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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2006
Contact:
Paul Hughes, executive director: (415) 974-4201; paul@forestsforever.org
Marc Lecard, communications manager: (415) 974-4202; marc@forestsforever.org
Perata
introduces Heritage Tree Act
Bill would protect ancient trees throughout California
On Friday, Feb. 24, Sen. Don Perata introduced the Heritage Tree
Preservation Act, S.B. 1799, in the California Senate.
The bill would bring important protections for old-growth trees
in California. Most of the state’s old-growth forests have
already been logged off. Existing protection for old growth is extremely
spotty, and leaves the majority of ancient trees vulnerable to removal.
“Californians are surprised when they learn that these ancient
trees are for the most part unprotected,” said Paul Hughes,
executive director of Forests Forever. “It seems like common
sense to protect trees as old or older than the state of California
itself.”
The Heritage Tree Preservation Act would protect selected species
of old-growth trees (coast redwood, giant sequoia, Port Orford cedar,
douglas-fir and other evergreens and hardwoods) on non-federal forestland.
This includes land owned by timber companies. The ban would apply
to trees that meet species-specific minimum diameters and were alive
in 1850.
Forests Forever board member Kent Stromsmoe, who crafted much of
the bill’s language, said many endangered species depend on
old growth for survival. New trees can grow tall relatively quickly
but cannot reproduce other old-growth characteristics, Stromsmoe
said.
As an example, Stromsmoe pointed to the marbled murrelet, a seabird
that nests only in old growth, and depends on the high, large-diameter
branches that only very old trees can provide.
Not only do old-growth trees deserve protection for their ecological
benefits, Stromsmoe said, but also they are an irreplaceable part
of history. He noted that some of California’s old-growth
trees affected by this legislation may have existed as long ago
as 2700 B.C.
“The bill approaches (the trees) from a heritage standpoint.
They were passed into our care from the past,” Stromsmoe said.
Stromsmoe said that the bill’s definition of forestland is
very specific: It must be capable of growing a crop of trees to
produce lumber or other forest products. In other words, the measure
does not apply to trees in people’s backyards.
The bill had a first reading on Feb. 27 and is now in the Rules
Committee awaiting committee assignment.
Forests Forever is an active member of a coalition of environmental
and religious groups called the Campaign for Old-Growth (CFOG),
which strongly supports the Heritage Tree Preservation Act.
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