<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296107" dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.redding.com/business/local/water-takes-center-stage-at-logging-conference-2b6de945-bdc6-7196-e053-0100007f1b3b-368556611.html" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296589">http://www.redding.com/business/local/water-takes-center-stage-at-logging-conference-2b6de945-bdc6-7196-e053-0100007f1b3b-368556611.html</a><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296107"><br></div><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 13.15625px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'PT Sans Narrow', sans-serif; line-height: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296565" class="">Water takes center stage at logging conference</h1><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296467" class="" dir="ltr"><span style="color: rgb(150, 150, 150); font-family: 'PT Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296650" class="">By David Benda</span></div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296467" class="" dir="ltr">Two-thirds through Thursday's talk on forests and water yields at the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference, moderator Jim Ostrowski asked the audience about the governor's mandate for a 25 percent statewide water use reduction.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296469" class="">"Maybe we need to tell the governor we got a better a deal," Ostrowski said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296471" class="">He was referring to the PowerPoint just given by Rob York, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor who for years has been studying the role of sustainable timber harvesting as way to reduce fire risk, restore the forest and increase water available for agriculture and residential users.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296473" class="">Reducing the forest canopy cover by 30 percent can mean an extra 6 inches of water, York said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296475" class="">"When you think about it, 6 inches, that's a big storm," York said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296477" class="">Ostrowski, a consulting forester, said 75 percent of the state's drinking water comes from timberlands.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296479" class="">"When we look at what we do, we understand that. But does the public understand that?" Ostrowski told the audience. "People will say what do I care about the forests in Northern California? Well, next time you jump in the swimming pool, think about where the water comes from."</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296481" class="">York and Ostrowski were joined on Thursday's panel by Ray Haupt, a Siskiyou County supervisor who spent more than 30 years with the Forest Service; and Sara LaPlante, deputy district ranger on the High Sierra District of the Sierra National Forest.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296483" class="">The afternoon presentation at the Shasta District Fair grounds was titled "Forestry and California's Water Supply – Connections and Solutions."</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296489" class="">Both Haupt and Ostrowski have been involved in a research project on water yields in Siskiyou County.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296491" class="">Haupt also has worked with North State Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, on forest management legislation.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296493" class="">"It's a tough hill to climb, and what is most difficult, I guess, is that we out here in the West are probably at the forefront of most of the (forest management and water) issues and the magnitude of those issues are really hitting us hard," Haupt said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296495" class="">York is the research stations manager for Berkeley's Center for Forestry.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296497" class="">Drawing on pop culture and the Taylor Swift lyric "haters gonna hate," York said among the counter arguments that forest harvests can increase water yields are the yields are too small and they are short-lived.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296499" class="">But channeling Swift again, York told the crowd you have to "shake it off" because the value of water is only increasing and the sustainable management of our forests is possible.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296501" class="">"When we talk about water yield, it's tough to convince people that (harvesting) alone" will get it done, York said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296503" class="">That's why you have to bring up how forest management with sustainable harvests can reduce fire risk and restore timberlands, York said.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296505" class="">Meanwhile, also at Thursday's logging conference was education day. Fourth-graders from 13 schools toured the Shasta District Fair grounds to learn more about forest management and the timber industry.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296507" class="">The conference continues Friday with the public exhibits opening at 9 a.m.</div><h3 class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'PT Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.3em; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-transform: capitalize;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296509">Schedule Of Events</h3><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296511" class=""><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296513" class="">What:</strong> 67th annual Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296515" class=""><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296517" class="">Where:</strong> Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296519" class=""><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296521" class="">When:</strong> Public exhibits open 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday.</div><div style="font-family: Tinos, serif; line-height: 1.625em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20.796875px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296523" class=""><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296525" class="">More info:</strong> Full schedule at <a href="http://sierracascadeexpo.com/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(38, 72, 150); text-decoration: none;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1455236192727_296527" class="">sierracascadeexpo.com</a>.</div></div></body></html>