Protecting Redwoods

Gold brought hordes of frenzied wealth-seekers to California in the 19th Century. Redwood lumber built the fancy palaces of the few shrewd and lucky ones who actually profited from the Gold Rush. Very little yellow gold is found these days in California. But red gold still is the premium resource of the timber industry and, like its mineral counterpart, can stir emotions to a high pitch.

There is currently the controversy over Pacific Lumber Co.’s logging of old-growth redwoods in Humboldt County. Pacific greatly accelerated its cutting after the venerable California firm was taken over by the Maxxam Group. The reason, the firm acknowledges, is to raise cash to pay off the junk bonds used to finance the takeover. Environmentalists were outraged, which is no surprise. But even Pacific employees have been disturbed by the timber-cutting practices to the point of resigning their jobs or speaking out in public.

The state Department of Forestry finally has called a temporary halt to the wholesale felling of the old redwoods while the potential for environmental damage is analyzed. The dispute involves a private company cutting its own trees on its own land. But there is a legitimate public concern involved. Bad forest practices can wipe out wildlife habitat, cause erosion and pollute streams.

California does have substantial preserves of old-growth redwoods in parks, but that does not mean that every private lumber company should be allowed to cut its forests in a manner than can damage the environment far beyond the borders of its property. The state officials should hold firm until such concerns are answered clearly.