Loggers Falling Trees Near Treesits

Redwood Forest Defenders just sent out this press release:


PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 25, 2010


Contact: Joe (707) 267-8148 stopclearcuttingnow@gmail.com
For more information and daily updates go to http://forestdefender.blogspot.com/


Green Diamond Threatens Lives of Protesters

Century Old Timber Company Continues to Clear cut Redwoods


ARCATA- Tree sitters lives were threatened Tuesday morning, when they awoke to the sound of Green Diamond Resource Company (Simpson Timber) chainsaws roaring, while trees were felled directly adjacent to the non-violent protesters’ tree-top demonstration. The ongoing protest intends to highlight widespread, destructive logging practices of the company by showcasing recent clearcut logging in the Jacoby Creek Watershed, just outside of Arcata, California.

Earlier this week, August 23, the four activists ascended trees within a cutting unit, to make a last stand for the threatened forest. This skilled platform installation 100 feet up came after an initial blockade of a logging road where a woman ascended 60 feet above the road in a small platform. When loggers arrived at the scene during last week, they cut through the rope that provided a lifeline to the activist.

These two incidents are the most company-caused danger forest activists have encountered since the days of struggle against Maxxam’s Pacific Lumber, said Shawna of the Redwood Forest defenders. We don’t want to hurt anyone, we just want them start listening to the people and stop destroying our watersheds by clear cutting redwoods. Maybe the timber wars aren’t over, after all.

The two logging plans Green Diamond is operating on in the Jacoby Creek Watershed provide a small example of the systemic clear cutting Green Diamond is engaged in, across their entire 430,000 acre ownership in northern California. In 2004, the century old logging company changed its name from Simpson Timber to Green Diamond, in a strategic greenwashing move. Kamilche Group, a Washington-state based conglomerate and parent company to both Simpson and Green Diamond, also owns California Redwood Company.

Green Diamond’s insistence on short-rotation, clear cut logging degrades the forests for the future, and contributes to the climate crisis, said Shawna. The company needs to get out of the dark ages of liquidation logging, to provide for more sustainable jobs and a better future for everyone. We cannot stop our campaign targeting their practices, until they do.