Wilson OKs State’s Share of Headwaters Forest Purchase
California spared the world’s largest privately held stand of ancient redwoods from the logger’s ax Saturday, as Gov. Pete Wilson signed over the state’s half of a $500-million deal to buy the Headwaters Forest.
“I am convinced that what we are doing will stand the test of time and nature, knock on wood,” Wilson said.
Under the agreement--widely condemned by environmentalists--Pacific Lumber Co. agreed to sell the 7,500-acre Headwaters Forest, at the heart of which lies 4,000 acres of pristine, primeval redwoods. A nature preserve will be created once federal and state regulators approve the deal.
“To those who care about the trees, this is the best we can get right now,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who helped broker the deal.
After years of negotiations, Congress and California agreed in 1996 to share the purchase price, but state lawmakers balked and the deal stalled. Its fate seemed uncertain until a last-minute compromise deal was rammed through the Legislature on Aug. 30.
Environmentalists are concerned about the fate of wildlife on Pacific Lumber’s 200,000 acres of timber, home to several species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Critics also say that the half-billion-dollar deal lines the pockets of Pacific Lumber and its parent company, Houston-based Maxxam Corp.
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