Save the Mattole’s Ancient Forest
[Reprinted from Facebook]
On November 25, an activist locked their body to the underside of a log truck in an attempt to prevent access to Rainbow Ridge, the site of logging and road building operations.
This is a continuation of six months of actions this year, first in opposition to Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC) logging on Long Ridge and now in Rattlesnake Creek, which are both within the North Fork Basin of the Mattole River.
“HRC is, for the second time this year, logging within the protective buffer zone around a Northern Spotted Owl nest. This is the sixth mass extinction playing out right in our community—we cannot let HRC continue to fragment habitat for endangered species,” commented the forest defender from
under the truck.
The log truck was stopped within Humboldt Redwood State Park, on a road that leads into HRC’s timberlands. One forest defender locked their arms around the front axle of the log truck, while a dozen others remained nearby.
Workers, Humboldt County Sheriff, and Humboldt Redwood Company’s private paramilitary security arrived on the scene. Three non-violent protestors were arrested.
“Humboldt Redwood Company’s logging on Rainbow Ridge is a local issue, in that it represents further destruction in a watershed that is finally recovering from past timber industry impacts, and represents a continuation of the violent legacy of colonization in this area. This is also a global issue, as deforestation is a major contributor to the destabilization of our climate,” an activist proclaimed.
They continued, “We do not take issue with the sawyers out here who are subcontractors. They are paid hourly, so we hope work stoppages afford them a break. Our conflict is with HRC and their blatant disregard for stakeholder concerns and greenwashing. We will continue to resist HRC’s extractive, profit-driven operations on Rainbow.”
