Forest Activists Blockade Clear-cut Logging In Jacoby Creek!

Early Tuesday morning forest defenders set up a 60 ft high road blockade to stop the active clear-cutting operations of Green Diamond Resource Company in the redwoods near Jacoby Creek Road north of Eureka in Humboldt County. These clear-cut logging plans represent a mere fraction of the ongoing clear-cut logging operations in Northern California.

“We are not coming down voluntarily until the reckless logging in the Jacoby Creek watershed is stopped,” said "Fly", one of the activists from atop the 60 ft high hanging platform

Citing concern for the local redwood eco-system as well as global climate change, the activists scaled rope structures made to block the entrance of a logging road. The blockades were constructed so that if moved or damaged, the activists could fall from a considerable height. Several pickup trucks and a van full of workers had to turn back when they arrived. One of the workers from the van started cutting the rope before supporters on the ground could stop him.

“This is about global eco-cide,” said Fly , “We are doing this to preserve life on this planet, to fight climate change, loss of species and threats to our ability to survive.”

Recent studies from botanist Steve Sillett, of Humboldt State University show that Redwoods grow faster as they grow older, storing huge amounts of carbon and slowing the rate of global warming. There is currently a collaboration of conservationists and scientists using highly advanced technology to decode the information stored in redwood tree trunks, branches and leaves to study the effects of climate change on these giants.

It has also been found that fog decrease is threatening California’s Redwood forests as reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. University of Berkley Professor Todd Dawson commented, "As fog decreases, the mature redwoods along the coast are not likely to die outright, but there may be less recruitment of new trees. They will look elsewhere for water, high humidity and cooler temperatures." (Reuters, Feb.15, 2010)