1. Headwaters bill signed by Clinton 2. NO MONEY FOR THE CRIMINAL HURWITZ! JAIL Hurwitz! -----------------------
from pressdemo.com Nov. 15, 1997=20
Headwaters bill signed by Clinton
By MIKE GENIELLA Press Democrat staff writer
In a move that supporters said puts within reach a resolution of the=20 North Coast's longest running environmental controversy, President=20 Clinton on Friday signed legislation providing $250 million to acquire=20 Headwaters Forest.
Clinton described the 3,000- acre tract of ancient redwoods in southern=20 Humboldt County, the largest left in private ownership, as a=20 ""nationally important treasure.''
In signing an Interior Department spending bill that provides the=20 federal share of a $380 million acquisition, Clinton made Headwaters his=20 highest priority for purchase of environmentally sensitive lands next=20 year. A second priority is acquisition of a proposed mining site near=20 the entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Clinton said Headwaters and Yellowstone need to be protected from=20 ""unacceptable environmental threats.'' He said federal funding toward=20 creation of a new 7,500-acre ancient redwood preserve with Headwaters at=20 its center underscores an ""extraordinary accomplishment'' first agreed=20 to by his administration and Republican leaders during negotiations over=20 the Balanced Budget Act earlier this year.
Although critical of using acquisition money to give Humboldt County $10=20 million in compensation for lost tax revenue, Clinton did not threaten a=20 line-item veto as feared by North Coast Rep. Frank Riggs, R-Windsor.
""With his signing of the Headwaters legislation, President Clinton has=20 rejected the arguments of environmental extremists,'' Riggs said. ""His=20 support proves what we have said all along: this is a common-sense,=20 bipartisan, job- protecting Headwaters solution that all fair-minded=20 people can support.''
State's turn for funding
Under terms of a Headwaters deal brokered a year ago by Sen. Dianne=20 Feinstein, the federal government is to put up $250 million to purchase=20 the redwoods from Pacific Lumber Co. Gov. Pete Wilson's administration=20 is to come up with the remaining $130 million.
Clinton's move Friday put the onus on state officials to develop a=20 concrete financing plan for its share of a deal that participants want=20 to complete by mid-February.
State Resources Secretary Douglas Wheeler on Friday did not rule out=20 Pacific Lumber's request that Wilson include a Headwaters appropriation=20 in his 1998 budget. That option would seek legislative approval rather=20 than ask voters to approve a Headwaters-related bond issue.
Wheeler said he and the governor want to review options with legislative=20 leaders for ""the most appropriate funding source to meet our obligation=20 to match federal funds.''
Before the federal money can be spent, the state also must approve=20 wildlife protection and timber harvest plans for the remainder of=20 Pacific Lumber's nearly 190,000 acres of timberland surrounding=20 Headwaters.
""Agreement on those plans could prove to be more difficult than coming=20 up with our share of the money,'' cautioned Wheeler.
Over a major hurdle
But Wheeler hailed Clinton's support for the Headwaters funding, saying=20 it ""certainly verifies the importance of what we've been trying to do=20 for several years.''
Feinstein said that after more than 10 failed attempts to preserve=20 Headwaters, ""We have now cleared a major hurdle in our efforts to=20 protect these ancient redwoods.''
Pacific Lumber President John Campbell said Clinton's move should prove=20 to be the catalyst to finally resolve a decade-old controversy over the=20 fate of Headwaters, which includes trees that date back to the time of=20 Christ.
Despite the optimism, however, Clinton's approval of the Interior=20 Department spending bill triggered a storm of protest from national=20 environmental groups and North Coast activists.
The Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society joined the North Coast-based=20 Environmental Protection Information Center in denouncing the 7,500-acre=20 preserve as too small. Representatives said the deal falls far short of=20 their goal of acquiring up to 60,000 acres of Pacific Lumber Co.=20 timberland surrounding Headwaters, and includes less restrictive=20 environmental regulations supported by Republicans.
Clinton ""caved in''
Sierra Club representative Bruce Hamilton said Clinton ""caved in'' to=20 Republican demands that he said will cause ""a good deal of=20 environmental damage.''
Kevin Bundy of EPIC, a Garberville group that has led the drive for=20 preservation of a 60,000- acre Headwaters complex, said North Coast=20 activists are deeply disappointed.
""If only 7,500 acres are acquired, and Pacific Lumber's plans to=20 liquidate everything else are approved, this deal will leave a legacy of=20 wildlife extinction, ruined watersheds and lost jobs. That's=20 unacceptable,'' said Bundy.
Darryl Cherney, a longtime Earth First! organizer who helped orchestrate=20 widely publicized Headwaters protests, said Clinton's move Friday was a=20 ""black day for Headwaters.''
""His words suggest an environmental sympathy, but his deeds are=20 environmentally destructive,'' Cherney complained.
Activists are particularly angered about a provision that allows no=20 further federal funding for expansion of the preserve. As it stands,=20 some limited logging in four nearby old redwood groves could occur if=20 state and federal regulators deem it appropriate.
""We could end up with an isolated museum piece,'' said the Sierra=20 Club's Hamilton.
But former Congressman Doug Bosco, who in 1988 blocked logging in=20 Headwaters by getting Pacific Lumber to agree to a moratorium, said=20 Friday that environmentalists, especially North Coast activists, should=20 be cheered by the current Headwaters deal.
Without the tenacity of activists like the late Judi Bari and Cecelia=20 Lanman, ""This might have never happened.''
""It's a great victory. Generations of people to come will be=20 grateful,'' said Bosco.
Copyright 1997, The Press Democrat
----------------------- -----------------------
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.
----------------------- -----------------------
FYI: President Clinton phone: 202-456-1111 fax: 202-456-2461 email: president@whitehouse.gov
Kathleen A. McGinty, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality phone: 202-456-6224 fax: 202-456-2710
Franklin Raines, Director, Office of Management & Budget phone: 202-395-4840 fax: 202-395-3888
----------------------- 2. NO MONEY FOR THE CRIMINAL HURWITZ! JAIL Hurwitz! -----------------------
Should $250 million of taxpayer money for purchase of the world's largest stand of unprotected ancient redwoods go to Hurwitz?
It is Charles Hurwitz who forced his way into Humboldt County with a hostile takeover, proceeded to ransack and trash the place, and has refused to leave when asked repeatedly by thousands of people.
Anyone, from Humboldt County to the U.S. President, who coddles this man's operation and showers him with offers of millions of taxpayer dollars, renounces any claim to working in the public interest.
JAIL HURWITZ See: http://www.jailhurwitz.com
The reward for info leading to the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of Hurwitz on criminal charges has now been raised to $50,000! No, I'm not kidding. That means cash in your hot little altruistic hands if you can find the dirt that breaks the Hurwitz's back and puts him behind bars.
=95 Texas corporate raider Charles Hurwitz has crashed a savings and loan=20 costing the taxpayers $1.6 billion
=95 With money funneled from the S & L he took over Pacific Lumber Company= and commenced clearcutting the world's largest stand of privately held ancient redwood trees, a national treasure
=95 He raided the Pacific Lumber worker pension fund, removing $55 million from the retired loggers and millworkers' nest egg
=95 He looted the Simplicity Pattern worker pension fund in 1982, reducing= =20 worker benefits by nearly $4000 per year
=95 He has entered into out of court settlements for insurance fraud and securities violations and has seven environmental lawsuits involving illegal logging in the ancient redwood forest of California.=20
----------------------- -----------------------
EMAL LIST:
To subscribe to the Headwaters News mailing list:=20 Send a message to listproc@envirolink.org with only the following in the= body: subscribe Headwaters YourFirstName YourLastName CompanyOrOrganization Replace the appropriate words with your name and any affiliation. Note: You must send from the account at which you wish to receive messages.
FOLLOW-UPS TO:
Robert Cherwink <rc@vom.com> newsgroup: alt.thebird
FOR MORE ON HEADWATERS FOREST ACTION:
Bay Area Action Headwaters Sanctuary Project "http://www.HeadwatersForest.org" for more on the Headwaters Forest issue.
Earth First! Headwaters Forest Direct Action Campaign http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/headwaters-ef/
JAIL HURWITZ - No Money for the Criminal Hurwitz!! See: http://www.jailhurwitz.com
************ SAVE ANCIENT FORESTS!! ************
Peace!
Rob, Sector Air Raid Warden at Rob's Place A SITE DEDICATED TO SPIRIT, TRUTH, PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM http://www.vom.com/rc/home.htm
WHEN SPIDERS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE DOWN A LION --Ethiopian Proverb
****** A-Infos News Service ***** News about and of interest to anarchists
Subscribe -> email MAJORDOMO@TAO.CA with the message SUBSCRIBE A-INFOS Info -> http://www.tao.ca/ainfos/ Reproduce -> please include this section