Timber industry supporters will say increased government regulation of timber harvesting left Pacific Lumber Co.'s Scotia mill without enough logs to sustain the mill. Environmental groups will say that Pacific Lumber Co., spurred by the financial needs of its corporate owners, accelerated the harvesting of old trees, leaving itself without a sufficient inventory.
Common sense says both factors played a role in the closing of the mill.
What is not in doubt is that public policy in California continues to favor long-term reductions in timber harvesting in order to protect ancient trees and to manage logging's impact on streams and wildlife. These protections come at an unhappy price, sometimes measured in job losses, always measured in higher prices for wood products and sometimes in the sadness that goes with the shuttering of a historic mill. But few people are eager to return to the day when business decisions alone decided how many trees to cut.