Board of Supervisors supports bill to shift focus of demonstration forests from logging to restoration

MENDOCINO CO., 3/26/26 – The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday discussed whether to support a California bill that, if passed, would change the management of state demonstration forests by implementing more ecological goals and allowing the sale of timber only when harvests are for restoration or research.  

In a split decision at Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved sending a letter to the state supporting Assembly Bill 2494, which drew sharp opposition from community members in the timber industry who said they will be directly affected by it. 

At the meeting, a varied crowd of timber industry employees, foresters, and environmental advocates spoke about the pros and cons of AB 2494. Those who opposed the bill were worried about the potential economic impact to local logging companies, while environmental advocates and tourism professionals touted the ecological benefits and jobs that the bill could bring to Mendocino County.  

The bill, if passed as written, would revise the forest management of Jackson Demonstration State Forest located on state Highway 20, between the cities of Willits and Fort Bragg. The property was purchased by the state in 1947 and has various kinds of trees, including coast redwoods, Douglas firs, and madrones, according to Cal Fire. 

AB 2494, introduced in February by Assemblymember Chris Rogers, D‑Santa Rosa, and co-authored by state Sen. Mike McGuire, D‑Healdsburg, would change the demonstration state forest system by emphasizing environmental stewardship and moving away from traditional logging practices that were once an economic pillar in the North Coast, especially in the early to mid-1900s. 

A press release issued by Rogers’ office last month reads, “AB 2494 moves the state away from relying solely on timber harvesting to manage the demonstration state forest system.” 

Under AB 2494, the sale of timber and other forest products will still be allowed, but as a byproduct of ecological restoration or research projects. 

The Jackson Demonstration State Forest contains both old-growth and second-growth trees, which means trees that regrew after the forest was logged in the early 1900s. The most common tree in the forest is the coast redwood. 

In California, there are a total of 14 state demonstration forests, all managed by Cal Fire. State demonstration forests are used to research and practice forest management, protect local wildlife, and are open for recreational activities such as hiking and biking. Cal Fire said that Jackson Demonstration State Forest is the largest of California’s demonstration forests at nearly 49,000 acres.   

AB 2494 also aims to collaborate with California tribes by creating co-management agreements and inviting tribal groups to help in the stewardship and decision-making of the forests. 

The bill would also look at the way the demonstration forests are funded. Currently, under a state law called the Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Program, timber sales have been the primary funding source for demonstration state forests. AB 2494 would shift the focus to raising revenue from tourism and recreational fees and rely less on money from timber sales. 

Many comments during the public comment period at the supervisors meeting came from registered foresters, members of the logging industry, and environmental agencies. 

Estelle Clifton, the president of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, which opposes the bill, and a registered forester, spoke about her support of sustainable forest management but said she thinks the bill is not well structured, and will not allow for enough revenue generation for the demonstration forest, its staffing, and operations.  

“I think the bill is poorly set up,” said Clifton during public comment.  

She said that if the demonstration forest moves away from traditional logging, then the fund that the land uses will have less consistent revenue.  

“The way the bill is set up, you can deplete that fund, and if you understaff the forest, and if there is not a revenue stream on such a large acreage with so many roads to maintain, you could end up with an environmental disaster. I am not against those goals that the bill purports to have, I just think that it is poorly designed,” Clifton said.  

Scott Alonso, the district director for Rogers’ office, said during public comment that the Jackson Demonstration State Forest only contributes a small portion of revenue to the local economy. 

“If we look at the data — we’ve run some numbers — in 2024 there was no timber out of Jackson. That was a zero year,” Alonso stated. “The last time timber came out of Jackson was in 2023, and the value of that timber was only 2% of the entire timber value of the County of Mendocino. So we’re talking a very small number out of Jackson specifically.”  

Bruce Burton, a Willits City Council member and owner of Willits Redwood Company, said at the beginning of his public comment that even 2% difference can have a huge impact on local timber companies.  

“This is what 2% looks like,” Burton said as he pointed to the crowd sitting inside the chambers. “The 2% that Alonso refers to is what Willits Redwood Company has been a major purchaser of, of Jackson State Forest, since the 1980s.”  

Burton spoke about how financial strain on the industry caused by a decline in logging seems to be ignored by the community.  

“The economic impact doesn’t seem to resonate much in the county anymore,” Burton said. “I think that’s shortsighted and it’s a terrible mistake … I’m sorry that it seems like it’s such a minor point to the rest of you, but it’s pretty personal to us.”  

Despite Alonso’s statement about the small percentage of timber produced from the forest, Burton said his company mills a good portion of its timber from the forest, though it varies from year to year. 

“It varies from 10% to 50%,” he said about the proportion of his product that comes from Jackson. “Some years we are more successful.”  

Naomi Wagner, a representative from Earth First, an environmental advocacy group that has had longstanding tensions with the local lumber industry since the “timber wars” of the 1980s and 1990s, and a member of the Save Jackson State Forest Coalition, a group formed to change management of the demonstration forest, said it is time for tribal groups to receive reparations from people who “stole the land.” 

“That is what Jackson is based on, that theft. We need to make reparations,” Wagner said. “We don’t really have a choice now. Co-management means that we share equally with the tribes, we work with them to figure out how they want to manage it. We need to pass this bill.” 

During the board’s discussion, Supervisor Madeline Cline made a motion to delay a vote on the bill until a county executive does a study on how it could affect the local economy. The motion was denied, but Cline explained why she believes the bill should be changed before moving forward. 

“I don’t think the intention of this bill is to shut down activities, but I am concerned that the narrow scope is that might be a side effect of this legislation,” Cline said. “A healthy forest is a well-managed forest. In a time when there’s resources being cut from the federal government, I don’t want to move us away from that. That’s my question for this board, is there enough management built into the way this legislation is written?”  

Supervisor Ted Williams, whose district includes a portion of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, said that he knows many constituents support the bill, specifically from Districts 3, 4, and 5 in the county. 

“I’ve been reading the correspondence, a constant flow, and I would say almost all of it is in favor,” Williams said. “I think it’s a real mistake to undercut our assemblymember on his bill that’s addressing our shared constituent concerns.” 

Supervisor Bernie Norvell, whose district also includes a large part of Jackson Demonstration State Forest, said he does not want to support the bill without knowing the potential financial impact. 

“I think without doing our due diligence, and hearing some of those economic impacts, it would be a struggle for me to just blanket support that,” Norvell said.   

At the end of the discussion, the supervisors voted to approve sending a letter of support to the state, with Cline and Norvell dissenting.  

The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on April 7 in the board chambers at 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah. Meetings can also be watched virtually via Zoom. More information, including agendas, is available at this website.