U.S. Department of the InteriorFor Immediate Release December 17, 1998 Contact: Tim Ahern (202) 208-5089 No Agreement Reached on Headwaters Habitat Plan;Federal Agencies to Decide Next StepsWASHINGTON - David Hayes, Counselor to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, and Terry Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, today issued the following statement: “The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have been engaged in discussions with Pacific Lumber Company regarding the terms and conditions of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and incidental take permits to govern timber harvest operations on the company’s land in Humboldt County, Calif. Issuance of these federal permits is a requirement for completion of the purchase by the United States and the state of California of the Headwaters old-growth redwood forest. The agencies had been working toward completing these discussions by Dec. 16 so that all other environmental documentation could be completed by March 1, 1999, the deadline imposed by Congress for completion of the Headwaters transaction. The agencies and Pacific Lumber have been unable to meet the Dec. 16 target date. The agencies are now evaluating their options and deciding on the next steps.” --###-- U.S. Department of the Interior |