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Redwood Forest Foundation
Usal News
Candy Skarlatos, Chair, Usal Redwood Forest Mgt. Committee
Since purchasing the
Usal Redwood Forest
in 2007, the Redwood Forest Foundation (RFFI) has
focused on fulfilling our mission of safeguarding
economic values and ecological integrity in
perpetuity. We understand that our success
depends on our ability to be a patient owner of a
young forest whose qualities have been seriously
affected by past management. For the first few
decades, projected harvest levels will be minimal
(relying on
RFFI's base conservation scenario).
Our priorities include:
- Sale of a conservation easement to The
Conservation Fund to implement our
base conservation plan and keep Usal a
working forest.
- Develop a strategic restoration plan
that will help RFFI set priorities, better
understand the environmental conditions
at Usal, and design appropriate
silvicultural and management strategies.
- Develop a sustained yield plan to
address state-mandated sustainability
requirements, which will enable RFFI
to conduct timber management and
restoration activities.
- Secure Forest Stewardship Council
certification for Usal in the next four years.
In 2008, we initiated several
restoration projects
that address both economic and environmental
concerns, including:
- Decommission a degraded road system,
which addresses watershed erosion and
sedimentation issues.
- Establish a fuel break during winter
months to address timberland fire risks
and seasonal employment needs.
- Initiate spawning salmon and steelhead
counts on Anderson Creek, a tributary to
the Eel River and an important spawning
stream, adding information to the
regional fisheries database.
In future newsletters, we look forward to
sharing more detail on our restoration and forest
management activities, as well as announcing
field trips and opportunities for member participation
in restoration projects at our first
community forest at Usal.
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