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| Over 90 Mile Trek To Save The Mattole Will Begin Thursday 3-16-04 For Immediate Release - Contact: March 16, 2004 MEDIA ADVISORY: March 16,2004 OVER 90 MILE TREK TO SAVE THE MATTOLE WILL BEGIN THURSDAY Contact: Kim Starr Humboldt County, CA: On March 18, forest activists and other concerned folks will begin a public march of over 90 miles. The stated purpose: to raise awareness and inspire people of Humboldt and beyond to stand up to Maxxam Corporation's plunderous logging in the Mattole watershed. The march, estimated to last 12 days, will begin in the busy town of McKinleyville and take marchers through 10 more towns, over miles of railroad, down the Avenue of the Giants, through old growth Redwood groves, and finally, to Fox Camp Gate. Fox Camp Gate is in the world's largest Redwood forest, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and is one of the many gates used by Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Company to access and log the unique old growth Doug Fir, Madrone, and Tan Oak forest of the wild Mattole river region. Organizers hope the March serves as a strong tool of communication and education regarding the history, land, and logging in the Mattole. Furthermore, organizer Kim Starr, explains: " I've always experienced walking as a healthy way to gain new perspectives and to work things out in my own life. I'm hoping that, as a community, we can walk together and find the inspiration and collective strength to protect the Mattole from further devastation by Maxxam." Through 25 years of local salmon restoration work and several heavy years of lawsuits and non-violent direct action to save the area, people have been able to repair and stave off some of the degradation of recent and past intense logging in the area. Now it seems potential for community empowerment to gain local control of the Mattole could be at an all-time high. Humboldt County residents just defeated an expensive effort by Texas-based Maxxam Corporation to recall Humboldt's duly elected District Attorney. The recall effort came after the DA began a lawsuit claiming that Maxxam's Pacific Lumber Co. has been using fraudulent data to be permitted to clearcut ancient forests in unstable areas such as the Mattole. The residents can once again refuse to let such an uncaring corporation to decide the fate The March to the Mattole will be 12 days of art, music, demonstrations, and outreach. Organizers hope the March will highlight the importance of local control of the Mattole, selective and sustainable logging, leaving the remaining old growth trees, cutting only in stable areas, and keeping the Mattole free of herbicides and pesticides. The beautiful and rugged Mattole terrain is the most seismically active in the continental U.S. It is wild, yet endangered habitat for many endangered species including the rare Pacific fisher and the coho salmon. Additionally, the region serves as a vital wildlife corridor between Humboldt Redwooods State Park and the King's Range Conservation Area. A celebration rally is scheduled for March 29 at Fox Camp Gate, for the last day of the March. Itineraries and maps of the route are available throughout Humboldt or by request. If interested , please call (707) 825-6598.  << Back to Press Release Archive | Latest Press Release | Newsroom | | 
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