Freshwater Tree-sit Evictions Continue - EF! media release

MEDIA RELEASE. Contact: Darryl Cherney 707/923-4949, Remedy 707/498-0601 (messages will be returned.) Lodgepole 707/845-5491 (on site of today's extractions)

MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber Continues Extracting Tree Sitters--More Arrests Today Remedy and Wren's Trees Re-occupied with Sitters and Platforms!

MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber illegally sealed off a public road all day yesterday, March 17, in order to extract marathon tree sitters, "Remedy" and "Wren," who had been up for 12 and 10 months, respectively. Remedy was days away from celebrating her one year anniversary of sitting in an ancient redwood named "Jerry." There are approximately 23 tree sitters occupying the canopies of MAXXAM held forests. The numbers literally change every day. "The stock market is down, but tree sitters are up," said Darryl Cherney, Earth First! activist. A rally is planned for the location of the tree-sits this Sunday, March 23 from noon to 4 pm in Freshwater, CA. A benefit concert featuring Joules Graves will take place at Beginnings School in Briceland, CA the night before Sat., March 22 at 6:30 pm. Remedy will speak at both events.

Amazingly, shortly after Remedy and Wren were extracted from their trees, a gaggle of new sitters re-ascended those same trees with platforms and re-established both tree sits. "I am overjoyed those trees are still standing being defended," Remedy said, "It feels great to get myself and Wren and those trees out of the situation alive and well, at least for now."

While MAXXAM/PL is aware of the re-newed tree-sits, they are focusing on extracting other aerial occupations today on Greenwood Heights Road in Freshwater, California. So far today, there have been at least five arrests, including long-term veteran rth First! journalist and activist Karen Pickett, with more anticipated. One sitter is handcuffed high in a redwood by Pacific Lumber climbers in a very life-threatening manner.

At yesterdays events, over one hundred people gathered throughout the day to witness and protest the removal of Remedy and Wren from their trees, "Jerry" and "Eversteen." Freshwater Road was back-up with angry residents who had not been notified of the road closure ordered by MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber. The closure, originally scheduled to last five days from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through this Friday, was revoked by the county. MAXXAM/PL carries on with its extraction process of the over thirteen tree-sitters on Freshwater Road but this time in full view of the witnessing public which has gathered there at present.

Tree-sitting is extremely dangerous and requires great courage on the part of forest defenders to engage in. Extracting the sitters compounds the dangers exponentially. Two tree-sitters died last year, one under mysterious circumstances in Santa Cruz. Both had their medical care delayed for hours by authorities. Over the years, several other tree sitters have been knocked out of trees by the U.S. Forest Service and others. All tree sitters who have fallen from trees have sustained major injuries, if they survived.

MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber had jointly formed a "Forest Peace Alliance" as part of an out-of-court lawsuit settlement with the family of slain forest defender David "Gypsy" Chain, who was killed by a Pacific Lumber faller who felled a redwood on top of him in 1998. Despite quarterly meetings of forest activists and Pacific Lumber management and employees and an agreement not to engage in violence against forest protesters, MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber took out a full page ad claiming that activists refused to meet with the company which continues to engage in violence against protesters. In one case, an activist was slashed by a switchblade knife last month by a Pacific Lumber security guard.