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III. California Forests At Risk 



Six Rivers National Forest 

 1. Pilot Creek Green Timber Sale 



Ranger District 



Mad River 



Volume (mmbf) 



15 



Project Acres 



N/A 



Logging Acres 



N/A 



Location 



This sale is located in the Pilot Creek drainage, a Mad River tributary. 



Impact 



The Forest Service plans to log 15 million board feet of lumber from this Key Watershed. This uatershc 

 received its "kev" classification because o\ its importance to declining stocks of steelhead and salmon doui- 

 stream. Specificallv. Pilot Creek supplies clear, cold water — a critical component of salmoiiid habitat — r 

 the Mad River. The proposed logging and roading may lead to extensive erosion and sedimentation of tli 

 creek, further threatening salmon and steelhead. 



According to the Record of Decision (1996), the sale includes construction of 2.71 miles of permanent road 

 and 4.37 miles of temporary roads. Since fiinding for decommissioning of temporary roads is one of the Fores 

 Sevice's lowest fiscal priorities, temporary roads are often de lacto permanent roads. This project will also afTei. 

 more than 900 acres of the Pilot Creek Roadless Area. This roadless area once contained over 10,000 acres o 

 pristine ancient forest. Extensive logging in the late 1980's reduced the size of the roadless area to just ovc 

 4,600 acres. Despite the reduction. Pilot Creek still contains critical wildlife habitat and is home to marble 

 murrelets, spotted owls, marten, and fisher. The roughly 5 million board feet that will be taken from the road 

 less area will leave only 2,832 acres in Pilot Creek with wild and roadless characteristics. 



For additional information: 



Ryan Henson, California Wilderness Coalition, 916/758 0380 

 Paul Spitler, Western Ancient Forest Campaign. 916/758 0380 



Pilot Creek tn a roadUis portion of the watenhed, 

 down slope of two logging units. (Anthony Ambrose) 



Pilot Creek drainage looking south into the 

 roadless area. (Anthony Ambrose) 



