193 



disturbance and residual wilderness, wildUfe populations are altered dramatically. The 

 stellar's jay, raven, and otiier birds thrive in disturbed landscapes, on the edge of old- 

 growth forests. Predation on murrlet eggs by these birds now threatens Ae old-growth 

 dependent marbled murrlet This will dramatically reduce the sustainability of remaining 

 populations. After tt^ cumulative effects of more thaa a century of unsustain^le 

 forestry, practices,, the once nearly continuous band of ancient forests are now confined to 

 small islands. Fragmentation of potential marbled murrlet nesting habitat is also " " . - :U. 

 isolating populations , increasing the likjelihood of localized extinctioaas a result of ' i ; ■ 

 natural catastrophe or human disturbance. • . ..''-f /.-. ;-':v; - ^.^t^!:';^-.' 



The Headwaters Grove also supportesome of the best spawniiqf grounds for ti» 

 coho salmon. Less than 2% of the CaUfomia coastal strains of coho remain. They are 

 known to spawn on several of tife creeks and rivers in the Headwatos Grove as well as 

 lands to be traisferredto SixRivers National Forest Coho <£qpend on the cool water 

 provided by heavily forested areas. Spawning {ffoductf on is now at less than 25% of 

 1900 levels, total number of fish returning to spavyn is down to about 5% of historic 

 levels. Mortality of young tcy. increases quickly intesponse to rising water temperatures 

 uui sediment levels associate^with la^ scale logging operations. The coho will soon ' 



■ be a dd fed to the fetferai list of threatened and. endangered species, and ibeii survival' - - '\ 

 depends on protecting all lenmininglolbit Ahhcragh PL ^ a hatchery, hatchery Ssh arc/. 



^ infCTOTto native stock in both their vig(M'aiidgraetic van ocnnpete for spa^ahd . 



r^ources with native fish^ and do nothu^to address to central' issue: labitat loss^iiiiie ta ' - 



rinore than a century ofoiisustBinable forest resource ejq>ioitati(m. ".^ '''Sr'.^l'C: 



Preservation of the redwood ecosystem ass whole depetKlsoo protection em^ ' .^ 

 enhancement of all remaining stands of bid growtit redwoods. These ^vesproviife' 

 shielter for sensitive birds, amphibians, and TnamTnalja: Ancient groves fivnish the J ^\: 

 spawning grounds of threatened salmomds witii the cool, oxygen rich water and clean ' 

 grave! fbat they depend on for their reproductive suvival. Given the current threat tbihe 

 only high elevation ancient redwood forests for in the Headwaters Grove, immedkfc / . 

 IKotection is imperative if public resource values such as endangered ^edes and ancient ■ 

 forests are to be preserved f(» fimire geiier^ons^ ' . '■■r'^':^*^;'^. 





Areata SEAC : 1604 Chester Ave., Areata, CA, 95521 

 (707)826-1573 



