PALCO recently transferred some of the world's highest quality marbled murrelet habitat to the state and federal governments through the historic Headwaters Agreement signed on March 1, 1999. This habitat is permanently protected in the 7,500 acre Headwaters Forest Reserve.

Virtually all of the high quality marbled murrelet habitat still owned by PALCO is protected under our Habitat Conservation Plan for the next 50 years.

Northern California is the southern end of this seabird's natural range, which extends to the Santa Cruz area. The murrelet spends about 95% of its time at sea. In our area, murrelets nest in old-growth trees or large trees that have been left after earlier harvest.

Murrelets don't actually build a nest. They instead lay their single egg in a depression on a moss-covered branch. In portions of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, the murrelet may also nest in the rocks along the seashore. Adult murrelets leave their chicks at the inland nest sites while they forage for fish in the ocean. These nesting habits can make them highly susceptible to nest predation and failure.

Because it is a seabird and has secretive nesting habits, the marbled murrelet is a challenge to study. As a result, a methodology using marine radar has been developed to track this elusive bird. Our biologists have gathered and shared considerable data with the scientific community about the numbers and movements of this interesting species.

There is much more to be learned about the murrelet. We continue to protect the murrelet's nesting habitat while studying its needs and relationship with our forests.