Humboldt county, California-Three forest activists were forcibly extracted from high in the enormous radial branches of a 600 year old redwood tree, lowered 150 feet to the ground and placed under citizen’s arrest by Maxxam/Pacific Lumber (PL) employees on Saturday, Sept. 25 near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park in coastal northern California. A fourth activist was arrested on the ground. Immediately after the tree sitters’ removal, the grove of five ancient redwoods and the massive giant known as “Aradia” were cut down. The area is known as “Gypsy Mountain”, named in memory of young activist David “Gypsy” Chain, killed on …

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Jury Stops Deliberation 6-2 in Favor of Plaintiffs The eight jurors in the Pepper Spray by Q-tip trial informed the judge at 3:15 Wednesday afternoon (9/22) that they were “hopelessly deadlocked” and could not find resolution through further deliberation. After encouraging them to rethink their opinions and meeting privately with the jury foreman, Judge Susan Illston declared a mistrial. It was then that plaintiffs and defendants learned there were six jurors in favor of finding that police had used unconstitutional excessive force against the activists and only two not of that opinion. The plaintiffs are the eight activists who sued …

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The much-anticipated trial to determine if police violated Headwaters Forest activists’ civil rights when they applied pepper spray directly into their eyes with Q-tips will now start WEDNESDAY SEPT. 8, rather that Sept. 7 as previously scheduled. We were notified today by the Judge that another trial is overlapping, but everything else is going as scheduled. That means — INFO NIGHT at the Long Haul, with dinner, Fire In the Eyes film, and update from plaintiff/activists: Sunday Sept. 5, 7:30 pm Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley (near Ashby BART) SOLIDARITY RALLY as trial starts: Wed. Sept. 8 at noon …

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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