March 24th 1999

March 24, 1999

Mr. Sandy Dean
President
Mendocino Redwood Company
P.O. Box 390
Calpella, CA 95418

Dear Sandy:

This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your February 20, 1999, letter responding to petitions from the public on several timber harvest plans on Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC) lands. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agrees that providing concise and factual information is the most effective means for MRC to respond to the petitions. We encourage MRC to continue to communicate with members of the community to demonstrate the company's commitment to environmentally sound management practices.

Furthermore, NMFS is committed to working with MRC to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan that incorporates the best available scientific and commercial information. We believe a credible Habitat Conservation Plan is one means to further assuage concerns raised in the community.

We look forward to working with MRC in it effort to maintain a high standard of environmental stewardship.

Sincerely,



William T. Hogarth, Ph.D.
Regional Administrator

cc:
CDF-Richard Wilson
USFWS-Amedee Brickey
NMFS-Jim Lecky
NMFS-Pat Rutten
NMFS-Vicki Campbell