Contact: Tim Ahern (202)-208-5089

WASHINGTON - The protection of the Headwaters old-growth redwoods forest which was promised by President Clinton in his State of the Union address moved a step closer to completion when the Departments of Interior and Commerce today published the final conservation documents needed to complete the transaction.

The Habitat Conservation Plan(HCP) and Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) will govern timber operations on Pacific Lumber land adjacent to the Headwaters forest in northern California.

“Three weeks ago, on New Year’s Eve, we said we were going ahead with this plan and today, we’re putting it out to the public,” said Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt. “It is a good plan and it is a better plan than the draft HCP which was published last year. We have incorporated changes based on the best available science, the more than 18,000 public comments we received, and the legislation enacted by the State of California. This plan provides more protection for more trees and streams than the earlier plan. It’s a plan we can be proud of as we move forward with the permanent protection of the Headwaters Forest which was promised by the President this week.”

Terry Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, said, “This Headwaters habitat plan is tough and fair. It is based on the best available science in the field and will achieve our goal of providing for properly functioning habitat which is essential to the long-term survival of salmon and steelhead.”

The complex Headwaters transaction must be completed by March 1. The transaction involves both the purchase of the Headwaters old-growth redwood and restrictions on Pacific Lumber logging on another 200,000 acres of nearby land. The two documents published Friday were prepared under the guidance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Copies of the document will be available on the Worldwide Web at two addresses: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.r1.fws.gov/text/species.html and the California Environmental Resources Evaluation system website at http://ceres.ca.gov/headwaters. In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service office at 1125 16th Street, Arcata, California, 955221-5582(phone 707-822-7201) has lists of other government offices and libraries where the document may be reviewed and copy centers where it can be obtained for duplication and mailing charges.

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