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the state and federal governments already own 54 

 percent. Small private owners own 34 percent. Only an 

 astonishingly low 12 percent of the forest land is owned 

 by industrial timber companies like Pacific Lumber. 

 Indeed, as I explain later in my testimony, over 80 

 percent of California's old growth coastal redwoods is 

 already preserved in parklands. 



Thus, H.R. 2866, in its present form, is both 

 unnecessary and, given the value of the 44,000 acres, 

 unrealistic. Moreover, it could destroy The Pacific 

 Lumber Company and do irreparable harm to the communities, 

 businesses, families and economy of Humboldt County and 

 northern California. 



Another irony of H.R. 2866 is that it would actually 

 harm our ability to harvest trees on a sustained-yield 

 basis. Let me explain. While timber companies like 

 Pacific Lumber are thought of as being in the business of 

 cutting down trees, most of our emphasis has to be on 

 growing trees so as to ensure our continued viability. 

 For example, to complement the robust natural regeneration 

 of the forests. Pacific Lumber typically plants about 

 500,000 seedlings on its land each year. We engage in 

 timber management activities (i.e., selective harvesting, 

 habitat enhancement, replanting, etc.) only on about 5 

 percent of our acreage in any given year. Moreover, 95 

 percent of our harvesting is by selective cut, a method 



