![[photo by Patric Hedlund, The Mountain Enterprise]](https://mountainenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_1838-PH-324x243.jpg)
[photo by Patric Hedlund, The Mountain Enterprise]
Last week: We reported that 70 members of the public met with Mt. Piños District Ranger Tony Martinez, along with his firefighting and forestry staff, at the Frazier Park Library on May 14, 2019. Anxiety was expressed by mountain residents such as Teresa Grow and James Coccoluto of Pine Mountain Club. “Who is able to alter a decision made to go forward with the Cuddy Valley and Tecuya Ridge projects without further environmental assessment or further public dialogue?” was the question of the day. John Muir Foundation co-founder Chad Hanson, Ph.D., challenged the fire science used by the USFS in making the Cuddy Valley and Tecuya Ridge decision memos.
By Patric Hedlund, TME • Part Two
It is wonderful that geeks are now considered cool in today’s wonky world. Chad Hanson, Ph.D., was wandering through the northwest end of the Cuddy Valley forest last week, holding the Los Padres National Forest Cuddy Valley Decision Memo in his hand as he walked. This is one of two documents that brought 70 members of the public to listen to an explanation from District Ranger Tony Martinez and his crew at the Frazier Park Library on May 14.
Earlier that same day, Hanson was engrossed in a forestry scientist’s version of…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)
Photo captions:
Chad Hanson of the John Muir/Earth Island Foundation and Bryant Baker of Los Padres Forest Watch
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A conversation with an old friend
Comment by Patric Hedlund, TME Editor
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of learning from some wonderful U.S. Forest Service professionals who have worked in a variety of states throughout the nation.
Last week, I felt troubled over the tense stand-off at the May 14 library meeting. I know there is a deep well of goodwill between U.S. Forest Service professionals at the Mount Piños District and the local community.
What caused the tension to become so uncomfortable? What can be done about it?
In Praise of Field Trips
I contacted an old friend to speak with him about the event May 14. He is a longtime career professional with the U.S. Forest Service, who has ample experience in leadership under challenging conditions of discord between the public and the policy makers.
During the Reagan years, he says, there was an aggressive effort to rapidly accelerate harvest of timber from much of the U.S. Forest Service lands. Under those conditions, he quickly learned what works to facilitate understanding, and what doesn’t. As we talked about the Cuddy Valley and Tecuya Ridge plans, he asked: “Has the forest service conducted any field trips to these projects?
He explained some of his experiences and observations.
“If you get people in a room, everyone gets real positional. They get lined up on one side or another side. But when I brought people on a field trip, you tend to gather in a circle.
“This is not a silly subtlety. Everyone is out there smelling the same air, listening to the same bees. Seeing the same birds. Everyone is there because they care about this place.”
He said he found that to be true even when he worked in a very tough state with some very angry ranchers: “My job was to work with them, and I learned how to do that,” he said. “I started going to their meetings, and we got to know each other. We had things in common as well as things in opposition. We found we could work together.
“So often, what people really want is to be respected and to be heard. If they feel they are being heard and not brushed aside, it is possible to work together to understand each other.”
OpEd: Who Makes The Decisions?
By the end of the meeting May 14 at the Frazier Park Library, one thing became clear: None of the eight U.S. Forest Service representatives in attendance could change the project decisions.
Those decision documents were signed by the Los Padres National Forest supervisor Kevin Elliott—who wasn’t at the meeting.
At this point, he’s the only person who can withdraw the decisions and direct his staff to prepare an environmental assessment for both projects. Since his contact information wasn’t provided at the meeting, we’re putting this public information here so people can share their concerns directly with him:
LPNF Supervisor Kevin Elliott
Emails: Kevin.B.Elliott@usda.gov, Kbelliott@fs.fed.us
Los Padres National Forest, 6750 Navigator Way, Suite 150
Goleta, CA 93117
1) We urge local residents to ask Supervisor Elliott to withdraw the decisions for both projects and to direct his staff to prepare an environmental assessment (EA);
2) We urge that the EA consider an alternative with limits on removing trees with more than a 10-inch diameter;
3) We urge that they decide not to allow commercial logging; and
4) To confirm they will protect California condor roosting sites.
The community deserves to be heard, and the forest deserves meaningful environmental review.
—Bryant Baker, Conservation Director, Los Padres ForestWatch
See LPFW.org/withdraw to send a pre-formatted email
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This is part of the May 24, 2019 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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