Sempervirens Fund to Purchase the Lompico Headwaters Controversial Logging Plan Put on Hold

Sempervirens Fund will soon purchase the Lompico Headwaters a 425-acre property where towering redwood trees rise above the 1,500 resident mountain community of Lompico, California. The Lompico Headwaters is the primary source of the community's drinking water. Located 45 miles south of San Francisco, the property was once an inspiration to rock musicians Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin, who both frequented Lompico in the '60's. If the Fund can raise $5.6 million by June 30,2006, the forest will forever be protected from logging.

(PRWEB) January 27, 2006 -- Sempervirens Fund today secured a $5,600,000 option to purchase two redwood forest properties, the Lompico Headwaters and Malosky Creek Forest from timberland owner Roger Burch. Mr. Burch also donated an additional portion of the total value in order to complete the transaction. The Fund’s last-minute intervention will prevent the imminent logging of over 14 million board feet of redwood and Douglas fir trees.

We’ll be using $100,000 from our Opportunity Fund to secure the purchase

The Lompico Headwaters, once called Islandia, is a 425-acre property where towering redwood trees rise from deeply incised sandstone canyons above the small mountain community of Lompico, California. Once an inspiration to rock musicians Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin, who both frequented Lompico in the '60's, the Lompico Headwaters forest today provides more than an inspiration. It is the primary source of the community's drinking water.

A Timber Harvest Plan (THP) was submitted in 2001 and had been approved by the California Department of Forestry (CDF), but later was appealed. A subsequent logging permit was pending approval when Sempervirens secured the option. The Lompico Headwaters logging proposal has been the most highly contested in Santa Cruz County's recent history. See

http://www.lompicocreek.org/ for details.

Logging plan opponents, led by the Lompico Watershed Conservancy, cited concerns about environmental impacts to fisheries, wildlife habitat, and especially to water quality. Lompico Creek, which flows from the forest, provides domestic water to 1,500 Lompico residents.

The Malosky Creek Forest is a mixed-redwood forest carpeting steep ravines, within the Santa Cruz Mountains, above residential areas in the San Lorenzo Valley. This 200-acre property supplies water to the town of Boulder Creek, and is sandwiched between parcels owned by the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, which serves 17,500 water customers. The purchase will allow for further protection of domestic water sources.

“We’ll be using $100,000 from our Opportunity Fund to secure the purchase,” said Executive Director Brian Steen. “Our deadline to raise the remaining $5.5 million is June 30, 2006. This will be the most aggressive fundraising campaign in the Fund’s history. Our success in saving this forest will be determined by the conviction and generosity of private donors. No public funds are available at this time.”

Sempervirens Fund’s campaign to permanently preserve these critical watershed properties marks a new focus for the conservation group. As California struggles to locate new sources of water for people and wildlife, it is vital to preserve forestland that supplies the best quality water.

Founded originally as the Sempervirens Club, the Sempervirens Fund has preserved redwood forests since 1900, when it purchased 3,800 acres of spectacular old growth redwoods that became Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's first state park. Since then, the Fund has raised many millions of dollars for the preservation of critical lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Fund recently completed a $10.8 million campaign, which added the San Lorenzo River Redwoods to Castle Rock State Park.

Sempervirens Fund’s purpose is to preserve and protect the natural character of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and to encourage appropriate public enjoyment of this environment.

Donors are encouraged to contribute toward the purchase of the Lompico Headwaters through Sempervirens Fund’s secure website http://www.sempervirens.org, or call 650-968-4509.

Donations are deductible under IRC 501(c)(3).

Photographs available upon request.

# # #

redwoods logging water sempervirens lompico jerry garcia janis joplin

Bookmark -  Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl It | Spurl | RawSugar | Simpy | Shadows | Blink It | My Web