41 



most as wide as the table I sit at, and having lived these last 70 

 generations; but maybe they hold even more meaning for us, and 

 it is just waiting to be revealed. We simply don't know. But I do 

 believe that future generations of American people will thank you 

 for your help in maintaining this wondrous part of our world. 



Thank you. 



[The prepared statement of Ms. Bailey appears at the conclusion 

 of the hearing.] 



Mr. Rose. Ms. Lanman. 



STATEMENT OF CECELIA LANMAN, PROJECT DIRECTOR, 

 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INFORMATION CENTER 



Ms. Lanman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the sub- 

 committee, for the opportunity to testify today in support of the 

 Headwaters Forest Act and for your careful questions and concerns 

 about the redwood forest ecosystem. 



My name is Cecelia Lanman, and I have lived in Humboldt 

 County for more than 16 years, where I have owned and managed 

 forestland. My children go to school with children of logging fami- 

 lies who used to work in the many mills that dotted our water- 

 sheds in the early 1950's. I am currently the project director for the 

 Environmental Protection Information Center; I have served as a 

 member of the board since 1982. 



As you heard, the ancient forests of California's north coast are 

 unique among our Nation's major forest bioregions. Unlike the 

 Klamath and Sierra forest bioregions, which were mostly within 

 Federal jurisdiction, the coastal low elevation forests are predomi- 

 nantly on private lands and are under intensive corporate manage- 

 ment. 



You have heard that we have more than enough forests locked 

 up in California, yet no one has said that 267,000 acres of redwood 

 parkland — the majority is second growth — and only 76,000 of an- 

 cient redwoods remain in these fragmented groves within the park 

 system. There is an ecological crisis in the redwoods, with 98 per- 

 cent of the original ecosystem gone, converted to second growth, 

 which will take thousands of years to recover the original structure 

 and ecological processes associated with these ancient forests. 



These structural features, such as large, standing, dead trees, 

 downed woody debris on the land and fallen logs in the streams, 

 multiple-storied canopies in which rich lichens grow and the soil 

 which is alive with microrhizome fungi are all important to main- 

 tain the ecological processes of the forests. 



Many scientists now say we should look at the ancient forests as 

 blueprints on how to manage our forests into the future. We need 

 to maintain these cycles in order to have healthy productive forests 

 for future generations. 



It is clear that in this ecosystem parks are not enough. The is- 

 land of the Headwaters Forest area lies between Redwood National 

 Park and the Humboldt Redwoods State parks and provides an im- 

 portant link for genetic significance, especially for the marbled 

 murrelet and also for the recovery of many other species associated 

 with this forest. The fate of the murrelet is tied closely to these 

 coastal ancient forests and what happens to them. 



