Pacific Lumber Goes After Remedy's Home Tree Jerry and Other Tree-Sitters
For Immediate Release -
Contact: Karen Pickett 707-480-4022 (cell) or message at 925-376-7329; Darryl Cherney 707-943-3788
At 8 am this morning, as war broke out half way across the world, Pacific Lumber (PL) climbers shot ropes up into a tree named Jerry in apparent efforts to extract activists who replaced long-time tree-sitter Remedy, who was taken out of the giant redwood tree she had lived in for 362 days on Monday. Supporters were on site to defend the tree and the forest, as activists continue to protest PL's controversial logging that has caused massive problems for local residents as well as endangered species. The Freshwater watershed where there are at least 18 tree-sits is considered to be in a state of meltdown.
PL moved in on tree-sitters Monday after serving the activists with legal papers related to a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) the company has filed against activists. Timber company employees nailed copies of a Temporary Restraining Order and Order for Preliminary Injunction to trees they believed were occupied last week, ordering them to vacate the trees along with their belongings. When the activists did not descend, PL sent climbers up the trees, physically placing activists in harnesses and lowering them over 100 feet to the ground, cutting ropes holding their belongings, and sending sleeping bags, water jugs and other personal effects crashing to the ground.
Remedy and Wren, a tree-sitter who had occupied a redwood tree for 10 months, were removed by PL climbers on Monday and arrested. The following day, a young woman named Annapurna was brought down from her perch and taken out on a stretcher to jail. Supporters on the ground were arrested as well--9 on Tuesday and about 8 on Monday. Remedy was bailed out by her mom, but Annapurna and Wren remain in jail. On Wednesday, activists on site began crying as PL brought a redwood tree crashing to the ground with a reverberating boom minutes after removing tree-sitter named Silver Willow from its branches.
Forest activists will hold a rally at noon this Sunday at the site of Remedy's nearly year-long tree-sit in Freshwater watershed, east of Eureka. The rally had been planned to celebrate with her in the tree, but she will be at the rally, joined by her mother and sister, out from Michigan. It is expected there will still be many tree-sitters up in trees at the time of the rally.
Directions to the rally and the tree-sits: From the south, take the Myrtle Ave. exit off Hwy 101 at north end of Eureka. Go several miles to 3 Corners Market, at the intersection of Freshwater road and Myrtle Ave.. There is a parking lot across from the market, and a shuttle will bring people from there to the rally and tree-sit site, which is 1.8 miles further up Greenwood Heights Rd. ###
