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environment | forest defense | gender & sexuality 02-Jul-2009 14:27

Cascadia Trans’ & Womyn’s Action Camp 2009 Reportback

From the open publishing newswire: This year Cascadia made home to the now annual Trans & Womyn's Action Camp.
Cascadia hasn't hosted a camp of this sort in a few years, unfortunately. This camp alone brought out so many new faces and introduced them to the radical environmental movement that we decided it must continue out here, in coordination with other Trans and Womyn's spaces that correlate with future Earth First! Rendezvous.
Taking place in workshops spaces such as Learn First! and Share Garden, the schedule was widely diverse with issues of forest defense techniques, tactics of non-violent direct action, strategic campaigning, supporting mental health wellness & burnout, gender identity, sex work, DIY reproductive health (where many women saw a cervix for the first time!), how to call out oppressive behavior in a constructive way, etc. There was a large focus on anti-oppression by having three unique AO scheduled workshops, with additions of an impromptu critical discussion on privilege and oppression in the larger EF! movement, which eventually turned into a discussion about environmental racism and environmental justice. And prior to that there was an in-depth discussion on how to incorporate the safer space of TWAC- trans-inclusiveness, solidarity, and anti-oppression- at the upcoming EF! Round River Rendezvous, which eventually turned into trying to rally folks to attend the EF! RRR.

Beyond having some really amazing & critical workshops, we also had lots of fun ones!

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environment | forest defense | green scare | prisons & prisoners 11-Jun-2009 20:41

Tre's Back!

From the open publishing newswire: Tre arrived in Portland Monday afternoon. Some folks met him at the airport bringing spring water, yummy food, coconut dates of course, and flowers. Lots of hugs and love before he rode a bike with friends to the halfway house he is staying at.

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actions & protests | forest defense 03-Jun-2009 18:39

Fall Creek Timber Project Occupied by Forest Activists

cascadia summer From the open publishing newswire: Do you remember the days of Fall Creek, Warner Creek, the first Cascadia Summers? Do you remember the lands that were saved by the direct efforts of concerned citizens? We remember, and it is within that greater tradition of non-violent forest defense that we now come to you proclaiming that a resurgence has begun.

As of June 1, 2009 tree-sits have been deployed within the Fall Creek Project planning area in defiance of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) propositions to clearcut 400 acres in the area. This action is taken as an escalation of the Cascadia Summer campaign against the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR) and corruption within the highest levels of the BLM. Perhaps the BLM will listen to these events, as they did not listen to the more than 30,000 Oregonians who filed formal protest against the WOPR. These are public lands and we will not sit back and watch the continuing devastation caused by government incompetence and corporate manipulation. As far as the economy is considered, do not be deceived, you will find no jobs on a dead planet.

 http://ForestDefenseNow.org

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forest defense 19-May-2009 17:51

Cascadia Summer Action Camp

Come learn to climb . . . From the open publishing newswire: We are inviting activists of all shades to our Action Camp May 23-25. This will be our kick-off event for Cascadia Summer, a season of action in defense of native forests left standing on Oregon's public lands.

At the camp we will be hosting trainings in a range of subjects such as tree climbing and rigging, anti-oppression, non-violent direct action, jail support and much more. We are facing thousands of acres of native forest clearcuts in Oregon this summer and training is the first step toward action. While the Green Scare has targeted our communities, we must make it clear that this culture will live on and even thrive regardless of state repression. We cordially invite you to help create and share the joyful, colorful, resistance culture that we hold so dear. It is our solemn obligation to keep the flame alive in dark times; so come to learn and stay to fight. This summer we will be dispatching a diversity of tactics from direct action to community education. We will have a camp in the forest and friendly houses in the city and we're inviting comrades young and less young, experienced and less experienced to join us for a summer, a month or just a few days. As long as the forests are threatened and we are able, every summer will be Cascadia Summer.

The action camp will be hosted 45 minutes outside of our campaign base of Eugene in the forests of Oregon. Visit www.forestdefensenow.org for more information or email forestdefensenow@gmail to arrange accommodations/rideshares ready for you when you arrive for the festivities.

 http://www.ForestDefenseNow.org

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forest defense 21-Apr-2009 22:32

Forest Defense in Eastern Oregon - lecture @ Reed Monday 4/27

From the open publishing newswire: Karen Coulter, Director of the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project (and a Reed graduate of '81) will be presenting a slide show about forest ecology and forest protection in Eastern Oregon, covering tree species, wildlife at risk, field surveying and legal protection, and Forest Service excuses to log unsustainably and threaten wildlife, as well as experiments in collaboration with local communities, loggers and ranchers to move toward ecologically sound restoration.

Monday April 27th, 7pm
[...] in the Blue Heron Infoshop, (Gray Campus Center Room 34), Reed College , 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Portland, OR 97202

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forest defense 13-Apr-2009 14:51

Cascadia Summer April Events

cascadia summer From the open publishing newswire: Hey y'all we cordially invite you to check out any of our upcoming forest defense related events in Eugene Oregon in preparation for the summer...and we'd love to hear from anyone wanting to get involved.
  • April 14 - Tuesday: Info Table 10am-4pm at 19th & Univ.
    - Informational Meeting and Multimedia Presentation @ 7pm
  • April 17 - Friday:
    - Benefit Party and Live Music w/ Hand Crafts Art Auction, 9pm @ the Lorax, 1648 Alder St.
  • April 19 - Sunday:
    - Elliott State Forest Hike, sign up at EMU Outdoor Program Office
  • April 25 - Saturday: Tree Climbing I: Introduction to single rope technique & midline descent @ Lorax Manor 1648 Alder St. 12 noon.
  • April 26 - Sunday: Tree Climbing II: Further climbing, girthing and setting lines workshops. 12 noon
forestdefensenow.org

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actions & protests | forest defense 08-Apr-2009 18:51

Protect Cascadia's Forests, Promote Responsible Forestry: BOYCOTT (ST)UMPQUA BANK!

From the open publishing newswire: Communicating to those personally responsible for trashing our forests, poisoning our citizens, fouling our drinking water, and killing our salmon is a tactic often forgotten in grassroots advocacy to protect our priceless forests. But folksinger Utah Phillips spoke the truth when he said: "The earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those who are killing it have names and addresses."

I'm writing to inform you that as of March 2009, Eco-Advocates (aka: Cascadia's Ecosystem Advocates) has officially relaunched the Boycott of Umpqua Bank or Stumpqua (stumpquabank.com) to send a strong message to bank Chairman/timber baron Allyn Ford (owner of Roseburg Forest Products) to replace his obsolete deforestry practices of toxic clearcutting and taxpayer-subsidized public lands logging with responsible and ethical forestry practices on his own land.

The Stumpqua Bank Boycott gives average citizens the power to apply direct pressure to an individual personally responsible (Ford is SOLE OWNER of Roseburg Forest Products) for poisoning our children, trashing our forests, and spoiling our drinking water. A letter or phone call only means so much to a greedy timber baron. But if you put your money where your mouth is and withdraw your accounts from Ford's precious Umpqua Bank -- whether it's $100 or $100 million -- you can rest assured he'll sit up and take notice.

 http://stumpquabank.com

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forest defense 29-Mar-2009 09:51

Forever Forests Seminar

mazama forest defense From the open publishing newswire: Fire, windstorms, insects and disease have been a part of Pacific Northwest forests for millennia. These natural disturbance are frequently dubbed "catastrophic" to the landscape. Yet in the past 150 years man has left a significant imprint on the land through logging, road building and grazing.

Hosted by the Crag Law Center and the Mazamas Mountaineering Center, SE 43rd and Stark, Portland
Thursday, April 2, 2009, 6:30 pm.

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forest defense 11-Mar-2009 07:52

WOPR Not Dead Yet

From the open publishing newswire: The BLM's massive Western Oregon Plan Revision (WOPR) logging plan has ignited a groundswell of opposition stretching from government scientists and the general public to Oregon's Governor and Congressional Representatives. Unfortunately, the BLM is pushing forward with the misguided direction of the Bush administration regardless of popular opinion, the law or scientific review.

As it stands today, the WOPR is the law of the land for over 2.5 million acres of forests in Western Oregon, and the BLM is taking steps to implement the plan on the ground. The first major project under the WOPR was just announced, and it is a 1400 acre clear cut above salmon-bearing streams in Oregon's Coast Range called "Edson". If allowed to move forward, this destructive Bush-era plan will repeat this form of industrial logging across Oregon's remaining natural heritage.

please send a quick, automatic letter | www.kswild.org

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forest defense 12-Feb-2009 20:55

EF! humboldt tree-sit

From the open publishing newswire: Protect old-growth redwoods and spotted owls in Cascadia!

Starting Sun. the 15th, Green Diamond is approved to begin logging in the McKay tract of forest in Humboldt County, CA. This is home to several Old-Growth redwoods and Northern Spotted Owls (an endangered species).

The biggest threat to the northern spotted owl is loss of old growth forest habitat as a result of logging and forest fragmentation. As a result of declining habitat due to logging, as well as this interruption of their annual mating season(feb-mar), their population is only 2000-3000 pairs and dwindling.

EF!ers in Humboldt are increasingly busy as the potential start-up of logging approaches.

 http://www.efhumboldt.org

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energy & nuclear | forest defense 08-Jan-2009 11:57

Bark-About to the Palomar Pipeline

The piple line will pass through exixting trails in the Mt Hood National Forest From the open publishing newswire: Take advantage of the warm weather and come see for yourself what will be lost if the Palomar Pipeline is built. The proposed Palomar Pipeline crosses the Clackamas River at one of its most scenic bends.

Sunday, January 11, 9am-5pm

At the halfway mark, we will come to the route of the proposed Palomar Pipeline where it crosses the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River. Bark Timber Sale Committee member and GIS specialist Matt Mavko will describe the impacts of the pipeline proposal and hikers will be given an opportunity to write official comments to the Forest Service about the pipeline.

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forest defense | sustainability 20-Nov-2008 07:56

Carnage: Killing Season in Cascadia

From the open publishing newswire: There is a place near the river, where I live, that used to be a forest. I used to go walking there. The light filtered down through the trees, into the deep, green shade where I walked. Kestrels and red tailed hawks prowled above the branches near the edges of this wood. Deeper in the trees, delicate wildflowers blanketed the earth beneath the ferns in the spring. Now and then, deer would leap from the sheltering brambles as I walked. Musk rats, otters, and beaver glided through the lazy water of a clear and sparkling stream that wound its way through here. Trout darted from beneath the grasses bending out over the water from the shore. It was beautiful.

Last spring, bulldozers and loggers and heavy equipment came in and mowed it to the ground. They left muddy tracks and a flat wasteland behind them. I heard the land was being... "developed."

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forest defense 20-Nov-2008 07:53

Photos: WOPR protest at State Capitol

From the open publishing newswire: These photos were taken at a rally on November 14th at the Oregon State Capitol. Oregonians in attendence were asking Governor Kulongoski to stop the implementation of the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR), which would allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to increase logging of Oregon lands by 463%. Last week, Jasmine, a student from an Oregon University, sat in a tree on the State Capitol Campus to raise awareness of the issue. To mark the day of the rally, Jasmine descended from the tree.

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