[env-trinity] Firm faces obstacles on bid to open forests for building

[Josh Allen]

Firm faces obstacles on bid to open forests for building


By Jane Braxton Little - Bee Correspondent


http://www.sacbee.com/288/story/150912.html 

Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, April 7, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B3

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SUSANVILLE -- Officials in three Northern California counties have
postponed action on requests from Sierra Pacific Industries to have
nearly 20,000 acres of forests rezoned to designations that eventually
could allow residential development.

Land-use planners in Lassen, Plumas and Shasta counties are studying the
proposed zoning changes to determine the extent of environmental impacts
and what level of review the requests require. No decisions are expected
for at least a month.

The delays are disappointing but understandable, said Ed Bond, a
spokesman for the timber company based in the Shasta County city of
Anderson. "We'd like things to move along, but we want to make sure
everybody's satisfied." 

Sierra Pacific's 1.6 million acres in California make it one of the
largest private landowners in the nation. Most of its acreage is zoned
for timber production, which prohibits development and offers
property-tax reductions in exchange for a 10-year commitment to grow
trees.

The company hopes to get restrictions lifted on a total of 23,549 acres
in Northern California -- nearly 37 square miles. The zoning requests
signal its plan not to renew its 10-year commitment to timber production
on those lands and to launch development projects.

New zoning could allow both commercial centers and residential housing
on lands historically managed as forests.

The rezoning is part of a long-term process that would give counties
more control over their land, said Bond. "This is one segment of a
larger project."

Trinity County officials already rezoned 3,620 acres, much of it in the
Trinity Lake area. Sierra Pacific originally requested zoning for
parcels as small as 1 acre, said county planner Jeanne Bonomini. But
planning commissioners changed the zoning from timber production to open
space, which does not allow for development.

In Lassen County, the land Sierra Pacific wants rezoned for potential
development includes 638 acres at Silver Lake adjoining Caribou
Wilderness Area and 1,700 acres next to Mountain Meadows, a wetland that
hosts eight threatened or endangered species. Two additional parcels are
at the south end of Eagle Lake and west of Susanville near Lake Forest
Estates.

At a public hearing last month, company officials told Lassen County
supervisors that, for all but the Silver Lake property, the rezoning
question is exempt from environmental review. When Lassen County Counsel
Craig Settlemire disagreed, the supervisors sent the proposal back to
county planners for additional review.

Shasta County officials continued a public hearing to June to get more
information about how many residences could result from rezoning 6,443
acres, said associate county planner Lio Salazar. He estimated 55 new
residences if the changes are approved.

Plumas County officials are waiting for additional information from
Sierra Pacific to determine the effects of rezoning 7,826 acres near
Chester and north of Lake Almanor, said Planning Director Jonathan
Schnal. They expect to do a full environmental review, he said.

Schnal is concerned about the regional impact of converting 37 square
miles of timberland to development. Because forests are a significant
resource to California, state regulations may require planners in all
affected counties to consider the cumulative effects of rezoning, he
said.

 

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