Headwaters pepper spray trial coming (back) to SF

You may remember the horrifying tv news coverage 7 years ago when Humboldt county sheriff deputies forced pepper spray into the eyes of non-violent Headwaters Forest activists with Q-tips soaked with the caustic chemical. The activists were conducting a sit-in for Headwaters Forest and were immobile, locked to each other around a stump. After the incident, they sued law enforcement for use of excessive force. After the first trial in 1998 ended in a split jury, a biased judge threw the case out, and after trips to appeals courts and all the way to the Supreme Court, the case is …

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A BILL TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA’S OLD-GROWTH TREES IS STUCK IN A

SB 754, the Heritage Tree Preservation Act, will permanently protect the last of California’s old-growth trees on nonfederal land, including Coast redwoods, Douglas-firs and Giant sequoias. Less than one percent of these ancient giants remain, yet they are still being logged. This bill will protect these trees, standing since before statehood. Old-growth trees provide essential habitat for endangered species such as the Marbled murrelet and Northern spotted owl, and they are critical to the health of forest ecosystems, shading the forest floor, cleaning the air, and stabilizing streambeds and hillsides. SB 754’s protections for old-growth trees are very close to …

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Letters needed on Ancient Tree bill

Urge the Assembly Appropriations Committee to Approve SB 754! Dear Friend of the Forest, Never before have we been this close to seeing lasting protection for our heritage trees and setting a precedent that can be a model for other parts of the globe. The next month is crucial for this bill. Now more than ever, we need your help. The California Heritage Tree Preservation Act (SB 754) recently cleared a major hurdle on June 14 with the approval of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee by a 7-3 vote. Our next challenge is the Assembly Appropriations Committee, currently scheduled for …

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Ancient Tree bill passes committee!

THANK YOU !! to everyone who wrote letters, emailed legislators, and otherwise helped the Heritage Tree bill (SB 754) move forward. The bill, a ban on cutting many species of old growth trees in California on private forestland PASSED the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday. A news story with details is pasted below. The bill will still go to a floor vote and need to be signed by Gov. Arnold, so there is still work to be done, but this was a critical hurdle. Thank you and breathe a sigh of relief for the big trees. Here is the …

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Urgent alert on old growth bill–please act

Action Alert on SB 754 On Monday, June 14th at 1:30pm, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee will vote on the Heritage Tree Preservation Act (SB 754). At noon, on the North Steps of the Capitol, Keely and Pierce Brosnan will will be present for a Press Conference urging the Natural Resources Committee to vote YES. This committee vote is absolutely critical: If a majority of the committee votes yes, then the bill will go forward. If the committee votes no, the bill — and its protections for California’s old-growth trees — will be dead. Please e-mail or call these members …

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AN ALERT ON THE ANCIENT TREES LEGISLATION

Remember SB 754, the Heritage Tree bill that grew out of the Heritage Tree ballot initiative campaign? You haven’t heard about it for a while NOT because it is dead, but because the fight goes on, behind the scenes…read on… ACTION ALERT The Heritage Tree Preservation Act is alive and kicking! We have never been so close to protecting California’s old-growth trees, but we need your help to make it a reality! Please join us in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 14th for Old-Growth Lobby Day. You can sign up at www.ancienttrees.org. As you know, the Heritage Tree Preservation Act (a.k.a. …

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FOREST BENEFIT Mark your calendars for FRIDAY APRIL 2…and we aren’t fooling!

Mark your calendars for FRIDAY APRIL 2…and we aren’t fooling! Tree sit videos, forest slides, the latest info, and great music… Don’t miss it! 6th annual STOMP the STUMPS benefit dance party A S H K E N A Z 1317 San Pablo Ave.,Berkeley 3 great bands Funky Nixons – Berkeley’s premier political rock Gary Gates Band – Deadesque Wild Buds – West Coast mardi gras Day Late Fools Band opens 8 pm to 2 am Ashkenaz is all ages, kids under 12 free back room videos, info, free-for-all sliding scale $10 up, BENEFITS Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters and …

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Your help is urgently needed to protect a very special redwood forest

Jackson State Forest, a 50,000-acre redwood forest located in Mendocino County, only a few hours drive north of San Francisco. Jackson Forest is special because it is owned by you and me. Please take one minute to go to the link below and tell the state Board of Forestry that you want your redwood forest managed for recreation, habitat, and research — not for massive timber production: http://www.jacksonforest.com/Alerts/Scoping/comment_top.htm Please act now. THE DEADLINE FOR LETTERS IS MARCH 18, 2004 — only a few days away. Taking action at this crucial time is hugely important Citizen lawsuits have halted logging for …

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The people spoke! Maxxam did not succeed in booting the District Attorney of Humboldt county out of office in a very dirty recall campaign.

Eureka Times-Standard DA recall fails By James Tressler The Times-Standard Wednesday, March 03, 2004 – EUREKA — District Attorney Paul Gallegos successfully fought off a recall in Tuesday’s election, ending one of the most controversial and divisive chapters in Humboldt County history. Voters decisively rejected the recall by 61 percent to 39 percent, out of 50,498 votes cast. Gallegos, surrounded by his wife, Joan, and legions of supporters who crowded into the Lost Coast Brewery, broke into a relieved smile as the results came in. “It’s time to put aside our petty quarrels and do what’s right for the people …

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Increased harassment of Humboldt DA-second break-in at his house

Pacific Lumber and their spooks step up the campaign against the DA who is trying to bring them to justice The Humboldt County DA’s home was broken into for a second time in a few days yesterday. This comes after his office was burglarized and confidential documents from his office were stolen and later distributed to the media by the PL recall committee campaign manager. As reported in previous BACH alerts, Humboldt District Attorney Paul Gallegos, is fighting a recall election because he filed a fraud case against Maxxam’s Pacific Lumber Company for concealing landslide information during Headwaters deal negotiations …

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