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Residents demand enforcement after commercial logging in Lower Redway that they say violated Qzone protections
Summary
Several residents told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors that commercial logging in Lower Redway removed old-growth trees in lands they say are protected under Local Ordinance 2112 (Qzone). Speakers urged enforcement and referenced decades of prior protections and appeals.
Multiple Humboldt County residents urged the Board of Supervisors on March 10 to investigate and enforce protections after recent commercial logging in Lower Redway, saying the harvest included old-growth trees in an area they believe is covered by a local Qzone ordinance first developed in the 1990s.
Speakers including Linda Sutton and Still Sumalone told the board the affected area contains large, previously unlogged old-growth redwoods and said they feared the county’s protective ordinance (referred to in testimony as Ordinance 2112 or the Qzone) may not have been fully enforced. "This project started in 1993 ... the ordinance already exists," a resident told the board, urging enforcement and stronger penalties for violations.
Public testimony recalled prior contests and appeals over the area, legal changes and the long history of local efforts to strengthen enforcement provisions. Jason Wilson and others cited historical protests and a prolonged community campaign to protect the redwoods, and asked the board to ensure the county honors enforcement commitments and the ordinance’s provisions.
Supervisors acknowledged the longstanding history behind the dispute and invited continued engagement with staff to clarify what regulatory actions are available; several supervisors encouraged staff-to-community meetings and pledged to keep the matter on the county’s radar while reports and enforcement options are reviewed.
What’s next: Residents said they will meet with county staff (a meeting was scheduled with a planner), and the board said staff would provide updates on legal and enforcement options. The transcript does not record any immediate enforcement action or formal vote.
Representative quotes: "This project started in 1993 ... The first set of proposed changes were to beef up the enforcement provisions," said a public commenter urging the county to enforce the Qzone protections.
Context: Testimony tied this incident to a decades-long local conservation effort and to earlier county decisions and appeals involving the Lower Redway area.
