A Volvo and Two Poles Halt Log Hauling By The Oxygen Collective

The man in the pod identified himself as "Erif" (fire spelled backwards) and sent down a statement that said "The reason why I'm up here is so people see people standing up in non-violent, no-compromise direct action against the timber industry."

Beneath the pod a banner read 'THESE FORESTS NEED FIRE, NOT THE REMOVAL OF OLD GROWTH'. By daybreak at least four logging trucks sat idle in front of the blockade and the area was taped off as a crime scene. Around 35 supporters cheered on the dangling activist from the police line. By 8:30 am the police brought in a cherry picker and Erif climbed down voluntarily. His action stopped log hauling for nearly five hours. An arbitrary arrest was made before dawn when police took a man into custody who was sitting nearby playing a drum. The drum was confiscated as evidence.

This is the latest action is a sustained campaign of civil disobedience that is drawing national attention to the issue of post fire logging. The majority of Americans are opposed to the continued logging of native and old growth forests on public lands, yet the US Forest Service continues to undermine the process of public participation while catering to the demands of the timber industry. A Temporary Restraining Order before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could shut down all logging in the Biscuit fire area as soon as today, and a case underway in another court is seeking a Preliminary Injunction to do the same. Meanwhile, loggers are being allowed to fell trees at a frantic pace before federal courts can rule on the legality of this project.

For ongoing coverage please visit the Rogue Valley Independent Media Center, at www.rogueimc.org.

For background information or to get more information about this multi-faceted campaign, visit www.cascadiarising.org and www.siskiyou.org.

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How an Act of Spontaneity Helped Fuel the Protest of an Illegal Logging Operation A First Hand Account of One Woman's Time Hanging From a Bridge By Becky White

My name is Becky White. I am a 27 year-old musician with a
degree in conservation biology.

On March 14th, I suspended myself on a small platform over the Green
Bridge above the Wild and Scenic Illinois River. The truck rope that
held my platform stretched across the road, closing all logging traffic to
the Fiddler Timber Sale for 7 hours.

The choice to sit on the platform early that morning was fairly
spontaneous, yet guided by years of study and a deep love for the wild
places of southern Oregon.

The Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon are one of the most
biodiverse places in this country. There are places with over 27
conifer species and six undammed rivers with vibrant salmon runs. The wild
places of southern Oregon are unique, but their fate is unfortunately
extremely tenuous.

The current logging is occurring in old growth reserves in the
Siskiyou National Forest that were protected by their status before the Biscuit
Fire in 2002. Many people don't understand that these forests have
evolved with fire and that the forest floor is now alive with rare plants,
flowers and saplings that will only germinate with the hot temperatures of
fire.

The issue of this logging is not only about trees, it is about
preserving an entire ecosystem that is world reknown by botanists and birders. It
saddens me to know that the rivers will turn brown because of the
run-off caused by hauling and yarding.

I am not anti-logging. I am pro-restoration. I am interested in
following the example set by the community of Williams, where I have lived for
the last four years. In Williams, as an alternative to the Scattered
Apples Timber Sale, local people are working with the BLM to remove small
diameter timber, reducing fire risk and creating a local economy.

The illegal timber sale that is currently being cut in the Biscuit
Fire area does not create a local economy; in fact it robs the local
community of the growing industry of ecotourism because they are left with a
degraded landscape. The only profits go to loggers and international
corporations outside the Illinois valley.

I was forced by my conscience and my heart to take a stand and to use
my body to make a message. There are already so many degraded landscapes;
let's protect what is left for the future generations to come. It is
not too late to change the way we interact with our national heritage.

Becky White is a member of the Oxygen Collective. She can be reached
at: becky@makeartnow.org