September 16th 1998

September 16, 1998

Senator Mike Thompson
California State Senate State Capital
Sacramento, CA 95814

Subject: River Sinker Logging

Dear Senator Thompson,

This letter is in regards to the ongoing practice of removing "sinker" logs and windfall from our coastal streams and rivers. Mendocino Redwood Company owns 230,000 acres (which equates to about 350 square miles) of forestland in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Our lands border Big River, Albion River, Navarro River and Garcia River. Many of these have been subject to the un-permitted removal of logs from river bottoms and riverbanks. Our concern is that this practice has significantly diminished the stream habitat necessary to support the successive life stages of anadromus fish.

Mendocino Redwood Company is expending significant effort and dollars to leave large trees along our stream banks to provide for the future recruitment of wood for the streams. High winds or a meandering stream are the catalysts that fall tall trees and create woody debris.

Our Foresters and Biologists have found bucked tree stumps that once were attached presumably waiting for high water when the folks can return and cut and float the logs off, and rafted logs tied up along the river bank waiting to be skidded ashore.

Our efforts to maintain and improve the aquatic habitat running though our land will be diminished if this type of activity continues. We would encourage you to do whatever is in your power to restrict this type of misuse of the resource. We would be happy to work with you in this matter. If you would like to discuss this further, please call me at (707) 485-8731. We appreciate your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sandy Dean
President, Mendocino Redwood Company

Cc: Wes Chesboro

Virginia Strom
Martin Brian Hunter
Kendall Smith
Linda Perkins