Ken Miller is a TPZ landowner

Surprise, surprise!

From McKinleyville Press
The eventual consequences of our current Timberland (TPZ) zoning rules became clear to me when a local developer said I could subdivide my TPZ land into 4 "forties" with a joint management plan, and presumably sell at a price that reflects four buildable properties.

While contemplating the enormous profits, I also imagined the horrific impacts if I, and my neighbors, exploit these opportunities, even at the 160-acre level: increased traffic through Kneeland onto Mountain View Road; water quality and habitat degradation from sediment, septics, household chemicals, domestic animals, multi-vehicle use and trash; wildfire risks; fragmented timberlands and nuisance complaints from the newly-urbanized interfaces with them; and spiraling economic pressure for wholesale conversions.

Eel River Sawmills recently financed the sale to a young, local developer-entrepreneur (You mean this entrerpeneur?) of roughly 15,000 acres of timberland for $5.6 million, or under $400/acre, a price that, with favorable terms, could facilitate sustainable timber management over time, consistent with state law that "Encourage[s] investment in timberlands based on reasonable expectation of harvest." (51102a(4)).

However, he has been subdividing, selling, financing and "servicing" small parcels for as much as $4-6,000/acre, making more immediately profitable agriculture necessary - and possible. Purchasers of one of these parcels were busted growing industrial quantities of marijuana. The supervisors held code enforcement proceedings for environmental damages from these activities.

Large-scale development is another much more profitable potential use of TPZ lands. A co-founder of "Humboldt-CPR" uses his TPZ lands as real estate. If these scenarios continue, our timberlands will be too expensive for anyone but land speculators and large-scale marijuana growers. (like that entrepreneur?)

The proposed County TPZ revisions to restrict TPZ development will align our codes with state regs, such as those of most neighboring counties, which restrict homebuilding on TPZ lands to "[A] residence or other structure necessary for the management of land zoned as timberland production." (government code 51104(h))

Bill Barnum, real estate attorney and 4th largest timberland owner in the County, misinterprets that timber law, insisting that the residence is statutorily permitted, while the other structures need to be "necessary." If correct, he would be making the strongest possible argument for revision of our TPZ regs, which would, left unchanged with his interpretation, promote land speculation and TPZ conversion to urbanized landscapes, directly violating the government code which "[D]iscourage[s] expansion of urban services into timberland." (51102)

We must work together to come up with solutions that protect the working timberlands, mindful that we, the people, have determined to "[M]aintain the optimum amount of the limited supply of timberland to ensure its current and continued availability for the growing and harvesting of timber and compatible uses." (51102)

The Forest Practice Act aims to: "...manage and maintain its limited forest resources for the purposes of furnishing high-quality timber, recreational opportunities, aesthetic enjoyment, watershed protection, fisheries and wildlife." Calfire (CDF) has made it clear that "...changes in zoning that lead to reduced parcel sizes and encourage development detracts from the benefits that can be derived from actively managed forests." Residences and habitation inhibit timber production pursuant to the watershed and habitat elements of the Timberland Productivity Act.

In a recent Timber Harvest Plan in Yager Creek drainage, Sierra Pacific Industries candidly warns that in the event the land were not to be used for timber production, "It is likely that some of the parcels, currently zoned, may be sub-divided to take advantage of the expanding rural residential housing market driven by the growth of the Humboldt Bay area. This expansion in rural residential housing will result in the reduction of lands zoned TPZ, land use conversion (permanent removal of forest cover), increased road construction, potential soil and water contamination by increasing the number of septic fields in the given watersheds, and increased traffic within the assessment area."

Maxxam's proposal to sell off 160-acre "kingdoms" to the super-rich will establish precedents and comparable prices that will benefit speculators and Realtors, creating a "land rush." We cannot ignore the nexus between this TPZ controversy and the General Plan Update.

Population growth's demands for big box commodities would necessitate wider roads in all directions to accommodate their trucks, which could also service an expanded, industrialized port. Bingo, Humboldt transforms into Santa Rosa cum SF Bay Area, with urbanized watersheds, pollution, congestion and ever-increasing cost of living.

We had better support our sustainable, working timberlands, and jobs associated with healthy watersheds, like logging and fishing, or the developers' dream will become our nightmare.

(Ken Miller is a McKinleyville resident, a member of the Humboldt Watershed Council and a TPZ landowner.)

Something wrong with this picture! - Ken Miller advocating jobs like {gasP!!!} Logging! and working timberlands! Or is he just trying to pull the wool over your eyes while he has his eyes on an end game.