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SJWC Withdraws Current NTMP!!!!

NAIL has just learned that San Jose Water Company has withdrawn the currently-submitted NTMP logging application.  In a press release today, SJWC stated that they withdrew the plan in order to work on the issue of fire, and because the plan lacked information requested by CDF, (reviewers of the plan.)

CDF identified eleven pages of issues with the SJWC's plan. Seventy-nine numbered questions, some with multiple parts totaling approximately 100 items, ask for clarification, completion, change, addition or deletion. The range of items covered include Erosion Hazard Ratings, operations on unstable areas, road construction outside of the plan boundary, removal of organic debris (large wood) from streams, protection of springs, protection of Class I watercourses, cross-stream felling of Class II watercourses, omission of requests by Aldercroft Heights County Water District and Chemeketa Park Mutual Water Company to participate in the Pre-Harvest Inspection, winter period operations, historic and archeological resources to be protected, Native American notification, fire hazard mitigation, mapping of unstable areas, the number of “Inner Gorge” Class II watercourses, stream crossings, protection of endangered and threatened species and the location of osprey nests, among other items.

Below is NAIL's official press release regarding the plan withdrawal.

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Many Los Gatos residents feel they've received an early holiday present upon hearing news that under the recommendation of the California Department of Forestry, the San Jose Water Company has withdrawn their plan to log the Los Gatos Creek watershed. SJWC’s proposal to log over 1000 watershed acres has united the affected community in opposition.  Hundreds of citizens have attended resistance meetings over the past few months. Over 2,000 signatures have been collected opposing the plan and thousands of dollars have been raised to fight the plan. 

The withdrawal of the logging permit application reinforces the position held by Neighbors Against Irresponsible Logging (NAIL) that the plan to harvest the watershed was deeply flawed and poorly executed from the very beginning.  NAIL believes that logging a healthy forest, in a watershed, adjacent to thousands of residents was and always will be a bad idea.  

Despite SJWC’s desire to resubmit a plan in the future, the issues of logging in the Los Gatos Creek watershed remain: increased fire danger, threats to drinking water, harm to the environment, harm to residents' quality of life and harm to the safety and value of their property. NAIL, and the thousands of residents which NAIL represents, will continue to oppose any plan to log this healthy forest and compromise water quality.

NAIL intends to continue the fight to provide our watershed the same protection afforded to watersheds for the cities of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle WA, Portland OR., Marin County and the area served by the  East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). All these locations prohibit logging in their watershed, while protecting water quality and maintaining fire protection. NAIL and affected residents are asking that the Los Gatos Creek watershed be afforded similar protection.

We urge the San Jose Water Company to seek a conservation easement on their property to protect the watershed and prohibit logging.  Any re-submittal of a logging plan that does not afford the Los Gatos Creek watershed the same protection as that afforded to watershed for virtually every large municipality on the West Coast will be opposed by NAIL.


Neighbors Against Irresponsible Logging - NAIL

 

 

Terry Clark – December 21, 2005 – 11:40am
NAIL Forum
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