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Editorial: Forestlands to vineyards
CalPERS, what about water and principles?
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B6
Covering 14 million acres from the Oregon border to the Bay Area, the forests of the North Coast have long inspired battles over logging.
In recent years, however, the conflict has focused less on old-growth redwoods (of which there are now few) and more on younger forests. An entire region that was once controlled by a few large landowners is now being sold off and subdivided.
Millions of acres could be converted into vineyards and ranchettes, harming both the environment and the region's timber industry.
With scarcely a nod to the wider consequences, the California Public Employees Retirement System is preparing to fuel this conversion. As The Bee's Matt Weiser reported Sunday, CalPERS is partnering with Premier Pacific Vineyards, a company that wants to clear-cut 2,000 acres of a 20,000-acre tract in northern Sonoma County, convert it to vineyards and then sell the tracts.
Promoters say proceeds from the 2,000-acre conversion would be used for restoring the remaining cutover conifer forest. On paper, this sounds like a "win," but there is no guarantee the proceeds would be spent as promised. Once the 2,000 acres are converted, Premier Pacific could later seek to sell off the remaining land, resulting in more fragmentation.
Even as advertised, this project would be the state's largest single conversion of forestland to vineyards ever, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Such conversions remove vegetation that absorbs carbon dioxide, and heat up streams that harbor threatened salmon. Vineyards also demand large quantities of water. Already Sonoma County faces rationing because of overtapped aquifers.
Although CalPERS is obligated to seek the highest returns for its pension holders, it also must uphold its basic environmental principles. Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Controller John Chiang are two board members who've espoused those principles. Both must ensure the Premier Pacific deal doesn't create a net liability for the North Coast.
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