Pacific
Lumber Logging Crews Back in Woods in Violation of Court Stay
The roar of chain saws was back in the woods early Tuesday morning, as Pacific
Lumber (PL) continued to ignore a court order halting logging on its
211,000-acre holdings. Activists were in the trees, on the ground in the forest,
and headed for Pacific Lumber corporate offices to conduct a citizens' arrest
after complaints got no response from the Calif. Dept. of Forestry and the
Humboldt County Sheriffs Dept.
Late on Thursday August 29, Calif. Superior Court judge John Golden ordered
a halt to all logging operations by PL after three years of delays by permitting
agencies in a case brought by environmental groups challenging the PL Habitat
Conservation Plan/Sustained Yield Plan (HCP/SYP) that was part of the Headwaters
deal in 1999. Because irreversible damage would be done to wildlife, the environment
and public trust resources before the merits of the case could be heard, Judge
Golden found that harm to the public was potentially at hand and ordered all
parties to the legal proceedings to halt all activity carried out under several
permits, including Incidental Take Permits (ITP), 1603 permits (stream crossing)
and PL's Sustained Yield Plan (SYP). Golden ruled "The stay is issued
for the protection of the public interests."
Though the order clearly suspends all logging operations being carried out
under these permits, stating that "no party to this proceeding shall
take any action whose validity depends upon the validity of" these permits
until "further order of the court," PL maintains they have a different
interpretation and continued logging operations on Friday after the
stay was issued.
Remedy, who sits high in a redwood tree in the Freshwater watershed south
of Arcata, reported early this morning that the forests were full of activity,
and the Humboldt county Sheriff's Dept. had not yet responded to reports of
violation of the court order. She put in calls to CDF officials in Sacramento
but could not get movement from them or the Sheriffs Dept. PL crews are also
active in the Mattole, where protesters are in the forest ready to meet loggers.
Mattole activists are headed for PL offices in Scotia this afternoon to effect
a citizens arrest of Jared Carter, executive vice-president and legal counsel
for PL after he told them on the phone he had no plans to comply with the
court order.
###
--
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters
} |
Thank
you for support of this important movement, and your specific support for
HAVC & Earth Films.Our documentation has already changed people's perception
and increased awareness. You can help us to continue our media and eductional
work by making a tax deductible, make checks out to Earth Films/ESP to the
address below
P.O. Box 2198, Redway, CA 95560
|
