Forest defender jailed through Christmas

Forest defender jailed through Christmas
Humboldt Co.,Calif.: Forests quiet on Christmas Eve and Day

The Grizzly Creek timber harvest plans were quiet this Christmas, and thanks to the brave and giving souls (protestors) who are still holding the fort through the wind and weather this holiday season. It is only through the non-violent direct action of concerned Humboldt county residents that even this small amount of old growth trees are still standing..

Things were hardly quiet for Kim Starr, Humboldt Co. resident of 10 years. Kim spent Christmas eve and day in jail for caring about our ancient trees and rivers. Kim was arrested on December 19th with three other demonstrators, who are now released on O.R. Kim was bailed out by a kind donation from a concerned citizen.

Early afternoon December 19th, near Grizzly Creek, four non-violent forest activists, including Starr, were arrested while protesting Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Co.’s insistence to cut their largest stand of residual old growth. The arrests occurred in conjunction with two activists suspending themselves from a bridge in hammocks over the rushing waters of Grizzly Creek in the Van Duzen River watershed, blocking the way into two active timber harvest plans (THP’s). One of the suspended activists was arrested, the other escaped capture by rappelling down into the water and running barefoot at least one mile downstream. Even with continued community support, brave forest defenders are repeatedly incarcerated and abused by a police system that swears “to serve and protect”. “ The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept. is acting as private security for Palco [Pacific Lumber Co.], and the only service and protection that the officers are providing is for the logging company’s illegally permitted clear-cutting of our remaining ancient forests,” says local nature enthusiast.

Apart from Christmas eve and day, palco has been cutting non-stop in Gypsy Mountain and ‘Texas’ and even picked up the pace on Sunday to make up for the short holiday lull. Some of the tree-sitters have been up through both Thanksgiving and Christmas, giving up time normally spent with family and friends.

The protested THPs in the Van Duzen watershed, part of the well-known 60,000 acre “Headwaters Forest,” include intended clear-cuts ( plan #01-382) on Gypsy Mountain, where peaceful activist David “Gypsy” Chain was killed in 1998 by an angry logger falling a tree on him.. There is also plan# 00-439, which PL calls “Texas” due to its shape and size (and the desert it could become). Both of these areas of threatened forest, one including a 4-year tree-sit, are Class E (highest protection rating) Marbled Murrelet habitat, containing old growth Redwood and Douglas Fir trees, and many other endangered species such as spotted owls, red tree voles, bald eagles, and coho salmon.. The “Texas” THP is 160 acres of residual old growth, trees similar in size to those on the Avenue of the Giants, left to survive from previous selective cuts from centuries past. Prior to the logger-protested hostile takeover by Charles Hurwitz, owner of Maxxam Corp., Palco was engaged in sustainable logging practices due to its local ownership and employee base. The owner of the Maxxam Corporation, however, is from Houston, and is exporting raw logs since he has shut down most of the Palco mills, and contracts loggers from out of state, pulling money and jobs directly out of the community on multiple levels. Protestors believe that once all of the big (cash) trees have been ‘liquidated’ and the community’s land and rivers wasted, he’s just going to take the money and run. With greater government corporate sponsorship and reduced environmental protection, accountability is almost zero.

The day before the abovementioned protest at Grizzly Creek, Sue Maloney came to a rally near Gypsy Mountain to show solidarity with fellow non-violent forest defenders. Sue recently protested unsustainable timber harvest practices by means of a 52-day hunger strike in hopes that Gov. Gray Davis would see how strongly the people felt about the issue and begin to uphold his campaign promise from 4 years ago that “every old growth tree would be spared from the lumber jacks axe”.

Sue and other demonstrators all over Humboldt Co. have been relentlessly putting their freedom and bodies on the line to protect the forests while many people relax through the holidays. Ms. Starr hopes that “...those of us crying out for living, wild Earth will be heard before the true criminals destroy all that is vital, wild, and wise.”

Says nine month long tree-sitter ‘Remedy,’ “Maxxam/Palco owns the largest tract of old growth Redwoods in the world. In a week we may not be able to say that anymore.”

Nat’l .and local support is vital to protect the last remaining stands from devastation. Forest Defense Hotline:(707)-825-6598
Call Gov. Davis at (916)445-2841 and tell him- No Old Growth Logging
Call PacLumber Co., Pres. Robert Manne(707)764-2222: No Cutting Old Growth, No Clear-cutting, No Herbicides/Pesticides, No Cutting on Steep/Unstable Slopes