Comment from Carro, Lina

As a longtime resident of Humboldt County, CA, I write to ask you to deny Green Diamond the incidental take permit of our precious and dwindling population of Marbled Murrelet. Please make no special considerations for this company. They are far from concerned about this very threatened species' survival. Even Google AI can tell you that the populations of this bird are terribly tenuous. When asked about the murrelet's populations since they received protected status 34 years, Google AI reported "No, the marbled murrelet has not increased in numbers. Since its listing as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1992, populations in the Pacific Northwest have experienced a continued, significant decline. Federal assessments, including those tracking the effectiveness of the Northwest Forest Plan, point to the following trends: Overall Decline: From 2000 to 2010 alone, populations across Washington, Oregon, and northern California decreased by roughly 30 percent. Annual Rates: The southern portion of the range (including California and Oregon) has seen annual population declines of 4 to 7 percent. Habitat Loss: The primary driver for the ongoing drop in numbers is the reduction and fragmentation of old-growth and mature coastal forests. Nests are built high in these ancient trees and fewer than 50 percent of historic old-growth forests remain Other Threats: In addition to nesting habitat loss, populations are limited by low chick reproduction, increased nest predation by jays and ravens, oil spills, and changes in marine food availability All of these citations are from US Forest Service Research and Development reports. This species is struggling to make it and is very likely here because of agency regulations that uphold their protection. I urge you to continue to do so by denying this special permit to allow for the incidental taking of this species life. Thank you very much for making this decision on behalf of the public and the Earth itself.