Mendocino Redwood Company to log on steep and unstable slopes near Point Arena.

PANORAMIO Photo By M.Tijssen

THP 1-13-105 MEN (North Voorhees THP) Mendocino Redwood Company, 554 acres; 33% transition, 25% seed tree, 22% variable retention, 19% rehab logging.  South Fork Garcia River, Rolling Brook (MD: T12N R15W Sec.19, 20, 29, 30; T12N R16W Sec.25).  Wet weather operations, high erosion hazard, steep slopes up to 85%, landslide terrain, road failure sites, 42 road drainage work sites, impaired 303.d watershed, herbicides, coho watershed, 5 spotted owls within 1.3mi, long beard lichen, trees over 30".  Estimated public comment deadline: 12/13/13. VIEW

This THP is about 6.5 miles SE of Point Arena, CA and Highway 1 at an elevation of 100 to 2,200 feet.  Mendocino Redwood Company is planning a tractor and cable logging operation on steep and unstable slopes in Douglas fir, redwood, grand fir and Western hemlock forests.  The THP area flows into the Garcia River which is listed as impaired for sediment and temperature, and contains coho, chinook salmon and steelhead.  There are 11 road failure sites including road bank sloughing, cracking, fill failures, cut bank failures and road bed erosion.  The THP contains areas of skid trails with short segments of steep slopes over 65%, slopes over 50% with a high erosion hazard, and slopes over 50% that do not flatten before reaching a watercourse.  Mendocino Redwood Company is planning to reconstruct a portion of an existing seasonal road within a class II watercourse, use a landing and 2 short skid trails within a class II watercourse, and use 2 landings within a class III watercourse.  There are 42 road drainage sites proposed for work including rocking, dip construction, ditch cleaning, culvert repair/replacement and road bed stabilization.  Long beard lichen was found at 5 different sites along a haul road.  This THP will remove 37 acres of foraging habitat from spotted owl site MD617 within .5 miles.  Spotted owl site MD617 is deficient in nesting/roosting habitat within .7 miles according to Fish and Wildlife guidelines. More information is available on the THP Tracking Center website.
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