{"article":{"id":4721,"heading":"ANCIENT REDWOOD TREE \"LUNA\" CUT","author":"Rokcircle","created":"2000-11-29 17:12:32","modified":"2003-03-28 16:18:34","last_modified":"Fri, 28 Mar 2003 23:18:34","article":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November, 27 2000

Contact: Circle of Life Foundation: (707) 923-9522, (707) 923-4619

The small hamlet of Stafford, California is the site of a landslide that originated on PL\/Maxxam land that destroyed seven families' homes. Stafford is also home to the Stafford Giant, an ancient redwood tree now known to the world as Luna. The tree was named Luna by forest activists who used the light of the full moon to rig a treesitting platform 180 feet high in the redwood in October, 1997.

On December 10, 1997 Julia Butterfly Hill climbed into the tree to protect the magnificent redwood and to help make the world aware of the plight of the ancient forests. From her perch she carried out a tremendous amount of outreach to politicians, religious leaders, school children and citizens worldwide. After two years of risking her life, Julia, with the help of members of the US Steelworkers of America and other forest activists, successfully negotiated the permanent protection of Luna and a nearly three-acre buffer zone.

The tree was protected by a Deed of Covenant, similar to a conservation easement that is held by the land trust Sanctuary Forest. The Luna Preservation Agreement, signed by Julia Hill and PL\/Maxxam Corp., was designed to protect Luna in perpetuity so the tree could live for another millennium.

On Thanksgiving weekend it was discovered that a critical cut had been made into Luna by a large chainsaw. The perpetrator made one deep and precise cut that went through a significant portion of the tree. While the tree is still alive and standing, Luna is extremely vulnerable to a windstorm. Judging from the precision of the cut and the fresh sawdust, the criminal action appears to have been committed by an experienced treefaller within the last few days.

Julia Butterfly was devastated to learn of the injury to Luna, \"Luna is the greatest teacher and best friend I have ever had. I gave two years of my life to ensure that she could live and die naturally. But two years is nothing compared to the thousand years she has lived, providing shelter, moisture and oxygen to forest inhabitants. It kills me that the last 3% of

the ancient redwoods are being desecrated. I feel this vicious attack on Luna as surely as if the chainsaw was going through me. Words cannot express the deep sorrow that I am experiencing but I am as committed as ever to do everything in my power to protect Luna and the remaining ancient forests.\"

Circle of Life Foundation and Sanctuary Forest are researching what can be done to stabilize the critically injured tree. There is a criminal investigation at the crime site for clues as to who may have committed this spiteful and malevolent action against this permanently protected tree.

The forests surrounding Luna are sacrifice zones that were not protected under the Headwaters Forest Agreement. Other sacrifice zones include the old-growth Douglas fir forests on Rainbow Ridge in the Mattole River watershed. Police convoys are actively trying to stop forest activists from defending these forested steep slopes that are slated to be clearcut during this rainy season.



Dana Stolzman<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.circleoflifefoundation.org\/","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"ANCIENT REDWOOD TREE LUNA WHERE JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL LIVED FOR OVER TWO YEARS HAS BEEN ILLEGALLY CUT AND ENDANGERED","numcomment":11,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2000\/11\/4721.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":42271,"heading":"Save The Tree's","article":"We must hump as many tree's as possible.\r\n\r\nPro-Create with the tree's!!!!\r\n\r\nCALL TO ACTION","author":"CALL FOR ACTION","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-28 16:12:35","modified":"2003-03-28 16:12:35","fileurl":""},{"id":42273,"heading":"To Hell with trees!","article":"Clear cut the trees! Long live the logging companies. Rape and pillage the Earth!!!","author":"Typical Conservative","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-28 16:15:10","modified":"2003-03-28 16:15:10","fileurl":""},{"id":42276,"heading":"Mmmm Wood","article":"Must Cut tree's to live....MMMM WOOD.\r\n\r\nHippie will not stop me!","author":"Johnny Logger","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-28 16:16:48","modified":"2003-03-28 16:16:48","fileurl":""},{"id":42278,"heading":"Heil Bush!","article":"Nuke the hippies! Nuke the trees! Kill anyone who dares oppose our plan to enrich the logging companies!","author":"Typical Conservative","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-28 16:18:34","modified":"2003-03-28 16:18:34","fileurl":""},{"id":4729,"heading":"Operate Outside of Their Mental Boundaries.","article":"Trying to overcome the odds by competing on a strictly mundane level, playing their game exclusively, and losing, is an unfortunate cycle that the American left would do well to examine. The next time that the materialists show up to continue their suicidal earthly agenda, have everybody chant the mahamantram in unison! Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. \r\n\r\nTrust me on this one. Of course, it will look culturally ridiculous for a group of Earth First! ecodefenders to do this, so feel free to blame me entirely for any consequences. Whereas I'm so far out of the pc-lefty loop nowadays, I couldn't care less. My love to all.","author":"Craig Stehr","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-11-30 17:02:38","modified":"2000-11-30 17:31:14","fileurl":""},{"id":4731,"heading":"Thankfully, there are those that do care.","article":"Earth First! is hardly concerned with being politically correct, but I do applaud your achievement of spiritual correctness. Perhaps I should chant more, then I would know exactly which causes to support. Hey, soup is good! And vegetarian to boot! Ommmmmmmmm..... ","author":"Rokcircle","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-11-30 19:28:43","modified":"2000-11-30 20:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":4748,"heading":"Clarifying What I Meant.","article":"Hi Jon, How's everything? I did NOT mean that I don't care about the earth and others. I meant that I do not care what anybody on the American left thinks about me. I do what I do, and am not interested what the pc-lefty types think at all. I have a lengthy frontline Earth First! history, among other achievements. Checkout my \"Philadelphia Story\" at www.phillyimc.org, detailing what I did on the east coast the past six months. Personally, I practice integral yoga with an emphasis on yogic samadhi. This is quite acceptable in radical circles in India...it's not so easily understood in America. By now, you no doubt understand that I couldn't care less about this fact. Peaceout.","author":"Craig Stehr","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-12-01 16:29:15","modified":"2000-12-01 17:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":4750,"heading":"samadhi","article":"Craig,\r\n\r\nYour post came across a bit smug. Please explain your \"pc-lefty loop\" comment. Do you think you're the first environmentalist to have discovered eastern mysticism or the spirituality of deep ecology? \r\n\r\n\r\npeace,\r\n\r\nJon ","author":"Jon","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-12-01 19:19:21","modified":"2000-12-01 20:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":4753,"heading":"Am Ignoring the Egotists and Gossipers.","article":"Jon, I'm not being smug. I'm being smart, based on experience. Checkout the infighting as detailed for the past twenty years in the Earth First! Journal. There was some clarification due to all of the egotism, but not enough to have made the contentiousness worth it. It certainly didn't do anything for the earth, I can tell you that. I was there for it all. From now on, I'm ignoring the egotists and gossipers. Not smug...smart! Peaceout. ","author":"Craig Stehr","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-12-01 23:35:49","modified":"2000-12-02 00:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":4754,"heading":"Julia's poem","article":"Julia Butterfly has been the victim\r\nherself of infighting and jealousy within the \r\nEarth First! movement. That may be why she left\r\nit (I think) to hook up with Earth Island Institute \r\nand form her own organization \"Circle of Life Foundation\"\r\nhttp:\/\/www.circleoflifefoundation.org\/\r\nJulia is a bright light for me, with her emphasis\r\nof love. She is one of my heros. So I cry with her\r\nwhen I read this poem she wrote regarding the recent\r\ncutting of Luna: \r\n\r\n\r\nI heard today . . . \r\nLuna's been cut. \r\nTwo-thirds and maybe more. \r\nSomeone in their rage, \r\nin their anger, \r\nin their frustration \r\nstruck out at Luna \r\nwanting to hurt Her . . . \r\nwanting to hurt me \r\nthe way they must be hurting inside. \r\nSee . . . \r\nwhat we do to the Earth \r\nwe do to each other. \r\nAnd how we treat the Earth \r\nis reflected in how we treat each other. \r\nThe pain I feel right now that threatens to rip me apart \r\nis the pain I feel every time I see an Ancient Elder cut . . . \r\nthe pain I feel every time another species goes extinct . . . \r\nthe pain I feel every time someone yells at a child . . . \r\nthe pain I feel every time another woman dies of breast cancer \r\ncaused by all the legal pollutants in her food, \r\nher planet, \r\nher life . . . \r\nThe pain I feel every time I think of Leonard Peltier locked inside \r\nour prisons of disrespect and disconnect. \r\nOn and on and on \r\nthe pain in our world grows bigger and erupts. \r\nRicocheting bullets school yards and halls. \r\nChainsaws to sacred beings. \r\nWhen do we begin to look at where this DIS-EASE begins? \r\nIn the disconnection from the sacred . . . \r\nIn the disconnection from the heart. \r\nThe person who ripped metal into Luna's flesh \r\nis just as ripped apart inside as Luna now is, \r\nas I now am, \r\nas is the world. \r\nMay the tears that pour out from the depths of my soul \r\ncleanse the sadness of any who would wish to react in rage. \r\nThe person who so viciously attacked Luna \r\nhas enough anger for the world. \r\nMay we love ever more \r\nMay we motivate ourselves to committed love in Action \r\nMay we motivate ourselves to live the life we wish to see in the world. \r\nMay we be the transformation we wish to see in the world. \r\nFrom the inside out . . . \r\nFrom the roots branching upwards . . . \r\nFrom the heart \r\nto thought \r\nto word \r\nto action. \r\nThrough life's trials and hardships \r\nwe can arise beautiful and free. \r\n\r\nJulia Butterfly \r\nSunday, November 26, 2000\r\n","author":"Jon Sherman","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-12-02 01:10:18","modified":"2000-12-02 01:23:26","fileurl":""},{"id":4843,"heading":"Back to the Source.","article":"I believe, after further consideration, that it is necessary to go back even further than vedic times...back to the original, eternal, unmanifest spiritual Absolute. In the midst of the mushrooming world confusion, this makes sense! Mentally united with the source, revolutionary ecology groups will be successful...no doubt.","author":"Craig Stehr","parent_id":4721,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-12-12 22:39:26","modified":"2000-12-12 23:00:01","fileurl":""}]}