Maxxam Logging In The Mattole<\/b>\r\n<\/p>
-No logging since Friday, November 10th-<\/b>\r\n<\/p>
Last Friday, we heard the news we've been anticipating for weeks. A\r\ntruckload of Columbia Helicopter loggers showed up to clearcut one\r\nof the seven timber harvest plans (THP) on Rainbow\r\nRidge,1-99-475. They were greeted by twelve forest defenders who through\r\ntheir brave but non-violent approach were able to keep\r\nall but one tree standing. The Humboldt County Sheriffs gave chase\r\nto the activists while forming a protective ring around the one pair\r\nof fallers who managed to down one 150 yr old Doug-Fir. Two activist\r\nwere pepper-sprayed but no arrests!\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
Maxxam\/Pacific Lumber has not returned to the Mattole since Friday in\r\npart due to wet weather road use restrictions but largely\r\nbecause of the constant presence of 20+ forest defenders in the THP.\r\nMattole Community members are ready to block the main gate \r\nleading into the area as they did Monday November 13th. Yesterday we\r\ngot word via cell phone that the Mattole Forest Defenders\r\nhave declared a free state and have erected elaborate blockades to\r\nslow future logging crews that will inevitably show up.\r\n<\/p>
With the weather forecast clear for the next week, Saturday November\r\n19th is the first day falling crews can again have<\/b>\r\n
access to the area!<\/b>\r\n<\/p>
Please come to the Mattole for a few days and help defend the 3,000\r\nacres of incredible old growth Doug-Fir forest. We prefer\r\nthose with direct action experience. Please call the hotline first\r\nat 707-441-3828. Come prepared for very cold, rainy conditions. The\r\nhike into the area is over 12+ miles. There is no basecamp so please\r\ncall the hotline to get invloved. We also have a wish list:\r\nbackwoods food (high protein pocket foods such as clif bars, dried\r\nfruits, nuts, dry soup mixes, falafel mix, etc), vitamin C, rain gear,\r\nwarm clothing (non-cotton polypro and fleece preferred), wool blankets,\r\nbatteries (AA, AAA), radios, backpacks, tarps, video\r\ncameras, and of course money... One can mail donations to the addresses\r\nlist below.\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
Litigation and Aquisition<\/u><\/b>\r\n
THP 475 plan was first challenged early in September by EPIC, Lost\r\nCoast League, and the Humboldt Watershed Council. The\r\ncase made it to the California Supreme Court and though an injunction\r\nto halt logging until trial was denied the case is still alive. Two\r\nother Mattole logging plans 1-00-020 and 1-00-031 are being challenged\r\n(in pro per) by Dan Ehersman, who is with a group called\r\nTHP Watch. Pacific Lumber has agreed to hold off on logging these two\r\nplans until their court date on November 29th (more details\r\n
later).\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
Mattole community members are working to purchase Maxxam's entire 14,000\r\nacre Rainbow Ridge holdings. You can support that effort by calling\r\nPacific Lumber and Maxxam and encouraging them to hold off on logging for one\r\nyear and instead sell the properties to the community.\r\n
There are already millions of dollars pledged to this effort. Urge\r\nMaxxam\/PL to be a willing seller and begin negotiations immediately!\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
This is a very economically feasable option for Maxxam. They \r\nclaim that they need to log the Mattole to keep their employees\r\nworking but logging and helicopter yarding are being conducted by the\r\nOregon based Columbia Helicopter. There is a strong chance\r\nmany of these logs will only be \"rough-sawn\" and exported.\r\n<\/p>
For more information about the acquisition proposal, please see the\r\nwebsite:\r\n
www.asis.com\/~coho.\r\n<\/p>
Please contact:<\/u><\/b>\r\n<\/p>
John Campbell, Pacific Lumber Co., 707-764-2222, FAX - 707-764-4269\r\n
Charles Hurwitz, Maxxam Corp, 713-975-7600, FAX- 713-952-4795\r\n<\/p>
Ask them to hold off logging in the Mattole for one year so the community\r\ncan raise the funds to purchase the 14,000 acres.\r\n<\/p>
For more information:<\/u><\/b>\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
Direct Action: Mattole Forest Defenders,(VM) 707-441-3828\r\n
POB 117, Petrolia, CA 95558\r\n
North Coast Earth First!, (VM) 707-825-6598\r\n
POB 28, Arcata, CA. 95518\r\n
Litigation: Dan Ehresman, THP Watch, 707-839-1534\r\n
Paul Mason, EPIC, 707-923-2931\r\n
Acquisition: Dave Walsh, Ancient Forest International, 707-923-3015\r\n
\r\n<\/p>
Maxxam Out of the Mattole media desk can be reached at 707-629-3599\r\n
http:\/\/www.asis.com\/~coho\r\n<\/p>
Background information and video footage are available upon request.\r\n
Maxxam Out of the Mattole media desk is a project of the Independent\r\nMedia\r\n
Center\/Petrolia, http:\/\/indymedia.org\r\n<\/p>\n","contact":"mattoledefense@yahoo.com","link":"http:\/\/www.asis.com\/~coho","address":"Petrolia, CA","phone":"707-441-3828","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Last Friday, we heard the news we've been anticipating for weeks. A truckload of Columbia Helicopter loggers showed up to clearcut one of the seven timber harvest plans (THP) on Rainbow Ridge,1-99-475.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2000\/11\/maxxam_log.html","filesize":"4.5 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2000\/11\/4636.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}