Mattole Forest Occupation Enters Eighth Day

A blockade on Long Ridge that started on July 8, continues to prevent logging by the Humboldt Redwood Company. Long Ridge is located in Humboldt County in Northern California. A tree-sitter is occupying a platform suspended 100 feet in the air with their main support line attached to,a barricade in the road. This will cause the person to be seriously injured or killed if the barricade is moved unsafely. One activist has been arrested at the blockade, and has been released.

From the Earth First! Newswire:

This marks the second action in as many weeks. Last week a tree sitter going by the name Skunk climbed into the canopy, insisting, “Our main demands to Humboldt Redwood Company are very simple—don’t cut unlogged forest, and don’t cut old-growth. This road threatens to destroy forest that has never been logged before, and will pave the way for logging even more important habitat if the community does not rise up to stop it.”

From Save Ancient Forest:

We need your support! Please let people now that the Mattole is being threatened by sheriffs and company officials. We intend to defend the Mattole. We need more defenders and more resources please get in touch if you are able. Please contact us at savemattolesancientforest@gmail.com Please also call the Humboldt Redwood Company and tell them not to log the Mattole!(707) 764-4253

Tree-sit in the Mattole

A tree-sitter named Skunk has climbed into a grove on Long Ridge in the Mattole. One of the trees tied in is old growth that Humboldt Redwoods Company plans to cut.

HRC Cuts Trees Near Protestors

Rising Opposition to Mattole Logging Plans

A banner went up this morning on the Mattole road, to protest against The Humboldt Redwood Company's plans to log in unentered old growth forest. The banner says: "DEFEND THE WILD MATTOLE FORESTS STAY OUT OF UNLOGGED AREAS".

Update: The following is from an email to the Earth First! Newswire

Resistance is growing as Humboldt Redwood Company prepares to log over 500 acres of rare forest habitat in the Mattole River watershed in Northern California. The area is home to Golden Eagles, Pacific Fishers, Spotted Owls and many more rare species. The forest is a mix of tree species including Douglas Fir, Tanoak, Madrone and Big Leaf Maple. Old-growth trees of all species intermingle throughout the forest. Though the company claims to not log in old-growth forests, their narrow definition excludes forests with less than 8 old-growth trees per acre. They also define old-growth trees as being alive in the year 1800. Though much of the forest has never been cut into, the company has gone to lengths to define the whole area as previously logged, in order to appease their “sustainability” certifiers, the Forest Stewardship Council, who would otherwise consider the area to have a high conservation value.

Local forest defenders have hung a banner where logging and road building are planned directly bordering Humboldt Redwoods State Park. This area was a hotbed of community actions in the late 90′s and early 2000′s to resist the devestation of this forest by Maxxam/Pacific Lumber. This included a series of lawsuits, road blockades and groups of forest defenders occupying the threatened areas to disrupt the logging. Some of the same forest that was successfully defended is now threatened once again.