Mr. Rodoni goes to Sacramento

Supervisor Roger Rodoni went to Sacramento last week for a presentation of reorganization plans submitted in the Pacific Lumber bankruptcy case.

The presentation was attended by parties involved in the 1999 Headwaters Agreement.

Rodoni discussed the event at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting. He alluded to many lawyers in the room who reminded the group “several times” that California had little — if any — weight in the bankruptcy outcome because the decision rested with the judge in Corpus Christi. The lawyers reportedly pointed to the decision to keep the case in Texas rather than PL’s Golden State turf.

Such lawyerly observations are funny in light of statements by shameless Palco gasbag Frank Bacik who told supervisors last October they needed only to board a plane to Corpus Christi to influence the court. Yet the lawyers in Sacramento seem to think the whole state of CA is but a flea on the big dogs in Texas who actually run the show.

Well, good.

Rodoni characterized the crowd as “not pro-more-regulation” and highlighted complaints from one unnamed participant who suggested blame for the bankruptcy lies with the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).

Which leads to the question:,  If HCPs lead to bankruptcy, why do other timber companies want them? Simpson (Green Diamond) has one, and Mendocino Redwood Co, which is vying for control of PL, is in process of getting one.

Some people call HCPs a “license to kill.” But some timber companies use them as a license to whine while gaining access to areas that would otherwise be off limits due to…wait for it…habitat protection.

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