Fast forward
So it’s not hard to figure what the foundation was doing funding a conference call into the Pacific Lumber bankruptcy hearing a couple of months ago. The foundation has been working with a loose local group for several years, long before the Usal purchase went through. Members of the group include Kathy Moxon of the Humboldt Area Foundation, who also serves as vice-president of RFFI, Petrolia activist David Simpson and Tracy Katelman of the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment, which recently held its second workshop for laid-off Palco employees and others with claims against the company. They’ve recently formed something called the Timber Acquisition Group (TAG), which is looking to make a Usal-style purchase with RFFI in Humboldt County. There’s a chance that the Palco bankruptcy will end with the company’s 200,000 acres of forest on the market; if so, TAG and RFFI want to be ready to jump. “When there is an interested seller, RFFI is an interested buyer,” said Harwood’s daughter Judy Harwood Tuesday. (Judy Harwood just received a degree in environmental economics from U.C. Berkeley and is working with the foundation.)
“I firmly believe that there is a change in the way that the financial world is viewing environmental issues,” said Mark Lovelace, who says he is only on the periphery of the TAG group. “I think that there’s a lot of opportunity for doing these kinds of things. Not taking land out of timber production — not locking it up in a park — but just finding a better model.”
Meanwhile, things will soon be hotting up again down in Corpus Christi. And if you want a glimpse at the way the old model works, you can’t do better than to look at Pacific Lumber’s recent motions in their bankruptcy case. Having already laid off hundreds of workers, having underfunded the company’s employee pension plan by $23 million, the company is seeking to borrow an additional $75 million to add to its already insupportable debt. It’s also looking to award Pacific Lumber CEO George O’Brien a $450,000 bonus, contingent on O’Brien’s ability to further slash costs. This after Charles Hurwitz , majority owner of Palco’s parent company, Maxxam Corp., awarded himself a million dollar-plus bonus earlier in the year.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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