Mendocino Redwood Company to log on steep and unstable slopes NE of Westport, CA.

PANORAMIC Photo By David Hancock

THP 1-16-133 MEN (Rock Howard THP) Mendocino Redwood Company, 429 acres; 45% selection, 38% group selection, 10% variable retention, 7% transition logging.  Howard Creek (MD: T21N R17W Sec.2, 3, 9, 10, 15, 16).  Wet weather operations, high erosion hazard, steep slopes over 65%, steep roads, landslide terrain, road failure sites, 42 road drainage work sites, herbicides, coho watershed, spotted owl, tailed frog, southern torrent salamander, Humboldt milk vetch, redwood lily, trees up to 42" dbh.  Estimated public comment deadline: 02/03/17. VIEW

This THP is a few miles east of Highway 1, and about 3 miles NE of Westport, CA along the Mendocino coastline.  Mendocino Redwood Company is planning a tractor and cable logging operation on steep and unstable slopes in redwood, Douglas fir and western hemlock forests at an elevation of 260 to 2,100 feet.  There are 49 landslide terrain and road failure sites including; shallow and dormant earth flows, debris slides, debris slopes, rockslides, disrupted ground, cut bank failures, fill slope failures, steep scarps and bank sloughing.  Many of the landslide terrain features and road failure sites are related to watercourse areas and legacy roads that we will be cable logged instead of tractor logged.  Mendocino Redwood Company is planning to use ground based equipment on unstable slopes, and use ground based equipment on steep slopes over 65% grade in unit 4.  They also are planning to construct and use steep segments of roads over 15% grade for distances greater than 500 feet.  42 road drainage sites are planned for work including rocking, dip construction, ditch cleaning, culvert repair/replacement and restoration of washed out crossings.  Tailed frogs and southern torrent salamanders were reported in the Rock Creek and Howard watersheds.  Over 200 Humboldt milk vetch plants and 75 redwood lily plants were found along roads in sections 2, 3 and 10.  There are 4 spotted owl nesting territories within .7 miles of the THP area.
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