California Forest Deal in Jeopardy
12/17/98
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: California Forest Deal in Jeopardy
Source: The Associated Press
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 12/17/98
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Two years of negotiations over the fate of an
ancient redwood forest broke down Thursday when a lumber company accused
the government of trying to put it out of business.
Pacific Lumber Co. said an attempt to prevent it from cutting timber
near waterways as part of a deal to spare the largest privately owned
stand of ancient redwoods in the world was unacceptable.
"We simply could not agree to a package that would threaten our ability
to survive and provide job security," Pacific Lumber President John
Campbell said.
Federal authorities "are now evaluating their options and deciding on
the next steps," the Interior Department said.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who brokered the deal between Pacific Lumber
and the government, planned to meet with the parties on Monday in an
effort to revive the talks. Pacific had agreed to sell 10,000 acres of
land for $480 million to California and the federal government, which is
trying to save groves of 1,500-year-old redwoods in the Headwaters
Forest about 300 miles north of San Francisco.
But in recent negotiations, federal authorities said that in return for
the money, Pacific would have to limit logging near waterways on the
200,000 acres of land it is not selling.
The company has refused, but the deal must be wrapped up in the next few
days to allow enough time for public comment and revision. Federal
funding for the agreement expires on March 1.
Pacific said the deal was not dead.
"It means that negotiations are at a stalemate. It doesn't mean that
it's all over," Pacific Lumber spokeswoman Mary Bullwinkel said.
Copyright 1998& The Associated Press.