Wilson Plan for Forestry Bond Backed

Political strategists for some environmental groups said Tuesday they will back Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposal for a $628-million bond issue to buy and preserve old growth forests.

Environmentalists also will drop their plan to try to put a $2-billion forest purchase bond initiative on the June, 1992, primary election ballot, said Gerald Meral, executive director of the Planning and Conservation League, which coordinates environmental lobbying in Sacramento.

However, the Sierra Club and other groups are reserving the right to sponsor a forest practices initiative if negotiations with industry leaders for new logging regulations break down.

Wilson proposed the $628-million bond issue for forest purchases in an Earth Day speech in April. Meral said the Planning and Conservation League is confident that Wilson’s plan will be enlarged to include another $150 million requested by local government agencies.

Environmental groups sponsored an unsuccessful initiative, Proposition 130, in the November general election last year, calling for a $742-million bond issue to buy old growth forests. Proposition 130 also called for extensive reforms in logging practices, including abolishing clear cutting.

It also would have fired the present members of the state Board of Forestry and replaced them with environment-oriented appointees.

Environmental lobbyists decided after the election to separate forest purchase bonds from logging practice reform in future initiatives. Bond initiatives restricted to purchase of land for parks and forests have been successful in the past.

Wilson’s bond proposal would include purchase of the Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County, a major goal of environmental campaigners in the 1990 election.

The Planning and Conservation League already had filed its $2-billion proposal for a bond initiative measure with the office of Secretary of State March Fong Eu. Meral said environmental strategists had been confident the measure would qualify for the ballot and pass.

“However, the Administration asked us to have faith in them and to work with them in developing the final bond act package and other environmental funding mechanisms,” Meral said.