Issues

ISSUES

Particularly significant among the issues which RRRAUL seeks to bring to public notice are:

The erosion potential from soil disturbed by logging operations, which area residents are well aware of. In wet winters significant damage to public and private property and waterways may occur downstream from logging operations.

Proposed hauling routes along constricted and sometimes insubstantial public roads raise issues of inconvenience and even danger for school children and other residents. Prompt access for emergency vehicles may be dangerously restricted by logging traffic. Public water supplies, roads, and bridges may be endangered by heavy logging traffic.

Steep slope cuts can increase flooding along affected creeks, many of which are heavily populated with both private residences and businesses immediately downstream of proposed logging operations. Tax dollars may effectively subsidize timber harvests if road repair or erosion control becomes necessary after logging operations.

Logging operations pose a significant fire danger, especially if water and fire-fighting resources are inadequate.

Breeding habitat of the threatened Coho and Steelhead Salmon may be seriously damaged, and other serious impacts may be made on the health of the River, which is already in serious decline.

Besides locals such concerns affect all who drive to/from the Guerneville area, use the Russian River area for recreation or business, or appreciate the natural beauty of the area and its wildlife.

County Supervisor Mike Reilly has said that: "80 percent of our timber harvests are in rural residential areas and there are unique circumstances here that really aren't provided for in the state rules."

Critics of ill-conceived and improperly regulated timber harvests contend that these demonstrate the necessity of better logging rules, such as those recently rejected by state timber officials. Such rules (already in effect in some Counties) would require that loggers post bonds for potential road damage and allow greater public participation in the state's Timber Harvest Plan process, by requiring that affected public agencies be give timely notification be given of impending THPS. Such simple changes would enable CDF to exercise better control over the THP process, and would ensure that property owners and taxpayers would not be subjected to either having to repair damages at their own or public expense, or to bring lawsuits to have needful repairs made.