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| Pacific Lumber Carrying Out Dangerous Extractions of Protesters in Trees Activists are Trying to Purchase For Immediate Release - Contact: Remedy on site: 707-498-0601; Karen Pickett Activist Locked Into Concrete-Filled Barrel 130 feet High in Branches Humboldt County, California--The tree that the activist known as Remedy lived in for a year was ascended by contract climbers hired by Pacific Lumber (PL) this morning with the intention of removing protesters and cutting the giant old growth redwood tree. Other activists have occupied the tree continuously since Remedy, a 28 year old woman from Olympia, Washington was forcibly taken out of the tree March 17, starting a month-long process to remove sitters from nearly two dozen old growth trees they were occupying in efforts to save the remnants of forest in this severely impacted watershed. The action by Pacific Lumber this morning, observed by only one Sherriff's Deputy, was described by those on the scene as highly dangerous, as the tree-sitter had his arms locked into a 55-gallon barrel filled with concrete. The contract climbers, not trained to do this sort of work, planned to lower the heavy barrel with the protester attached to it from a height of about 130 feet. The old growth redwood tree with a girth of about 12 feet, was topped and limbed after Remedy was taken down, but given the resilience of old growth redwoods, would recover if left alone. Local residents have been raising funds to purchase this tree and several other ancient trees from the timber company, who would profit more from a purchase than logging the few remaining trees. Over 50 people were arrested over the course of two months this spring, amid "SLAPP suits (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, designed to quash dissent) filed by PL and cross complaints filed by activists charging assault by the contract climbers. Freshwater has been the site of many demonstrations by forest defenders and landowners alike, who have been protesting flooding of their homes and roadways from logging-caused sedimentation of Freshwater Creek. The Freshwater Creek watershed has been heavily logged throughout the past 20 years and less than 4% of its original forest remains. 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.  << Back to Press Release Archive | Latest Press Release | Newsroom | | 
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