Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap
Boycott-the-Gap Newsbrief: Fisher Logging Update! Recent Victories!
Posted by Mary Bull (chalicenew@earthlink.net)
Saturday, May 22, 1999
Forest Defenders Across the Land!
In this newsbrief...
--Report on the Fishers' Escalated Logging
--What You Can Do To Stop It!
--Recent & Upcoming Actions and Events Around the Country!
THE FISHERS' DESPERATION LOGGING: AN OVERVIEW
******************************************************************
The Fishers seem desperate to get out the last stick of merchantable timber
as fast as they can--before the public or government catches up with them.
Forestry reform legislation, a federal coho lawsuit, the burgeoning
public-pressure campaign, a new administration with greener forest
policies--all these things are in the works and may be motivating the
Fishers to expedite their liquidation plans.
The Fishers promote themselves as "good stewards of the land"--they are
masters of image over reality: they spent a reported $300 MILLION in Gap
advertising last year. At the Gap shareholders meeting earlier this month,
they announced plans to increase that budget to half a billion dollars this
year.
Meanwhile, here's what the "good stewards" are doing to the last of the
biodiversity on their holdings:
--2,228 ACRES SINCE JAN 1, 1999. The Fisher logging company, Mendocino
Redwood, has filed 19 logging plans, targeting 2,228 acres since the
beginning of the year. If the Fishers keep up at this rate, they will
outstrip their predecessors, Louisiana-Pacific, notorious liquidators of the
forest. These 19 plans are in addition to the 104 logging plans that the
Fishers bought from L-P last year and the dozen filings of their own since
July 1998, when they bought the depleted forestland from L-P.
--LOGGING UNSTABLE AREAS IN THE ALBION. The Fishers have 8 high-impact
logging plans in the Albion River watershed--and more coming. They're taking
out 25% of their annual cut from 6% of their holdings in the Albion. WHY?
Because this watershed contains the largest concentration of big trees left
on their holdings (according to their own documents, less than 3% of their
holdings contain trees greater than 21 inches in diameter--most of the trees
on their holdings are between 1 and 21 inches: VERY SMALL). They're gobbling
up the last of the big trees--the last decent wildlife habitat--and leaving
desolation their wake.
But the Fishers are not satisfied with taking out the last of the big trees
in this watershed--they have to take them out near slide areas, as well,
threatening to cause avalanches of sediment to pour into the river. Sandy
Dean, the President of the Fishers' logging company, MRC, refused to stop
cutting near the slide areas, despite warnings from a registered geologist.
That's why 30 protesters met the loggers at 5 AM, 5 were arrested, and three
people are sitting in trees right now... (call Beth at 707-937-5703 to join
this protest.)
--HAMMERING ELK CREEK. The Fishers just filed another 4 logging
plans--over 500 acres--in Elk Creek. Together with THP-1-97-445, they've
targeted approximately 1200 acres for high-impact logging in this watershed.
Again, the Fishers are again taking another 25% of their annual cut from 6%
of their holdings--inflicting severe, concentrated damage in a single
watershed. The 445 plan calls for over 400 acres of clearcutting above a
fragile coho salmon fishery (10 or fewer found in surveys)---the only known
coho fishery in a 150 square mile region. Redwood Empire has a 400 acre
high-impact plan directly below this coho fishery. So, between the two of
them, they'll no doubt extinguish the fishery, if we can't stop them. We are
attempting to stave off this disaster with two lawsuits. Your financial
support is needed (see What You Can Do later in this email)!
--TARGETING OLD GROWTH IN GREENWOOD CREEK. The Fishers
amended an old, relatively benign, L-P plan in Greenwood Creek to 15
clearcut strips that target the last of the old growth there. The amendment
has not yet been approved, pending evaluation of marbled murrelet
habitat--the result of public outcry, including photos of 200--600 year old
trees, and testimony of a wildlife biologist. 9 citizens formed a
pre-harvest inspection team, went into the plan area and discovered the old
growth. You can see the photos of the old growth that the Fishers intend to
clearcut at our web site at www.elksoft.com/gwa
--LOGGING IN THE RAIN. The Fishers' desperation to get the timber out is
best illustrated by their crew logging for 10 straight days in the rain in
February to avoid spotted owl surveys that are required to begin march 1st.
The Albion River Watershed Protection Association and the Sierra Club filed
a lawsuit against this plan charging the Department of Forestry and
Mendocino Redwood Company with civil conspiracy to deny the public the right
to review the logging plan.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
************************
The Fishers have NO RIGHT to destroy the public trust resources on these
lands. They have no right to extinguish threatened species by destroying the
last of their habitat. Please help us stop this final liquidation of the
redwood forest on these lands, and start a program of restoration,
preservation, and enlightened forestry!
--Continue to spread the boycott message!
--Continue to circulate the petition! (over 13000 signatures and counting!)
--Send tax-deductible donations to RCWA, Box 90, Elk, CA 95432!
--Join the Albion protest (call 707-937-5703 for details)
THANK YOU, FOREST DEFENDERS,
FOR BEING A GREAT SUPPORT NETWORK!!!
SUMMARY OF RECENT & UPCOMING ACTIONS AND EVENTS
***********************************************
WE'RE GOING STRONG:
--MAY DAY. At the San Francisco Reclaim May Day festival on May 1, 2000
celebrants marched to the Gap on Market Street and chanted, "Mr. Fisher,
you've got a store--What do you want the redwoods for?!" ...The biggest Gap
protest to date!
--DEMOS. Protests are continuing around the country, including a recent one
at the Gap on 5th Avenue in New York, and an upcoming one on May 22 in PA.
Further, forest defenders have joined human rights activists and labor
groups across the country for joint, monthly protests (first Saturdays)
against Gap sweatshops in Saipan and Fisher logging in Mendocino!
THREE MIGHTY CHEERS
FOR OUR EAST COAST FOREST DEFENDERS!!!
HUGE THANKS TO ECO-MAN
FOR MOBILIZING HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PA--
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR UPCOMING DEMO!!!
--PETITION CAMPAIGN. Over 13,000 people have now signed our Petition to Save
the Mendocino Coast Redwood Forest, and more signatures come in every day!
These petitions will be presented to new CA Dept of Forestry Director Andrea
Tuttle at our meeting with her in June. So, Keep *em coming!!! Let your
voice be heard!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
..."SAVE ENDANGERED WILDERNESS" IN HATBORO, PA!
...AND MICHELLE AND PATRICK IN RI!
FOR YOUR RECENT TERRIFIC TABLING WORK!!!
AND TO
...CHLOE IN WESTPORT, CT!
...SHANTI IN SONOMA, CA!
...TARA HERE IN SF!
FOR YOUR RECENT PETITION EFFORTS!!!
...and also many thanks to the people who simply send the signed petitions
to us anonymously (many of these forest defenders are not online and
therefore are not on this network).
--FORESTRY REFORM. Forests Forever and EPIC have been campaigning tirelessly
for CA forestry reform bills that are currently in the State Assembly
Appropriations Committee. Members of our CA network have also lent
tremendous support to this effort!!! (btw, the vote was postponed till next
Wednesday--so, CA FDs, make those phone calls, if you haven't already!)
THREE MIGHTY CHEERS FOR FOFO, EPIC, AND EVERYONE ON OUR NET
WHO HAS HELPED WITH THIS CAMPAIGN!!!!
--TREEPLANTING IN KENYA. In Kenya, Redwood Mary and other members of a UN
*human settlements* conference (whose focus includes mitigating human
impacts on the environment) went on a tree-planting mission in solidarity
with local environmentalists. In the past, Kenyan environmentalists were
beaten and arrested for planting trees on clearcuts on private property. The
gesture provided great moral support for the local environmental movement!
THREE CHEERS FOR COURAGEOUS FOREST DEFENDERS IN AFRICA!!!
--GAP SHAREHOLDERS MEETING. Forest defender and human rights activists spoke
and demo'd at the Gap shareholders meeting on May 4. Although Julia
Butterfly, a shareholder, was not allowed to speak at the meeting, we
broadcast her simple and powerful words of wisdom to shareholders on the
sidewalk as they left for their cars.
--LAWSUIT. Mendocino activists have been working exhaustively to stop THP
1-98-266, the Redwood Empire plan that together with the Fishers' 445 plan
constitutes over 1000 acres of high-impact logging around the only known
coho fishery in 150 sq. mi. region--a very fragile fishery of fewer than 10
coho salmon. A full report on these legal efforts will be forthcoming.
--LINDY-HOP BASH TO BENEFIT RCWA! Frankie Manning's 85th birthday bash will
benefit the redwood forest! The Lindy Hop dancers, who have been such great
supporters of the Save the Redwoods Campaign, are putting on a 3-day
birthday party for Frankie Manning - creator of the Lindy Hop - in San
Francisco, Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31, 1999. Proceeds from Frankie's
85th birthday bash will go to Frankie Manning's Favorite Charity - the
Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance! The Lindy Hop is a worldwide movement of
swing dance--and festivities are scheduled for the East Coast, as well. To
find out the where and when of Frankie Manning birthday parties in San
Francisco on Memorial weekend, go to web site: www.ncls.com . (Full
announcement to follow.)
HATS OFF TO JUDY PRITCHETT AND LINDY-HOPPERS,
YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!!!
--LUCY IN THE SKY. Last but not least, some supporters sponsored an airplane
flight over the heads of 70,000 people at San Francisco's famous
bay-to-breakers race last Sunday. The airplane flew the banner:
SAVE THE REDWOODS - BOYCOTT THE GAP...
KEEP THE FAITH!!!
Mary Bull
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign, SF
_________________________________________
Other Contacts/Information Sources:
http://www.elksoft.com/gwa
----------------------------
Mary Pjerrou, Redwood Coast Watersheds Alliance
707-877-3405 pirohuck@mcn.org
----------------------------
Norman de Vall, Greenwood Watershed Association
707-877-3551 ndevall@mcn.org http://www.gapsucks.org
----------------------------
Redwood Mary (Mary Rose Kaczorowski),
Plight of the Redwoods Tour redwoodm@mcn.org
----------------------------
Mary Bull,
Save the Redwoods/Boycott the Gap Campaign
415-731-7924 chalicenew@earthlink.net
Also of interest:
----------------------------
Gap Labor Exploitation URLs:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/14/MN19190.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/2/MN49132.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/22/MN49806.DTL
http://www.house.gov/resources/105cong/democrat/cnmifin.html#contractlabor
http://www.globalexchange.org
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