189 



The Headwaters Forest and the other connected tracts of virgin and second 

 growth redwoods comprising approximately 44,000 acres are proposed for addition to the 

 Six Rivers National forest These lands are a critical reservoir of genetic material for a 

 rapidly diminishing redwood forest ecosystem. The Wilderness Society urges that all 

 ecologically significant virgin redwood groves be preserved in perpetuity to insure the 

 existence of this imique ecosystem. In particular, the entire headwaters of Salmon Creek 

 should be included in the Headwaters Forest Wilderness. 



The lands proposed for acquisition in HR 2866 are found in what scientists call 

 the Klamath Province, a distinct bioregion which encompasses northwestern California 

 and southwestern Oregon. They include pristine, ancient redwood forest and proNide 

 important habitat for a myriad of wildlife species including the northern spotted owl and 

 the marbled murrelet. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the marble 

 murrelet as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Passage of HR 

 2866 will help protect not only these two species, but many others who also depend on 

 ancient forest for their habitat 



The Klamath Province is recognized by scientists and others to possess 

 unparalleled biological diversity. The region has been described as a "floristic and 

 vegetational 'center' for the forests of the United States" (Whitaker 1961). It is "... a 

 center of biodiversity worldwide. Such a place deserves special care" (Noss 1989). HR 

 2866 offers an opportimity to provide such care. 



Today, many conservation biologists agree that society should protect large, intact, 

 natural ecosystems wherever possible to provides sites for evolutionary processes to 

 imfold, unafferted by humans, as the temperature of the planet rises due to global 

 warming. Passage of this legislation will provide such a site. 



Mr. Chairman, many efforts are currently underway in California to create an 

 integrated, scientific based, land management scheme for the Klamath Province. One 

 interagency effort under the auspices of the Executive Council on Biological Diversity 

 involves representatives from federal, state and local agencies as well as public 

 representatives, including the U.S. Forests Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Resources 

 Agency, the California Department of Forestry, and the California Department of Fish 

 and Game. The goal of this undertaking is to insure that all land use decisions in the 

 region promote the maintenance of the biological diversity of the Klamath province. 

 Federal acquisition of the Headwaters Forest and the other lands in HR 2866 is critical 

 if this effort is to succeed. 



Acreage added to the Six Rivers National Forest will provide opportunities for the 

 American public to participate in decisions affecting the management of these lands. 

 Today, the Six Rivers National Forest is in the process of receiving comment on its much 



