From the open publishing newswire: What is the GAP in logic? How can we really increase the amount of board feet that we have harvested from our nationally "managed" forests. Even a federal emergency does not grant the GAP my pardon. You are sick, sick, sick!

The Gap
Three months ago
On all the major corporate TV news shows
They reported that water in the Sierras was at 90 percent capacity.
Everyone who has had any longevity or science background
Knew that this was to blow a cool breath of relief against
The squinting view of Global Warming
Even as I said that the glaciers were all but dead
They said they measured and we were fine

From the open publishing newswire: Hike the Pipe is a Bark event to raise awareness of the threats to old-growth forests and some of our most scenic rivers and hiking trails by the controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and pipelines proposed for Oregon. We invite you, your family and your friends to join us along a segment of the proposed 40-mile pipeline route through Mt. Hood National Forest.

Bark, the watchdog group of Mt. Hood forests, announces Hike the Pipe, an event to raise awareness of the threats to Oregon's old-growth forests, scenic rivers, and hiking trails by the proposed pipeline connecting to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals on the coast.
Across western Oregon citizens are uniting against building a 210-mile pipeline through public and private lands. Palomar, a subsidiary of Northwest Natural and TransCanada has proposed a pipeline route that crosses over steep slopes and will require miles of new road-building, adding to the 4,000 miles of crumbling roads already threatening Mt. Hood's forests.

A group of trained "groundtruthers" will be surveying the proposed route, including crossing several major creek and riverways.The camp-out site will be near Timothy Lake.

 http://www.bark-out.org

From the open publishing newswire: Tre Arrow accepted a plea bargain at the Federal Courthouse this morning. Here's his message to everyone: A warm blessing to you all - i thank you for your support and for being here today. Some may look at this non - cooperation plea agreement as a victory. Some may see it as a defeat. It's really neither! It's simply another step in this journey as i walk my path of conscience. You see, it's never been about me. From before the days of the ledge-sit, right thru 'til today, this has been and will always be about the commitment to leave our Earth Mother in a healthier, more beautiful state then when i arrived.

This is about taking back our power from the government and corporate entities that would have us believe that monetary wealth and the acquisition of material objects is more important than the health of the planet, it's people and the billions of life forms with whom we share this home. This is about being a voice for the trees, our animal friends, the waters, mountains and blue skies. This is a calling to consider our children grandchildren and the generations to follow. This is living up to our divine potential. This is an opportunity to be a voice for truth, compassion and respect in the face of profound corruption and disregard for the sanctity of life that permeates the governments and corporations of the world.

 http://trearrow.org/

From the open publishing newswire: On April 21 the Corvallis City Council passed a resolution opposing the Bureau of Land Management's Western Oregon Plan Revisions. The draft Plan would increase old growth logging in Western Oregon by 700% and reduce riparian reserves and habitat for endangered species. In March, members of the Coast Range Association and the Benton Forest Coalition presented the resolution to councilors, who referred the measure to the Legislative Committee. After hearing testimony from seven local residents, including a forester, a plant pathologist, and representatives from the American Hiking Society and the Audubon Society, the Legislative Committee returned the resolution to the Council with a stamp of approval.

The City Council voted unanimously to adopt a slightly modified version of the Eugene resolution, originally penned by Josh Laughlin of the Cascadia Wildlands Project. Councilors cited concerns about ecotourism and the impact of proposed increases in logging on BLM lands on adjacent city owned watersheds.

maps of affected forests | Old Growth Giveaways in Oregon's Heritage Forests | background | background and press releases, including video/audio clips

From the open publishing newswire: On May 3rd, we will be hosting our 6th Monkeywrench Cafe, an event of excellent, low-cost food and wonderful storytelling by Earth First!ers of all generations! Come out as we keep the tradition of oral history alive! All meals are vegan, delicious and low-cost, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. This month we have more old-school Earth First!ers coming into town to regale us with tales of adventure!

Saturday, May 3rd, 7-10pm.

Monkeywrench Cafe
5529 N. Vancouver Ave
(Vancouver & Killingsworth)
Portland, OR

Come out as we keep the tradition of oral history alive! All meals are vegan, delicious and low-cost, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. This month we have more old-school Earth First!ers coming into town to regale us with tales of adventure!

From the open publishing newswire: Preliminary announcement of the next Forest Defense Skillshare. We'll be rendezvousing in the Ancient Redwoods here in Humboldt. More details will be out shortly. Inviting old-timers and newcomers alike!

We'll be rendezvousing in the Ancient Redwoods here in Humboldt. More details will be out shortly. Stay tuned at our blog http://humboldtforestdefense.blogspot.com/

Join us May 2nd through May 9th to share and acquire skills for non-violent direct action focused on defending our forests!

From the open publishing newswire: How you can support Tre...Tre is currently at Multnomah County Detention Center. It is likely that he will be moved soon (and we will let you know when that happens) but in the meantime, please feel free to write and visit him. Note the info below and click on the links for more detailed instruction. Please be mindful that all correspondence and visits will be copied and recorded. Thank you for your support!

Letters, preferably on scrap paper, (Tre's choice), or tree-free, can be written:

Tre Arrow (He was booked into MCDC under that name)
SWIS #640393
Multnomah County Detention Center
1120 S.W. 3rd Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97206

Letters can be mailed or dropped off at MCDC.

 http://www.trearrow.org

From the open publishing newswire: 5 years ago this morning, many people were mourning the loss of our dear friend Sparrow, aka Carson McCann. We have been mourning him ever since.

But that does not mean we have not put our sorrow into action - and the action began just a few days after his death as you can see in this previous post.

Sparrow is in our thoughts and in our hearts with every day that passes, every precious forest that we hike through, and every sparrow that flies across our path. We love you and miss you Sparrow.

Forest defense community mourns the loss of our friend Sparrowbrfriends of Sparrow announce occupation of Straw Devil timber sale

From the open publishing newswire: Tre Arrow will be given a warm "welcome back" to Portland by his many friends, family and supporters. Tre is a grassroots activist, known foremost for his environmental protection work in the forests of Northern Oregon. Following several years of peaceful activism by Tre, the U.S. Government labeled him an "eco-terrorist" and charged him with multiple counts of arson, conspiracy to commit arson, and possession of destructive devices (i.e. incendiaries). Tre has been a prisoner for four years in Canada fighting extradition to the U.S., fearing that he would not be given a fair trial in light of the "eco-terrorist" label. Tre is awaiting trial in Portland, Oregon, vigorously fighting his criminal charges. Tre states, "As winter holds the land in its grasp, the bare hardwoods stand strong and beckon the spirit of Spring. Likewise, as my life enters a new season, my strength and life force are flowing through my veins and invigorating my body, mind, and spirit for the upcoming challenges. The time has come to prepare for trial in Portland. I am returning from Canada ready to assist my lawyers in this process."

Tre has consistently denied any guilt and always asserted that he is innocent of all charges. Tre states, "I have maintained my innocence from the onset of this ordeal. My legal team presented my plea for asylum in Canada based on the political persecution I am facing. But, it is abundantly clear that the Canadian Government is complicit in the atrocities and injustices perpetrated by the US government. My faith in the Canadian authorities to act with a conscience in a fair and objective manner has not been realized. The time has come to prove my innocence once and for all."

Tre Arrows Latest Callout

From the open publishing newswire: Berkeley, CA February 19, 2008 At 6:15 this morning the University of California campus police initiated yet another raid on the Memorial Oak Grove in Berkeley. This latest aggression against the tree sitters was directed at the traverse lines that link the numerous tree platforms to food, water and the ground support.

UCPD Assistant Chief Celaya, who was available onsite to answer questions regarding the raid, said that the action was in response to ongoing "health and safety " concerns.

Berkeley Citizen has been documenting the oak grove struggle for over a year. Here's his video of what happened yesterday, primarily focusing on the press conference...

Related previous coverage: Feb 22 '07 video of police raid | Dec 2 '07 one year anniversary coverage on indybay | Berkely Grandmothers for the Oaks coverage by Berkeley Students United for Peace | compiled local press releases | Indybay coverage; "Tree-Sit Raids & What You Can Do"

From the open publishing newswire:

The proceedings began before the jury was brought in.

US: Yesterday we heard for the first time that Mr. Fox anticipates going into the area that the FBI might have changed or tailored witness testimony if the agents were concerned about the OPR Office of Professional Responsibility or a civil lawsuit.

UPDATES 2/14:
Lacey Phillabaum to testify 2/14 and/or Friday
Day Two PM Overview plus Day Three (2/13)

UPDATE 2/15:
Notes from Phillabaum's testimony 2/14

UPDATE 2/17:
Brief notes from Phillabaum's testimony 2/15

From the open publishing newswire: Briana Waters' trial is scheduled for February 11th 9:00 am in Tacoma Washington, at the Federal Courthouse on 1717 Pacific Ave.

Briana Waters has been indicted in the arson at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture, specifically for the alleged role as a lookout. Ms. Waters maintains her innocence and is pleading not guilty. She is facing a mandatory minimum of 35 years in jail. The case is built on the word of two informants, Jen Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum. Although, Ms. Waters attorneys, Robert Bloom and Neil Fox, filed a motion that the government concealed important information and created a fraudulent FBI report, Judge Burgess denied the motion in January. The Judge closed the pretrial, which is our fundamental right to an open and clear process in public court. Now is the time that we must show up in the court room to support the transparency of our judicial system. It is more than our civil liberties at stake, in this precedent setting case. We have seen more and more of our civil rights taken away and it is important for us to stand and bear witness to this trial.

Please be at the court at 9am. Judge Burgess starts on time. The trial is expected to go for a month, Monday thru Friday 9am -4pm. Briana Waters asks that there be NO rally or signs outside or inside of the courtroom. Our presence will be the support she needs.

From the open publishing newswire: Earlier in the week, people traveling between Portland and the coast on HWY 30 had a long, long detour. The highway was closed. People who live near Clatskanie were even more inconvenienced... they were evacuated from their homes, and watched helplessly as a tremendous landslide came crashing down from the mountains, surging away with their houses and cars, covering the surrounding valley in mud, boulders, trees, and debris. As the mud and water continued to surge across the highway, everyone wanted to know why.
If you go out past Clatskanie, to where the highway has been closed down, the answer to that question is painfully obvious. The mountainside above the mudslide was clear cut.

Those who live along this highway say they have seen this coming for some time. As they watched private "investors" and the US Forest Service strip the steep, once-forested hills down to bare mud, people out here openly talked about the possibility of watching their homes wash away in the next rains. But the US Forest Service turned a deaf ear. Long time residents report that they had been concerned for some time about the possibility of landslides resulting from the careless logging. "You only have to look," said one resident, who asked not to be identified. "These mountains have had forests on them for ten thousand years. And these guys come along, and strip them away. Look how steep these cuts are," she says, gesturing to the precipitous slopes. "This didn't come out of the blue. This is what happens when people just don't give a shit. All they want is to make a fast buck, and they don't care what they leave behind. This is what they leave behind."