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belated, draft land and resource management plan. Speedy passage of HR 2866 will 

 mean that the newly acquired lands will benefit from the resource inventories and 

 management decisions that are part of the forest planning process. This process will 

 identify important, new multiple use opportunities. 



One particular value of the acquisition will be the new opportunities for public 

 access to these lands. New recreational opportunities stimulate tourism and can 

 contribute significantly to local economies. In addition to unequaled primitive 

 recreational opportunities in the Headwaters Wilderness, passage of this legislation and 

 subsequent funding could provide access for new fishing, white water rafting, mountain 

 biking sites, and other activities. Because public access is so important, we recommend 

 that the legislation be amended to require the land owner to provide appropriate 

 easements and rights-of-way. 



The population of California is expected to increase by 21 per cent over the next 

 decade to exceed 30 miUion people. The demand for wilderness recreation will only 

 increase as our population grows and our urban areas expand. Federal ownership will 

 help meet this growing demand. 



The Wilderness Society is concerned that the appraisal by the Forest Service 

 overestimates the cost of acquisition of the Headwaters Forest. Apparently, the Forest 

 Service assumed that all of the parcel could be logged. Given that the Headwaters 

 forest and much of the other land provides critical habitat for the northern spotted owl 

 and marbled murrelet, both listed under the Endangered Species Act, this assumption is 

 unfounded. Current logging plans approved by the California Department of Forestry 

 are held up in species-related court challenge. Chances are good that much of this land 

 would not be logged. Thus, the Forest Service cost estimate is unrealistically high. 



Much of these lands possess mature second growth forest that would be subject to 

 the forest plamiing process. After acquisition of the entire 44,000 acre parcel and 

 completion of the plaiming process, these second growth forest lands might be added to 

 the suitable timber base of the Six Rivers National Forest, providing a sustainable supply 

 of timber to local communities and dollars to the U.S. Treasury. 



If managed at a sustainable level, the second growth forest on these lands could 

 potentially produce up to 50 million board feet of timber aimually. (In fact, the previous 

 owner of the land logged 200 million board feet armually.) Should the federal 

 goverrmient acquire all 44,000 acres, this addition to the Six Rivers National Forest could 

 generate about 10 to $15,000,000 annually. The legislation could specifically earmark 

 this revenue to pay for the acquisition. At this rate, the entire parcel could be paid for 

 in twenty to thirty years while simultaneously generating funds for local counties through 

 the Forest Service Revenue Sharing program. 



