Pacific Lumber Releases Plan for Post-Bankruptcy Management and Sale of Land

PACIFIC LUMBER REORGANIZATION PLAN WOULD SELL, DEVELOP AND LOG LAND

The long-awaited corporate reorganization plan that Pacific Lumber must, by law, submit to the bankruptcy court under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings is out, after two extensions. Under bankruptcy law, the debtor (PL) gets the first whack at a proposed management

plan, after which the court decides whether present management will retain control.

In brief, PL proposes to sell the Marbled Murrelet Conversation Areas, some 6,600 acres of ancient redwood forest contained in 6 groves that were set aside for 50 years under provisions of the 1999

Headwaters Deal. They propose to sell an additional 22,000 acres adjacent to and surrounding those groves as high-end housing development, sell the town of Scotia, and retain ownership of approximately 181,000 acres of forestland for timber production.

Our good friends at the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment have posted the entire plan, along with a map at;

http://asje.org/PL_Reorganization_Plan.html

While PL CEO George O'Brien calls the plan "win-win" in the business pages, there are clearly losers, and at best, the proposal assumes an assembling of buyers for the land they wish to sell at unbelievably inflated prices. (0 million for the ancient groves) Some

manipulations are fairly bald-faced, as in Maxxam's "forgiving" of a million "debt" that is an engineered claim against its own subsidiary in the first place, and PL financial architects clearly hope to woo the bondholders to their side of the court with their promises of cashing out the debt burden. The bondholders are owed about 5 million (from PL's refinancing of its original purchase debt) and would receive only (approx.) 67 cents on the dollar under

that plan.

PL also claims as a chit in their favor the real estate expertise of its parent Maxxam. Hurwitz's Maxxam has been in the real estate business far longer than they have been in the timber business. High end development is their ball game and they play hard ball. An interesting story from Maxxam's past involves a development in the Palm Springs area proposed for bighorn sheep lambing ground.

PL is fighting to keep other proposals from coming before the court. A hearing to extend that exclusivity to February is scheduled for Nov. 23.

The SF Chronicle ran a story today about the PL plan and are offering a comment opportunity at;

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/comments/view?f=/c/a/2007/10/02/MN41SI0CB.DTL

You can link to the;

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2007/10/02/MN41SI0CB.DTL

full story from there as well. Please weigh in, making the points that

*this is not a sustainable *reorganization*. It is proposed highway robbery with land values inflated in some cases 10 fold, and another attempt to raid private and public coffers and send hundreds

of millions of dollars to the pockets of Charles Hurwitz.

*Old growth forests and BUFFERS are not negotiable. Isolated old growth groves need buffers to survive and thrive as habitat. Housing developments are NOT biological buffers.

*The bankruptcy court should receive alternative plans for management from creditors, Humboldt county residents, workers and other stakeholders.

*No conversion, ever, of forest land to development. It has happened to an extreme degree in Sonoma, to a large degree in Mendocino, and must not happen in the redwoods in Humboldt county!

NOTE: BACH will have a public activist get-together soon to present the situation in full, and also to bring updates from the oak grove tree-sit. Please watch for the notice!



Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters (BACH)

2530 San Pablo Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94702

phone: 510 548 3113

email: bach [at] headwaterspreserve.org

http://www.HeadwatersPreserve.org



Here's some other suggestions for redwoods land reclamation & restoration;

Since the process of European colonization of North America adversely effected regional indigenous populations by removing them from their land base by military force, germ warfare and other forms of coercion, an ethical approach to both the forest ecosystem and the indigenous peoples would be reclamation of land from Maxxam/PL. Return and restore Maxxam/Pacific Lumber's excessively logged land to the region's indigenous peoples. This would include the Wiyot, Round Valley Tribes and others of the NorCal region who currently lack a significant land base for their cultural and physical survival. Logging by indigenous peoples on their own landbase would be an improvement to the corporate logging clearcuts evidenced by over two decades following Maxxam's takeover of Pacific Lumber..

Currently in CA we can only cite the Hupa Nation's logging practices that avoid clearcutting and thus also prevent any herbicide spraying. However, other indigenous nations have also shown their ability to practice selective logging without the erosion and other destruction witnessed by Maxxam/PL's corporate clearcutting methods..

for Hupa forestry info;

http://www.sierrainstitute.us/Hoopa_case_cover.pdf.

"Against the Odds:(Re-) Building Community through Forestry on the Hoopa Reservation"

by Mark Baker

February 2003

article section;

"The forest plan alternative that was eventually chosen for the 1994-2003 period sets the annual allowable cut at 10.4 mm b.f., significantly lower than any prior post-WW II allowable cut. The plan prioritizes stand rehabilitation and conifer restocking of areas that were captured by brush and tanoak following previous timber harvesting activities using manual release and planting methods (herbicide application was banned by a tribal resolution in the late 1970s). It identifies a wide variety of watershed restoration activities needed to protect domestic water sources and protect and enhance salmonid habitat. In response to issues raised by tribal members concerning cultural and socioeconomic issues, the plan identifies a large number of archeological and ceremonial sites as well as eight specific cultural areas, which include mushroom gathering areas, Port Orford Cedar areas, and camps and campgrounds, in which little or no timber harvesting is allowed. These cultural areas total more than 6,000 acres. Additionally,silvicultural prescriptions for timber harvesting in areas that produce mushrooms and other non-timber forest products that are not included in those areas are developed in a manner that issensitive to the need to maintain and/or enhance their abundance. The plan also identifies forestareas important as viewsheds, wildlife areas (riparian corridors, travel corridors, falcon activity centers, traditional species activity areas, etc.), riparian areas, etc., in which timber harvesting isalso restricted or not allowed at all. In short, the current forest plan effectively maps onto the tribe’s forest ecosystem a wide variety of culturally informed and traditional forest management practices and uses. The extent to which a cultural overlay modifies, shapes, and conditions thetribe’s timber harvest operations is unprecedented in this century in the 20th Century. It represents the landscapes effects of the integration of sovereignty, technical forest managementcapacity, and a participatory process that encourages the expression of culturally rooted values and interests that pertain to the forest resource."

Why not give other indigenous peoples of the region the chance to model their forestry program on the Hupa's?

Problems with Maxxam/PL corporate logging methods;

Clearcutting - Opens large gaps in the canopy where "undesireable" sun tolerant species invade, these are often the targets of herbicide spraying. Succesional species in smaller clearings like tanoak, madrone and manzanita require patience, if a clearing opens in the canopy (could be natural, if storm falls large tree), these successional species will be first in line to replace the conifers. They are not "pests", and should not be treated as such by spraying toxic herbicides. Actually, these successional species are an important source of food and break up the monocultura of plantation forestry..

Herbicide spraying - No clearcutting = no herbicide spraying! In addition, selective loggin' results in more jobs than does clearcutting and other forms of mechanized logging..

Old Growth logging - Culling (removing) old growth trees in any THP is similar to gunning down senior citizens on the street (REALLY DUMB idea). The loss of these elders in the forest equates with the loss of the knowledge of our human elders in the ecosystem services they provide (ie., duff, leaf litter, canopy cover, etc..). We need to nurture and sustain BOTH our human and forest elders, NOT cull them!!

Steep slopes (varies between 55 - 80 + degrees) - Logging on erosion prone slopes in riparian habitat, canyons, etc.., provokes additional sediment runoff. Slope steepness varies based in substrata, crumbly shales are thus deemed steeper even if not as steep in actual gradient..

To be inclusive of the non-indigenous peoples who have resided in Humboldt region for some generations, additional land from Maxxam/PL could be reclaimed for specific towns (ie., Eureka, Fortuna, Rio Dell, etc..) as community forests with selective logging practices only (ie., no clearcutting). This practice of community forestry is happening in Weaverville, Sunny Brae and other towns throughout the west. Local control includes greater local input, no mas trials in Texas way far out of reach of residents and effected timber workers..

"WHAT IS A COMMUNITY FOREST?

A community forest is owned and/or managed by a local entity, whether it be a city, like the Arcata Community Forest, or another public entity. In fact, we have an excellent example of a successful community forest in Arcata. Their forest is 1100 acres, 900 acres of which are located next to the town. The forest is highly visible from Highway 101 and most parts of the town. It has been managed as a community forest for over 40 years.

With a community forest, the community gets to decide what the values are. In Weaverville, important values that have been expressed include high visual quality, fuels reduction, sustained revenue, recreation, timber harvesting, firewood collection, improved forest health and wildlife habitat. In addition, areas that are sensitive to ground disturbance, like historic resources, and unstable slopes, can be protected in the plan.

These values are not mutually exclusive. In addition, the jobs stay in the community, as well as the logs. Public input and awareness is welcomed and encouraged. As a result, the community has a stake in the forest, and can become better educated about forestry issues."

above info found @;

http://www.tcrcd.net/w-ville_forest/what_is_a_cf.htm

Remaining Maxxam/PL land restored to public forest land with zero cut, for the enjoyment and recreation (camping, fishing, nature observation, etc..) of residents and visitors..

If all this sounds too much like pie in the sky (oh my!), then consider that land reclamation is happening throughout South America, and it could benefit people and ecosystems in el norte also!!

Here's an example of land reclamation in Canada;

"Since the beginning of the reclamation the struggle has gone through a number of different stages. During the first stage, from February 28 to April 20 2006, the reclamation was a low-key protest at which a small group of a couple dozen people from Six Nations set up a camp at the entrance of the Douglas Creek Estates to prevent further construction on the subdivision. Tensions with residents from Caledonia were low and many locals stopped by to bring supplies and show their support. On March 10th Henco Industries, the developers of the subdivision, obtained a court injunction against the camp, and tensions began to increase. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stepped up its surveillance, and the site protesters requested the presence of warrior societies from other Haudenosaunee communities to protect their encampment."

read on @;

http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/view/2630

Extra advice for potential developers;

Even thinking about development in the sacred redwoods ecoregion will bring in some additional neighbors, the guerrilla factions of ELF who are certainly not nearly as nice as the resident treesitters, forest defenders and North Coast Earth First!ers who are currently engaging in struggle with Maxxam/PL..

We will not accept corporate criminals like Maxxam CEO Charles Hurwitz to be given free reign to terrorize the redwoods ecosystem of CA's north coast..

Flashback info;

The current CEO (Charles Hurwitz) of Pacific Lumber's parent corporation Maxxam is a career white collar criminal who should have been arrested years ago for his involvement (w/ M. Milken and I. Boesky) in the collapse of the Texas Savings and Loan, were it not for the intervention by Rep. John Doolittle (R) with an FDIC investigation of Hurwitz..

"DeLay and two others helped put the brakes on a federal probe of a businessman. Evidence was published in the Congressional Record." ... "In a case that echoes the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, two Northern California Republican congressmen used their official positions to try to stop a federal investigation of a wealthy Texas businessman who provided them with political contributions." ... "Reps. John T. Doolittle [California Republican] and Richard W. Pombo [California Republican] joined forces with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay [Republican] of Texas to oppose an investigation by federal banking regulators into the affairs of Houston millionaire Charles Hurwitz, documents recently obtained by The Times show. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was seeking 0 million from Hurwitz for his role in the collapse of a Texas savings and loan that cost taxpayers .6 billion." ... "The investigation was ultimately dropped." ... "The effort to help Hurwitz began in 1999 when DeLay wrote a letter to the chairman of the FDIC denouncing the investigation of Hurwitz as a "form of harassment and deceit on the part of government employees." When the FDIC persisted, Doolittle and Pombo — both considered proteges of DeLay — used their power as members of the House Resources Committee to subpoena the agency's confidential records on the case, including details of the evidence FDIC investigators had compiled on Hurwitz."

"Then, in 2001, the two congressmen inserted many of the sensitive documents into the Congressional Record, making them public and accessible to Hurwitz's lawyers, a move that FDIC officials said damaged the government's ability to pursue the banker." ... "The FDIC's chief spokesman characterized what Doolittle and Pombo did as "a seamy abuse of the legislative process." But soon afterward, in 2002, the FDIC dropped its case against Hurwitz, who had owned a controlling interest in the United Savings Assn. of Texas. United Savings' failure was one of the worst of the S&L debacles in the 1980s."... "

article @;

http://havenworks.com/people/a-z/d/doolittle-john-t/

Would any sane people trust the futures of their redwoods forest ecosystem to the career criminal at the helm of Maxxam corporation? Of course not, so we need to reclaim the land from Maxxam!!

Join the non-violent resistance! We are growing....

by humboldt activist

Thursday Oct 4th, 2007 8:50 PM

contact: 707-845-9046

The Humboldt Forest Defense Association is a growing direct action collective of affinity groups. We are strengthening our community and processes and are considering planning a winter camp-out here in Humboldt.

Also, someone anonymously wrote-

"Even thinking about development in the sacred redwoods ecoregion will bring in some additional neighbors, the guerrilla factions of ELF"

Why even say that? Do you live in Humboldt County? It's unlikely to happen and it's irresponsible to throw statements like that around.

What is likely is nonviolent direct action to impede the development of this land in the form of road blockades, tree-sits, lockdowns and more. We'll have to innovate!

http://humboldtforestdefense.blogspot.com

Add a Comment

response to ELF presence in Humboldt

by NOT an ELFer, just a writer!

Friday Oct 5th, 2007 4:21 PM

The same person who anonymously wrote the one sentence about the ELF also wrote a number of other statements in the article above, though you (humboldt activist, another anonymous writer) chose to focus in one one sentence for your critique..

To answer your question, "why even say that?"

Well, why not say it? How unlikely is it? Do you really know the true answer to your own statement? Are ELFers limited to one geographic location, or can they migrate, become nomadic?

Think of ELF as adding a divesity of tactics to the north coastal region, employing some additional tools in the toolbox that seem to be rusting from lack of use..

The article above also states that this invasion of Humboldt by ELF guerilla factions would occur only if Maxxam/PL land is sold off for development. Regular forest defense actions would proceed as previous, non-violent road blockades, treesits, tripods, etc..

Nor do these hypothetical ELF factions plan on coming into the Arcata plaza with their wickedly curved Persian swords ready to lop the heads off of loggers, hippies or any other residents (though a good solid "thwack" against the neck of the McKinley statue may ring out in the foggy mist one fine morn!!) of Humboldt..

Again, ELF maintains that no living humans or animals will be harmed in any of their actions. They're also rumored to be rather respectful of the plant community also..

That only leaves the so-called "violence" of property destruction, which even Ghandi himself stated was not true violence in his understanding of the word..

Though i DO NOT agree with Ward Churchill's statement on the "Little Eichmans" of 9/11 and his mistaken "left gatekeeper" belief that there was no U.S. government complicity in enabling the 9/11 WTC building collapse following the airplane crash, i DO agree with Ward on issues concerning restoration of indigenous people's land & treaty rights

and;

with statements in his book "Pacifism as Pathology", an internal critique of the insistence by various authoritarian leftists that non-violent pacifism is the ONLY way to gain any changes in the current corporate status quo..

"Liberal activism often embraces non-violent resistance in response to State-sponsored terrorism at home and abroad. In this emotional critique, Churchill urges activists to support any and all tactics in order to stop the tyranny of the State. Churchill argues that the terrorist attack of 9/11 disrupted US global capitalism more radically than any peaceful protest the Left has been able to organize. Recorded at a packed and fired up AK Press warehouse in Oakland. "

book @;

http://www.akpress.org/2002/items/pacifismandpathologyintheamericanleft

As a writer, i cannot claim myself to be a practitioner of ELF tactics, though i do support their presence and actions wherever they exist..

Pacifists and advocates of non-violence also have the responsibility of historical accuracy, as in Ghandi and ML King did not act entirely alone. During both of these struggles, there were other, unamed individuals elsewhere who were engaging in vandalism and other activities of property destruction. Specifically, in India there were guerilla armies blowing up and demolishing British weapons depots and weapons transport trains simultaneously while Ghandi held his non-violent sit-ins in cities throughout India..

This forced the British military officials to negotiate with Ghandi and his non-violent approach, which appeared to become the sole means for overcoming imperialist British armies, though that is only half of the story..

"The tide of Indian nationalism, having acquired momentum steadily since Gandhi was first arrested, attained a climactic stage in the spring of 1930. On March 12 of that year, following British rejection of demands for dominion status for India, Gandhi announced that he would lead a mass violation of the government salt monopoly. The violation was accomplished, after a long march to the Gulf of Khambhat, by boiling seawater to produce salt. Similar actions occurred throughout India, and on May 5 Gandhi was again jailed by the British authorities. Riots and demonstrations developed immediately in Calcutta, Delhi, and other centers. Trains were stoned, telegraph wires were cut, and various government officials were assassinated. Striving to cope with these and later disorders, the government carried out wholesale arrests, and by November about 27,000 Indian nationalists had been sentenced to prison terms."

read on @;

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/GeogHist/histories/history/hiscountries/I/india.html

Here's a more detailed account of armed resistance in India alongside Ghandi's non-violent resistance;

"Emergence of the armed revolutionaries

Virtually all the armed revolutionaries had participated enthusiastically in the non-violent non-cooperation movement earlier. But when the non-cooperation movement was suddenly suspended by Gandhi, the more radically minded of the young leaders looked to other leaders for inspiration. In 1904, V.D. Savarkar had organized Abhinav Bharat as a secret society of revolutionaries. Anushilan Samiti and Yugantar were two other such societies. Ideas of armed resistance to British rule were propogated and international centres were established with Madame Cama and Ajit Singh representing the struggle in Europe, and Shyamji Krishnaverma and others organizing chapters in London.

Frustrated and disillusioned by the inaction of the Congress, the revolutionaries in northern India were the first to reorganize under the leadership of the older veterans, Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjea and Sachindranath Sanyal whose Bandi Jiwan served as a textbook for the revolutionary movement. They met in Kanpur in October 1924 and founded the Hindustan Republican Association (or Army) to organize armed revolution to overthrow colonial rule.

The advance of the armed struggle required bold and risky actions. Volunteers had to be recruited and trained and arms had to be procured, requiring money - hence raids on the British treasury. On 9 August 1925, ten men held up the 8-Down train at Kakori (a village near Lucknow), to get access to its railway cash. British reaction was quick and hard. Ashfaqulla Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahiri were hanged, four others were sent to the Andamans for life and seventeen others were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. The Kakori case was a major setback to the revolutionaries of northern India; but it was not a fatal blow. Younger men such as Bejoy Kumar Sinha, Shiv Varma and Jaidev Kapur in U.P., Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra and Sukhdev in Punjab set out to reorganize the HRA under the overall leadership of Chandrashekhar Azad. At this time, they were also strongly influenced by socialist ideas. At a Delhi meeting in September 1928, a new collective leadership adopted socialism as their official goal and changed their party's name to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (Army).

On 8 April 1929, HSRA embarked on a plan to throw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly against the passage of two new repressive bills - the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. The aim was not to cause any loss of life, but to use the daring action to awaken and energize the Indian masses. It was intended to 'make the deaf hear'. The objective was to get arrested and to use the trial court as a vehicle to disseminate their dreams and ideas for a new and liberated India.

Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt were tried in the Assembly Bomb Case. Later Sukhdev, Rajguru and tens of other revolutionaries were also tried in a series of famous conspiracy cases. Their fearless and unswerving attitudes in court became legendary. Every day they entered the court-room chanting slogans 'Inquilab Zindabad,' 'Down, Down with Imperialism,' singing songs like Sarfaroshi ki tamanna hai (our heart is filled with the desire of martyrdom) and Mere rang de basanti chola (dye my clothes in saffron, the color of courage and sacrifice).

In March 1931, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Bhagat Singh were hanged by the British in spite of tremendous popular opposition to their hanging. Bhagat Singh became a household hero, and his hanging led to an outpouring of grief and sorrow all over the nation. Although the Congress could have utilized the mood of popular anger to accelerate the mass struggle, it's response to the Bhagat Singh trial was tepid. In his private negotiations with the British, it appears that Gandhi did not press the issue of Bhagat Singh's impending death sentence. Supporters of Bhagat Singh became particularly bitter when Gandhi failed to fight hard on their behalf.

In Bengal too, armed revolutionary groups started reorganizing and developing underground activities even as some of the leaders maintained their links with the Congress. One of their planned actions was to assassinate Charles Tegart - the much hated Police Commissioner of Calcutta. The attempt failed and Gopinath Saha was arrested and hanged for the attempt despite massive popular protest. Despite the setback, attempts at armed revolt were not abandoned. Among the new 'Revolt Groups,' the most active and famous was the Chittagong group led by Surya Sen.

Surya Sen had actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement and had become a teacher in a national school in Chittagong. He had also been closely associated with Congress work in Chittagong. Along with other colleagues in the local Congress committees, and several young recruits, Surya Sen and his compatriots decided to organize a rebellion, on however small a scale, to demonstrate that it was possible to challenge the armed might of the British empire in India. Their action plan was to include occupation of the two main armories in Chittagong and the seizing of their arms with which four large band of revolutionaries could be formed into an armed detachment. In a fierce fight, (April, 1930) eighty British troops and twelve revolutionaries died, but Chittagong could not be held by the revolutionaries. When the armed revolutionaries dispersed into the Chittagong countryside, most of the Muslim villagers gave food and shelter to the revolutionaries in hiding, enabling them to survive for three years. The Chittagong Armoury Raid had a tremendous impact on the people of Bengal and inspired numerous other acts of armed resistance. But Surya Sen was eventually caught and hanged in 1934. Many of his co-fighters were also caught and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

Just as it seemed that the national movement was completely slipping away from the influence of the Congress, Gandhi returned to the mode of non-violent struggle and launched the salt satyagraha (1930-31). Campaigns to boycott imported goods were also launched. With the masses energized once again, a series of anti-British action took place, of which most notable were the raid on the Chittagong Armory and a mutiny by Garhwali soldiers in Peshawar. For ten days, British authority in Peshawar collapsed. But the brave soldiers of Peshawar who had resisted British orders to shoot at their civilian brethren during a mass demonstration received little sympathy from Gandhi."

read on @;

http://india_resource.tripod.com/freedom.html

Meanwhile in modern day Iraq, Moqtada Al-Sadr and the Mahdi army are certainly not limiting themselves to only one form of resistance when the privatization of Iraq's underground oil privatization is happening..

"Mr Sadr, revered by millions of Iraqi Shias, spoke after leading Friday prayers in the Grand Mosque at Kufa, just over 100 miles south of Baghdad. It is one of the four Iraqi cities considered holy in Shia Islam. He always wears a black turban, the traditional symbol of a Shia cleric who can trace his ancestry to the Prophet Mohamed. But for the second time in two weeks, he also wore a white shroud - a symbol of his willingness to be martyred, and his belief that death is close at hand.

"There is nothing to talk about," he said angrily. "The Americans are occupiers and thieves, and they must set a timetable to leave this country. We must know that they are leaving, and we must know when." He has reason to be wary of US offers to negotiate. As I revealed last month, respected Iraqi political figures believe the US army tried to kill or capture Mr Sadr after luring him to peace talks in Najaf in 2004.

With US, British and Iraqi government forces still conducting operations against the Sadr movement and its army, the cleric warned he was prepared to launch another armed uprising. "The occupiers have tried to provoke us, but I ordered unarmed resistance for the sake of the people," he said. "We have been patient, exercising statesmanship, but if the occupation and oppression continues, we will fight." The Mahdi Army has been relatively quiet, but it is becoming more active in Baghdad, responding to a series of devastating suicide bombings by Sunni extremists.

Mr Sadr, whose rise to become one of the most influential figures in Iraq coincided with the US overthrow of Saddam, said his movement sought to follow the example of Hizbollah, the Shia armed resistance movement in Lebanon. "Hizbollah and the Mahdi Army are two sides of the same coin," he said. "We are together in the same trench against the forces of evil."

"

read on @;

http://www.counterpunch.org/patrick06042007.html

So it goes with the struggle against imperialist colonialism here in the americas, and this resistance has an equally long timetable that will no doubt continue into the future..

"Columbus Day on Oct. 12 is celebrated as a holiday in the United States and several Latin American nations, but Chavez said it should be remembered as the "Day of Indian Resistance."

"We Venezuelans, we Latin Americans, have no reason to honor Columbus," he added.

The Venezuelan leader said Spanish, Portuguese and other foreign conquerors had massacred South America's Indian inhabitants at an average rate of roughly "one every 10 minutes." He described Spanish conquistadors like Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, as "worse than Hitler."

He said even the continent's geographical names, like America and Venezuela, were imposed by foreigners.

Chavez's opponents, who are seeking a referendum to try to vote him out of office, say his self-styled "revolution" in the world's No. 5 oil exporter is aimed at installing an anti-U.S. communist system like the one in Cuba. Chavez says his brand of left-wing nationalism will make Venezuela more independent.

The Venezuelan leader hailed as heroes Indian chiefs who had fought against the invaders, such as Guaicaipuro who resisted the Spanish founders of Caracas, and American Indian chief Sitting Bull, who defeated U.S. Gen. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.

"Long live Sitting Bull!" Chavez declared, drawing applause from his audience, many of whom wore traditional native clothes and head-dresses."

article @;

http://www.transformcolumbusday.org/media/20031011-rt.htm

Of course we all love our family, friends, bodies and ecosystems we call home, and would like nothing more than to remain alive and well for many years to come, The greatest sacrifice made is one's physical freedom and comforts of life lost to prison, and the breath of life is the ultimate gift that one does not ever want to give up..

However, complicity with the occupation of corporate imperialists (here or elsewhere) by not fully engaging or limiting oneself in choosing certain methods of engagement over others is the sadness of not having tried hard enough and surely to witness the destruction of one's home (forest, desert, mountains, etc..) by the imperialist occupation is worse than the pain of any bullet..

Summing up, whatever you choose to do, BE SAFE!! and try VERY hard not to get caught. Nobody in the established Humboldt forest defense movement is responsible for the actions of any outsider! We're all individuals who make choices, nobody is responsible for any action that they themselves did not act out in physical form. Since this doesn't involve payments for actions, the same rules of inciting violence or "ordering hits" do not apply. So far one writer here is doing most of the inciting, so this writer is the only one responsible..

FBI ALERT!!

This writer also encourages solo "lone lobo" actions instead of group cells to avoid any testimony in court as witnessed in the recent green scare episodes where one or more members of the group cell snitches and gets everyone caught. What nobody knows can't be said...

Reconsider the effectiveness of admitting your actions for the sake of pride and/or media publicity. Better off to present the police with a face of insanity and/or ignorance and live to fight another day than to admit to any actions, even under duress..