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Mattole Forest Defenders Under Siege in Humboldt
Police and PL/Maxxam security invade freestate.
Thursday, April 5, 2001
Carl Anderson, Pacific Lumber/Maxxam head of security, and 11 sheriffs have invaded the Mattole Free State. They were observed driving though Monument gate at approximately 8:45 AM on the way to the free state where approximately 15 non-violent Forest Defenders are blocking the logging road at the junction of Rainbow Ridge and Long Ridge in defense of 3000 acres of old growth Douglas Fir, the largest lowland stand of old growth Douglas Fir remaining in California.
As of 11:00 AM, one forest defender had been removed from the Dragon car lockdown and arrested. Reportedly two defenders remain locked down in the junked car. Word from the free state is that mechanized equipment is being used to dismantle the car and a jackhammer is being used to smash concrete under the car that a forest defender is locked down into. Sheriffs are chasing activist trying to arrest anyone trespassing in the area. At this time, the status of two other blockades in the free state is unknown.
Earlier in the week on Tuesday, April 3, 13 police and PL security entered the freestate, videoed the blockades, confiscated tools and personal gear such as sleeping bags and trashed the kitchen area. As of today, April 5, no loggers have entered the area.
At stake in the Mattole is 3000 acres of old growth and many thousands of acres of 2nd growth Douglas Fir. Residents and friends of the Mattole believe timber harvest plans in the Mattole are illegal. Ironically, Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP's) were issued to PL as a condition of the infamous Headwaters deal which put several hundred million dollars in PL/Maxxam's pockets for protection of approximately 7000 acres of old growth redwood. These HCP's effectively override selective EPA rules protecting the habitat in the Mattole Watershed and other forest areas of the region. The residents of the Mattole feel their watershed is being sacrificed as a condition of the Headwaters deal. Forest defenders hope to delay logging until a pending lawsuit is heard in court.
When more details of the continuing Mattole Free State raids are known, an update will be published.
Carl Anderson, Pacific Lumber/Maxxam head of security, and 11 sheriffs have invaded the Mattole Free State. They were observed driving though Monument gate at approximately 8:45 AM on the way to the free state where approximately 15 non-violent Forest Defenders are blocking the logging road at the junction of Rainbow Ridge and Long Ridge in defense of 3000 acres of old growth Douglas Fir, the largest lowland stand of old growth Douglas Fir remaining in California.
As of 11:00 AM, one forest defender had been removed from the Dragon car lockdown and arrested. Reportedly two defenders remain locked down in the junked car. Word from the free state is that mechanized equipment is being used to dismantle the car and a jackhammer is being used to smash concrete under the car that a forest defender is locked down into. Sheriffs are chasing activist trying to arrest anyone trespassing in the area. At this time, the status of two other blockades in the free state is unknown.
Earlier in the week on Tuesday, April 3, 13 police and PL security entered the freestate, videoed the blockades, confiscated tools and personal gear such as sleeping bags and trashed the kitchen area. As of today, April 5, no loggers have entered the area.
At stake in the Mattole is 3000 acres of old growth and many thousands of acres of 2nd growth Douglas Fir. Residents and friends of the Mattole believe timber harvest plans in the Mattole are illegal. Ironically, Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP's) were issued to PL as a condition of the infamous Headwaters deal which put several hundred million dollars in PL/Maxxam's pockets for protection of approximately 7000 acres of old growth redwood. These HCP's effectively override selective EPA rules protecting the habitat in the Mattole Watershed and other forest areas of the region. The residents of the Mattole feel their watershed is being sacrificed as a condition of the Headwaters deal. Forest defenders hope to delay logging until a pending lawsuit is heard in court.
When more details of the continuing Mattole Free State raids are known, an update will be published.
For more information:
http://www.mattoledefense.org
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umboldt County. We as friends and residents of the Mattole River Watershed, calling ourselves the Mattole Forest Defenders, set out today to try to non-violently stop the logging of the controversial Timber Harvest Plan (THP) 99-475 HUM until the pending lawsuit is heard in court. Carl Anderson, PL head of security accompanied by the sheriff's department and a Scotia fire truck are currently attempting to dismantle the three blockade structures designed to block Pacific Lumber from logging the pristine Douglas-Fir forest behind them. This is their second attempt in the past week. OnTuesday April 3, 2001, thirteen police officers confronted 30 forest defenders to disband the Freestate established to blockade Pacific Lumber. The Sherrifs department was
unsuccessful at their attempts due to the high number of forest defenders in the woods. We believe that the approval of Pacific Lumber's THP 99-475 is not only illegal but a continuation of a highly destructive practice for the environment, community and economy. </p>
<p>Whereas, THP 99-475 is another example of harmful and destructive logging, and</p>
<p>Whereas, THP 99-475 proposes cutting on steep slopes and slide areas adding to the potential of increased
landslides, and </p>
<p>Whereas, it is a violation of PL's HCP to harvest on slide areas, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Mattole watershed is one of the most geologically unstable and seismically active areas in the state of
California, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the entire plan is scheduled for clearcut as opposed to utilizing less damaging harvest methods, and </p>
<p>Whereas, this plan proposes the harvest of one of the last intact old-growth Douglas-fir forests, and </p>
<p>Whereas, approximately 5% of the original old-growth forests in the Mattole River watershed remain, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Mattole River contains endangered Coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, and </p>
<p>Whereas, cutting in a sustainable manner with healthy forests yields timber for the future and a healthy ecosystem
with clear streams, and </p>
<p>Whereas, Pacific Lumber has a long history of breaking the law, having racked up over 300 violations, and </p>
<p>Whereas, Pacific Lumber continues to log in a boom-and-bust manner that puts our timber workers at risk in an economy where jobs are scarce, and </p>
<p>Whereas, PL continues to work in collusion with the California Department of Forestry in order to approve illogical
and illegal Timber Harvest Plans (THP), and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Environmental Protection Information Center, the Humboldt Watershed Council, and the Lost Coast
League have recently filed a lawsuit against CDF for the illegal approval of THP 99-475, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Humboldt County courts have a history of delaying court dates for Temporary Restraining Orders, by
which time THP's have been cut, giving an unequal advantage to the company that has in the past lost its license for
its numerous violations. </p>
<p>Therefore, we, as citizens and friends of Humboldt County, feel we have no recourse but to remain in the THP
area, use non-violent direct action to stall the cutting until the case is heard and a decision is reached. </p>
<center>Raid Update - Evening 04/05/01</center>
<p>Three were arrested today during the malee in the Mattole. A report was given on KMUD(kmud.org - 6:00pm air time pst) radio from a unidentified forest defender hanging from a tree observing the maxxam sheriff's ransack the blockade area below him. The Scotia Fire Department was on the scene, where they jackhammered the blue dragon lock-down and arrested one of the three forest defender arrestees. A forest defender heard on the maxxam sheriff's radio that they were intending to set up flood lights to clear the road during the night and gain entry into the timber harvest plans. </p>
unsuccessful at their attempts due to the high number of forest defenders in the woods. We believe that the approval of Pacific Lumber's THP 99-475 is not only illegal but a continuation of a highly destructive practice for the environment, community and economy. </p>
<p>Whereas, THP 99-475 is another example of harmful and destructive logging, and</p>
<p>Whereas, THP 99-475 proposes cutting on steep slopes and slide areas adding to the potential of increased
landslides, and </p>
<p>Whereas, it is a violation of PL's HCP to harvest on slide areas, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Mattole watershed is one of the most geologically unstable and seismically active areas in the state of
California, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the entire plan is scheduled for clearcut as opposed to utilizing less damaging harvest methods, and </p>
<p>Whereas, this plan proposes the harvest of one of the last intact old-growth Douglas-fir forests, and </p>
<p>Whereas, approximately 5% of the original old-growth forests in the Mattole River watershed remain, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Mattole River contains endangered Coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, and </p>
<p>Whereas, cutting in a sustainable manner with healthy forests yields timber for the future and a healthy ecosystem
with clear streams, and </p>
<p>Whereas, Pacific Lumber has a long history of breaking the law, having racked up over 300 violations, and </p>
<p>Whereas, Pacific Lumber continues to log in a boom-and-bust manner that puts our timber workers at risk in an economy where jobs are scarce, and </p>
<p>Whereas, PL continues to work in collusion with the California Department of Forestry in order to approve illogical
and illegal Timber Harvest Plans (THP), and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Environmental Protection Information Center, the Humboldt Watershed Council, and the Lost Coast
League have recently filed a lawsuit against CDF for the illegal approval of THP 99-475, and </p>
<p>Whereas, the Humboldt County courts have a history of delaying court dates for Temporary Restraining Orders, by
which time THP's have been cut, giving an unequal advantage to the company that has in the past lost its license for
its numerous violations. </p>
<p>Therefore, we, as citizens and friends of Humboldt County, feel we have no recourse but to remain in the THP
area, use non-violent direct action to stall the cutting until the case is heard and a decision is reached. </p>
<center>Raid Update - Evening 04/05/01</center>
<p>Three were arrested today during the malee in the Mattole. A report was given on KMUD(kmud.org - 6:00pm air time pst) radio from a unidentified forest defender hanging from a tree observing the maxxam sheriff's ransack the blockade area below him. The Scotia Fire Department was on the scene, where they jackhammered the blue dragon lock-down and arrested one of the three forest defender arrestees. A forest defender heard on the maxxam sheriff's radio that they were intending to set up flood lights to clear the road during the night and gain entry into the timber harvest plans. </p>
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