Redwood Reader

The horrific cougar attack on Jim Hamm and the heroic life saving defense by his wife in Redwood National and State Parks last week brought lots of attention to cougars and the Park. An excellent piece on cougars there by John Driscoll of the Times-Standard on Sunday, February 4, 2007 (http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_5157265) includes a Park video well worth watching for anyone interested in these large cats and their behavior. They seem much less bothered by humans than usually reported. It must be noted that the attacking cat was a first year female, who seem to be the problem in the majority of the human attacks. There hasn't been a killing of a human by a lion in Humboldt since 1890. All the usual steps to avoid confrontation and stave off attacks were well reported on TV and the local papers and even in the national press.
While the lions are increasing in numbers, the marbled murrlet seems to be diminishing rapidly in the parts of its range thought to be safe for them, beyond logging. No explanation is currently available for the precipitous drop off in numbers in the Aleutians or Alaska other than major changes in ocean nutrient cyclingor possibly predation by ravens and/or bald eagles are a possibility, the ravens presence directly the result of development encroaching on old growth forests. The USGS was doing the survey for the administration which is tryting to ease logging restrictions imposed by the decline of the birds in the mainland US in the early nineties. Jeff Barnard, AP environmental writer via Yahoo, February 6, 2007. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070206/ap_on_sc/sea_bird_decline;_ylt=Au1EMnI3gquSPiNlgUsUCg3MWM0F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MzV0MTdmBHNlYwM3NTM-.
Bennett Barthalemy wrote a nice three part article for the Northcoast Journal(one part every two weeks January 4, Mattole to Spanish Flat, Jan 18 Spanish Flat to shelter Cove, Feb 1Sinkyone State Park) about hiking the Lost Coast. It gives a good feel for the area and plenty of useful information for those seeking a good hike. It describes the beauty of our region as a wilderness and hikers destination. We hope to see Humboldt redwoods state Park and Gilham Butte eventually tied in as the Redwoods to Sea. (www.northcoastjournal.com)