Sept 15th JAG Meeting Summary

At the September 15th meeting of the Jackson Advisory Group (JAG) for Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF), the lofty agenda included discussion of a "Scope of Work" for revising the management plan for the Forest, and the approval of two new Timber Harvest Plans (THPs): Camp One and Pyrosilvicultural THP.  The meeting room was full, and public comments were many, mostly from concerned citizenry who pleaded with CalFire and the JAG to slow down the process, wait for approval from all concerned tribes, and not to approve any new THPs until the new management plan is completed.  

By late afternoon, several of the JAG members had left the meeting.  When the chair of the JAG called for a vote on Camp One THP, a member of the Coalition to Save Jackson pointed out that the JAG lacked a quorum, which would make the vote invalid.  Thus, the vote was postponed for this Wednesday, November 15th, when the JAG will likely approve the two THPs.  We hope you will attend and let CalFire and the JAG know how you feel about approving two timber harvest plans before a revised management plan is completed. For help commenting on the specifics of the Camp One THP, scroll to page 12 of this comment letter, still unaddressed by CalFire, written by climate scientist John O' Brien and redwood forest researcher Stephen Sillett.  

"If we want any change in Jackson, we will have to stop any THPs until we get a new management plan," stated activist Bill Heil.  "The current management plan is so low in its expectations, and it can in no way meet what we want to do in letting a forest really become a forest."