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| More Arrests in Freshwater as Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Again Climbs Trees to Get at Protesters For Immediate Release - Contact: Karen Pickett (510) 548-3113, Kim Starr (707) 822-1203 Humboldt County, California-Protesters were on the scene again today as Maxxam/Pacific Lumber (PL) climbers went after tree-sitters occupying an area where PL is cutting residual old growth redwoods in a watershed residents say is in a state of meltdown. This morning, climbers scaled a tree believed to be over 800 years old to handcuff and lower to the ground an activist who had been sitting in the tree, which had been continuously occupied since September,2002. The 4 to 5-foot diameter giant redwood was cut shortly after the sitter was extracted. There was another arrest when an activist locked himself to the axle of a log truck carrying old growth trees at least 4 feet in diameter. The activist locked himself into a metal length of pipe after wrapping his arms around the truck axle and was injured as police dragged him out from under the truck. An 8-12 inch ditch across Freshwater Rd. had to be repaired after PL felled a huge tree across the road yesterday, in an area where many local residents are supportive of the tree-dwelling activists because they too oppose Pacific Lumber practices that have caused devastating floods and siltation of streams as torrents rush down denuded hillsides. Forest defenders have been stalwart, though PL has been carrying out a propaganda campaign, running full-page newspaper and tv ads calling Earth First! "terrorists". The activists remain non-violent, though many of them have been injured in the tree-sit extractions that have horrified observers as young activists have been lowered from heights of over 150 feet by ropes after being handcuffed and having their ankles tied. A total of eight activists have been taken out of the trees, though many old growth trees remain occupied. The Freshwater Creek watershed has been heavily logged throughout the past 20 years and less than 5% of its original forest remained before the current spate of logging began. Freshwater Creek was the subject of one of the most extensive watershed studies ever done in California, which concluded that the watershed is severely impaired and that all logging should cease and desist immediately. Pacific Lumber ignored the analysis and has continued to clear-cut residual old growth forests on steep and unstable slopes while disregarding the concerns of residents. In a move residents called "agency malfeasance", the Regional Water Quality Board, in late February granted waivers of waste discharge requirements on logging plans in the Freshwater watershed, clearing the way for logging to resume where the tree-sits had been protecting trees. Resident Jesse Noell noted at the time, "These [timber harvest] plans had letters of non-concurrence from the Regional Water Quality Board staff. They are not in concurrence with the Basin Plan." In addition to the media ads attacking the environmentalists, PL filed a harassment lawsuit against tree-sitters and other activists, seeking damages for interference with their operation. ###  << Back to Press Release Archive | Latest Press Release | Newsroom | | 
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