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TESTIMONY OF EDWARD SALSEDO on HR 3638 April 29, 2004
Dear Chairman Radanovich and Committee Members: I am Ed Salsedo, a long time resident and former business owner in the town of Orick. I want to thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to voice my strong opposition against HR 3638 and efforts to increase the size and scope of the Redwood National Park (RNP). In that 52,000 or 52.1 per cent of California land is under the control of Government, the taking of additional lands out of production is contrary to the United State Constitution and detrimental to the economy of both Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. As the committee considers this proposed legislation, I believe it is important for us to review the failed history and false promises of RNP and its rough treatment of local residents, businesses, and access interests. Since the Park’s inception in 1968, thousands of timber industry-related
jobs have been lost in Del Norte and Humboldt County. According to the
1995 testimony of Humboldt County Supervisor Anna Sparks before the House
Committee on Resources: http://www.landrights.org/OCS/OCS.hearing.95.redwoods.htm Although Congress allocated a federal “severance” package for about 2,500 men and women who lost their jobs because of the Park’s creation, many could never be “reeducated” or retrained because of their age or family obligations. This payoff never fully made up for the failed businesses that were a direct result of the shutdown of the timber industry in this area. In a GAO Report dated December 1993,-- http://www.gao.gov/ -- this Redwood Employee Protection Program (REPP) was shown to be a complete failure. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, anti-access advocates for RNP or their willing accomplices in the agency promised local residents, out-of-work loggers, and businesses that “increased tourism” would offset job losses. They promised that hundreds of thousands of tourists would flock to the Park to tour the area’s many roads, trails, beach travel ways, and hiking paths. In fact, these large numbers of tourists have never materialized. Rather, RNP has embarked on an aggressive effort to close historic access roads that should have been kept open so visitors to the area could use them. In that there are several World Heritage Sites within the Park and its designation of an International Biosphere Reserve, Redwood National Park is been managed as a scientific study reserve, contrary to the intent of Congress. Studies have shown that the vast majority of visitors to this area of Del Norte and Humboldt County use the more access friendly California State Park lands. The average stay in the National Park is one hour. Gloria Zuber, former president of the Orick Chamber of Commerce, once stated, “There has been a drastic and severe decline in the number of businesses operating in Orick since the creation of the Redwood National Park in 1968... Any expansion to the Redwood National Park would be highly detrimental to Orick and its surrounding communities.” Mr. Chairman, I have never heard of one case in California where the National Park Service has fulfilled its promises to bring jobs and prosperity to an area that it occupies - often over the will of the local residents and inholders. More specifically, RNP has continued its aggression against local businesses and access interests. When it recently implemented a new management plan that closed the Freshwater Spit to commercial and sport fishing interests and driftwood gathering/carving businesses who use all-terrain vehicles or four-wheel drive trucks to access the beach for business purposes. The right to access navigable waters and the right to fish are protected by our California Constitution. The new General Management Plan makes a mockery of these rights. During the public comment period for these closures, local fishing, business, and recreation interests pleaded with NPS to keep the beach open. Yet, these pleas for support fell on deaf ears and were often met with lies and deceptive practices by NPS staff and leadership. In fact, the NPS even admitted in the plan that the closure would have a negative impact on the town of Orick. I have documentation showing that interested parties were willfully excluded from the decision making process, in complete violation of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The NPS also has worked to close the beach to historic overnight RV camping at Freshwater Spit. For the last 40 years, hundreds of thousands of family-oriented recreationalists have camped at this site. During the day, these folks would come into town and buy groceries, fishing gear, eat at restaurants, or buy woodcarvings. Redwood National Park records show that 20,000 vehicles stayed on Freshwater Spit in 1994, 19,000 in 1995, 18,000 in 1996, of which between 50 to 60 per cent were from California. Even though many of us in Orick have fought, and continue to fight, these closures, the RNP continues on its anti-access and anti-people agenda in California. This is also true of BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife with its use of the Endangered Species Act as its Gun. In 2001 when the town of Orick held a Freedom Rally to keep the beach open, RNP deployed a SWAT Team, (SET) to watch us rather than using those resources and funds to fulfill the Park’s 1968 promise of access and prosperity. To further illustrate RNP’s contempt for local residents, some
Orickians wear a T-shirt with the following quote embossed on the front, “Who
lives in Orick according to the NPS? A. A crack-whore, 2. A low-life
scum, 3 None of the Above, 4, All of the Above.” This T-shirt was
made in response to an incident where a local female hiker was on a RNP
trail when she encountered a park ranger and asked the agency representative
why there were so few tourists in the area. In response to her question,
the ranger said, “The reason why there are so few visitors Mr. Chairman, in California we have a “3 strikes and you are out” law. I believe the RNP has struck out and should be replaced with a team that champions’ access and property rights and not the current organization that continues to abuse it power and authority. I firmly believe that the environmentalists who are pushing their own agenda upon the unaware majority have hijacked the Park system, and other Government Agencies. When you have people like Dr. Reed Noss, science director of the Wildlands Project, putting together the Management Plans for Save the Redwood League, this is quite obvious. I ask the Committee to establish an Oversight Committee to review the Management of our Parks and willful disregard for the law and intent of Congress. Redwood National Park, at this moment is in violation of a California Coastal Commission directive, It has in violated the NEPA process. I ask that you instruct staff to make an assessment as to the influence of organizations such as Man and the Biosphere, Agenda 21, and The Wildlands Project have on the management of our Federal Lands. I ask the committee to review the issue of access to the Freshwater Spit. Finally, if this land must go the federal government, it is my recommendation that it be granted to the Six Rivers National Forest's Smith River National Recreation Area since that agency has a better record regarding public access and multiple-use. I would like to thank you for allowing me to testify in front of your committee and will answer any questions that you might have. # # #
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