A Plan to Log Century-Old Redwoods Could Set a Bad Precedent

This time, it’s not iconic old-growth redwood groves facing the ax along California’s northern coast, but the trees that are slated for logging are nearly as environmentally important, conservationists contend. Last week, Cal Fire—the state’s forestry and fire protection agency—approved a controversial timber harvest plan that allows a company to log 100-year-old second-growth redwood trees along a 330-acre stretch of the Gualala River on the Sonoma County coast. Now, Friends of Gualala River and Forest Unlimited have threatened a lawsuit, claiming Cal Fire’s approval of the timber harvest plan violates state rules meant to protect forests in critical watersheds.