Tree Sitter Dies In Santa Cruz

Robin (last name unknown), called in the woods by the name Naya, had just arrived in Santa Cruz from Arcata, CA where he may have been involved with direct action in the Mattole area of Humboldt county. He was eager to go to the forest and defend against logging that would harm Steelhead Trout at the southern end of the coastal redwood forests. He was found Tuesday night by employees of Redwood Empire at the base of "Esparanza," the tree he had been sitting in for about 12 hours. He was taken by helicopter to Valley Medical Center in San Jose where he died earlier today. He would have been 22 years old on Thursday, 10 October. While he enjoyed rock-climbing, this was Naya's first treesit.

The location of the treesit, the Ramsey 2 Timber Harvest Plan in southern Santa Cruz county near Corallitos, is opposed by many local environmentalists, federal, state and county agencies. Santa Cruz Earth First! has been activiely defending Ramsey Gulch and nearby Gamecock Canyon for almost 7 years. The treesits in Ramsey 2 THP were established almost 2 months ago in the area where logging is going on.

Santa Cruz Earth First! activists met quietly tonight to talk over the situation in Ramsey Gulch and morn the loss of a fine, young forest defender. A public Memorial Gathering will be held on October 18 or 19, 2002 at a location to be announced

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