excluded from attending the pre-harvest inspection, CDF representative Nancy Drinkard was faced with the fact that she had failed to inform Collins that land owner Roger Burch had denied him access to the walk-through.

Though Collins followed procedure and requested permission to attend the inspection in writing, Drinkard never gave him Burch's letter.

Burch's letter signed by Redwood Empire RPF Peter Twight was shown to Collins for the first time this morning at the pre-harvest inspection gathering The letter requires the neighborhood to hire a professional forester to act as their representative on the inspection.

Drinkard gave the neighborhood two weeks to obtain a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). It is not known how much it will cost to obtain an RPF, or if the neighborhood can find one within that time frame. The logging land owner's requirement that the neighborhood be represented by an RPF is a requirement placed upon the neighborhood by the land owner and not part of the Forest Practice Act rule which allows for a neighborhood representative. This rule is new and is thought to have come about as a result of the recent applications by the County of Santa Cruz for changes to the Forest Practice Act.

For more information, please contact Kevin Collins at 335-8136 or Margo Mateas at 335-1353, or visit the Lompico Creek Watershed Conservancy website at www.lompicocreek.org.

FURTHER UPDATE

The (PHI) Pre-Harvest Inspection has been re-scheduled for July 10, 2001.