April 21st 2001

The Ukiah Daily Journal
April 24, 2001

Thanks to an easement donated by Mendocino Redwood Company to the Pacific Forest Trust, the 90-acre evergreen backdrop of Comptche will be one that is everlasting.

Local residents of the small community in southwestern Mendocino County met April 7 with employees of Mendocino Redwood Company and The Pacific Forest Trust to celebrate "a long journey to protect Comptche Hill Forest," Jennifer O'Donnell of The Pacific Forest Trust stated in a recent press release.

The easement protects 90 acres of mature redwood and Douglas-fir forest forever.

Judy Garratt, a Comptche resident and executive director of the Comptche Land Conservancy, and other local residents have been seeking formal protection of the forestland above their town since 1987, O'Donnell said.

"Our approach from the beginning was to seek to work together with each other, and with the corporate landowner, as neighbors," Garratt said. "We tried to include everyone, and we worked hard to keep an open heart," she said. "And the result, this easement that we are here to dedicate today, has been a gift of such great kindness and generosity that words cannot express our gratitude," Garratt concluded.

In recognition of the hard work and determination of the Comptche community, PFT and MRC dedicated a redwood grove on the easement to the community with a plaque reading: "The Judy and John Garratt Grove. In honor of all who fought so hard for the protection of Comptche Hill."

Sandy Dean, chairman of MRC, said "the interactions with all involved in the project have been among the most positive MRC has had in the county."

The forest lies along the Albion River, an important salmon stream that drains directly into the Pacific. It has not been logged since the early 1900s and contains large diameter, second-growth redwood and Douglas-fir as well as scattered old-growth components.

The easement ensures full protection of the forest; under the terms of the easement virtually no timber harvest is allowed and development is prohibited. The easement stays with the property regardless of the property's owner. MRC's decision to grant the easement, therefore, ensures the land is protected forever.

The Pacific Forest Trust, partnering with the Comptche Land Conservancy, first began work on the easement seven years ago. PFT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving private productive forests.