Forest Defenders

KMUD discusses the McKay Tract with EF! Humboldt and Mind Petals on December 9, 2008

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Just got word from sitters perched up in a redwood on North Ridge Rd on Green Diamond land. An arborist just climbed the opposing tree of the sitters and dangerously axed two branches close to a connected traverse line attached to a sitters platform. We need your support - please come to North Ridge Rd off of Walnut Drive. Detailed directions on efhumboldt.org.

Logging in McKay Tract — THP 1-08-102 HUM — is approaching rapidly. With February 15, 2009 being the date that Green Diamond can begin clear cutting, time is definitely of the essence.

Over the past 2 weeks, Mind Petals has been organizing community hikes throughout the McKay Tract in a effort to galvanize people of Humboldt County — and the world ! — to prevent this deathblow on Nature. Our hikes will continue (sign up for our newsletter to be notified) and organizing around this issue will carry on indefinitely.

Greed Diamond’s unfettered disregard for life and insatiable desire to increase their bottom-line at the expense of animal habitat, old growth forests, and a place for the community to hike recreationally is absolutely sickening. Who in their right mind can inflict such damage on the land and live with themselves? Such is the modality of Green Diamond — a company not even close to being “Green.”

Here are a few shots from our Nov 11th and 22nd community hikes

Please join us in our movement to preserve life and put an end to the destruction.
Our hikes are not only fun, but educational. We hope to see you soon.

A few days ago I spoke on KMUD radio to spread awareness and muster support in the defense of the McKay Tract currently threatened by Green Diamond and others. Tomorrow, Nov. 11, community members and activists will be gathering to go on a hike — to see what’s at stake. We’ll be meeting at 1PM. Call 631 445 2185 for meeting location.

Download and listen to KMUD Radio Interview

Frank Hovenden, attending the rally at legislature to protest old-growth logging, of Gold River wore a paper bag on his head and carried a placard saying “Embarrassed to work in the woods.” I wonder if the Green Diamond, SPI, and HRC foresters are proud of their work? I wonder how well they sleep at night? Probably just fine, most of them. Ignorance is bliss, eh.

Thousands of protesters march up Government Street toward the legislature yesterday during The Rally for Ancient Forests. Read full story

Forest activists attacked in the Upper Florentine Valley, Tassie

Forest Defenders of Still Wild, Still Threatened in Tasmania, Florentine Valley, are shown here being viciously assaulted by a mob of irate loggers. These peaceful activist were attempting to halt logging and protect the critically endangered Swift Parrot (below 1000 pairs ) in the forests on the eastern edge of the World Heritage Area. The behavior of these loggers absolutely disgusts me. And the wanton destruction of the Crass Parrot habitat is even more disturbing. What is this world coming to?

Read more: Violence and extinction in Tasmania’s forests

activists refused to be intimidated by logging thugs and returned into the forests, this time in the Weld Valley to protect some of the old growth forests there. One of the forest defenders locked on to a excavator was threatened with a power saw held close to his head, the idiot logger pressed his saw against the metal so that sparks showered his hair. Native Forest

Styx Forest Defense Video
S:O:S — Save Our Styx –Anti Logging Protest

I recently learned of threatened old growth in Maine from an Earth First! Journal article. I’m from the East Coast and it hurts to learn of this, though I am not at all surprised.

This 220 acre tract of land adjacent to Big Wilson Steam in Elliotsville, Maine, is being threatened by one of the nations largest land owners, Plum Creek. The “owners” are waiting for the outcome of a rezoning proposal that would allow them to destroy this ancient forest, profit off of the wood, then use the land to develop on.

Forest Defenders in the area are actively working to protect this land and are in the process of finding a purchaser to conserve the land.

If you reside on the East Coast, or on the planet Earth, and care about preserving our forests, please send your support, in any way that you can, to Big Wilson forest in Maine.

Follow the struggle on the Big Wilson Blog

Timber Harvest Plan: 1-08-041 HUM

On section II “Plan of Timber Operations” of Humboldt Redwoods Company’s recently approved THP, Sept. 30, 2008, it clearly states that HRC intends to clearcut 122.7 acres with an Evenaged Management Silviculture Method.

See for yourself:

HRC's plan to clearcut 122 acres

As my friend Jeff stated: “HRC came to Humboldt to make money.” With all the recent media hype aggrandizing HRC’s logging practices, people have come to believe that HRC came here to protect the forest. But at the end of the day, they came here to make money. And I’m not going to sit here and ignorantly state that companies don’t have a right to make money. They do. I don’t hate capitalism. I hate destructive logging practices.

UPDATE [10.21.08]: This discovery I made about clear cutting made it back to President of HRC, Mike Jani. I have been told by 2 credible sources, last week, that he has corrected the “mistake.” And that there are plenty more “mistakes” to correct in more THPs.

Mr. Kramer plans to turn the fecund, beautiful, and diversity-rich North McKay Tract into this:

• 64 “workforce” apartments
• 32 “affordable” single family parcels
• 46 “townhouse” units
• 64 “condominium” units
• 114 single family units
• 1.8 acre of neighborhood commercial space with “affordable” apartments
• 30 acres of open space

If this plan goes through, Cutten and Eureka would be a mess at the expense of one of the most diverse tracks of land remaining in Humboldt County. The McKay Tract deserves to be a fully protected Neighborhood Park, such as Arcata’s. With sustainable selective logging, the town of Eureka could financially benefit indefinitely. If rezoning is allowed, no one will benefit except Green Diamond Resource Company.

Endangered Northern Spotted Owls, bears, deer, salamanders, fox, mountain lions, etc.. are all at risk of losing their home. Please take a stand and help us stop this plan. Development is not an option!

Download full plan for further details:
North McKay Tract Rezone Plan