CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : EUREKA : State Cites Rare Bird in Rejecting Logging

The Pacific Lumber Co.’s plan to log 453 acres of old-growth timber in the Headwaters Forest near Eureka was rejected by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Department officials cited concerns for the rare marbled murrelet, a small robin-sized bird that nests in the tops of ancient redwood trees near the Pacific Ocean. The decision was the latest obstacle to Pacific Lumber’s plans to log the 3,000 acres of virgin timber east of Eureka, known as the Headwaters Forest. A lawsuit by environmental groups has blocked the company from carrying out state-approved plans to cut 319 acres in the forest, the largest privately owned grove of ancient redwoods in the world.