Protests logging of Redwoods
Protests in Jackson Demonstration State Forest Escalate in the Face of Unsafe Logging, Threats of Violence, and Harassment of Tribal Leader
North America has been home to native indigenous peoples prior to European colonization. The historical and archaeological record, as interpreted by scholars and by Native Americans indicate that the continued presence of indigenous tribes is estimated to be between 15,000 to 35,000 years ago. They lived in autonomous nations and many tribes today are recognized as sovereign nations. Every area of North America where the native indigenous population flourished experienced the European settlers intrusions into their settlements. Native people were rounded up and forced onto reservations, and many were also massacred and killed. Experiencing near extermination and ongoing racism, the native peoples here in Northern California, share a historical kinship with the lands they once occupied. The once thriving and numerous Redwood forests and native tribes still struggle for recognition of their rights to thrive.
Many of us who have lived in this area have or are still involved in the struggle to protect our Redwood ecosystems and their biodiversity. California Coast Redwoods known by their botanical name Sequoia sempervirens are evergreen trees that are one of the tallest trees on the planet and can survive for over 2,500 years. Redwoods need the support and protection of other trees in their complex forest ecosystem to grow tall and reach longevity.
Jackson Demonstration State Forest (“JDSF”) has been ground zero for the most recent battle to address environmental problems and the taking away of the original Native American lands for private ownership. JDSF at 50,000 acres in the heart of the Coastal Redwoods in Mendocino County, California is a second growth forest. Its prior history encompasses years of intense industrial logging under private ownership. The State of California purchased the forest in 1947. Now managed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), JDSF, the largest of eight Demonstration State Forests is beginning to exhibit some of the characteristics of an old-growth redwood forest.
CAL FIRE states its mission is to “provide for commercial timber production, public recreation, and research and demonstration of good forest management practices. Additional forestry programs include urban forestry, archaeology, pest management, etc.”
Logging has not stopped in JDSF under the State’s ownership. The argument is being made by activists and scientists that the Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) that JDFS is working from do not address the issues that the THPs basically serves as a template for considering native forests as agricultural crops on a tree farm. CAL FIRE claims that these logging plans reduce the risk of wildfire and reduce climate change threats. Arguments to the contrary have been put forth, and claim that CAL FIRE is not incorporating updated and independent and peer reviewed science.
The Coalition to Save Jackson State Forest are calling for Three Point Proposal towards the creation of a Mendocino Coast Redwood Forest Reserve. This ancestral homeland of the Northern Pomo has become a battleground between CAL FIRE and a loose knitted coaltion of local environmental organizations, local residents, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians over Timber Harvest Plans where CAL FIRE maintains that the science of taking some of the biggest trees is a needed thinning of the forest in order to demonstrate forest reslient practices. This methodology is driving the CAL FIRE approved timber operations in several areas of JDSF. CAL FIRE by the way approves and controls oversight of their own Timber Harvest Plans.
Tree sits, and protests have been ongoing since April of this year. Attempts by the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, local residents and environmental groups to negotiate with CAL FIRE and other California State Authorities have resulted in a stalemate and logging continues with starts and stops.
For a history of this ongoing issues see:
https://mendovoice.com/?s=Jackson+State+forest
A recent press release by Mama Tree Network and Redwood Nation Earth First! :
Willits CA—On Tuesday, Oct 5, Coyote Valley Tribal Chairman Michael Hunter was on the Soda Gulch site to investigate the veracity of statements made by California Secretary for Natural Resources, Wade Crowfoot, to Hunter and some thirty members of the Association of Tribal Council Chairpersons at a recent meeting in Sacramento, that “no logging is taking place” in Jackson. (See story https://www.kzyx.org/post/tribal-chair-threatened-jdsf#stream/0)
Captured on video and audio recordings, Chairman Hunter shows that, in fact, logging is taking place, and documents the death threats and intimidation tactics aimed at him that day. When Hunter asked a nearby logger to please not kill him “accidentally” the man replied “It wouldn’t be accidental.” When a Leer Assets Management security guard hired as a ‘safety officer’ demanded identification of Hunter and told him to leave the property, Chairman Hunter responded, “Who are you to ask me to leave? I’m Pomo. This is my ancestral land”.
Protests in Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) were met with increasingly dangerous responses this week as loggers threatened nonviolent activists trying to prevent what they see as further destruction of public land. Citizen monitors are hiking miles into the woods to discover and confront active tree felling and yarding operations still taking place on the steep slopes of Soda Gulch timber harvest plan (THP) 1-20-00041 MEN.
Until recently, loggers had stopped felling trees when protestors were present. This week, loggers are instead being told by supervising Registered Professional Forester (RPF) Jason Serna, to continue felling trees near activists, putting both activists and loggers in danger. Although Calfire has law enforcement power, it has so far declined to arrest any protestors on State property during the protests. Instead, Calfire has hired individuals from Lear Asset Management Security Company who have menaced, harassed and verbally threatened activists, while refusing to identify themselves. On Wednesday, Serna ordered these so-called “safety officers’ to cut down numerous mature oak trees not marked for cut, in order to block a trail used by activists to reach the logging site.
Loggers have cut wedges out of some trunks but left the trees standing. Some trees have been cut almost clear through from both sides, balancing on a pencil point in the center and creating a hazard to anyone present.
The 440 acre Soda Gulch plan calls for cutting second growth Redwood and Douglas Fir that scientists say are worth more standing as carbon sinks and hedges against climate change than as board feet for private profit. They point out that forest recreation brings in six times more revenue to perennially cash-strapped Mendocino County. Visitors are shocked to learn that clearcuts lie just beyond locked gates along the many foot and bicycle trails in Jackson Forest.
The Soda Gulch plan also calls for herbicides to kill 90% of mostly small and some large Tanoaks across 115 acres of the plan, to be replaced by commercially lucrative Redwood and Douglas Fir. However, the presence of such a large area of tan oak, as shown in 1947 aerial photos, indicates it may be an historic Native orchard. Acorn trees were planted by Native people as a staple food source that sustained large Indigenous populations and are still vital for cultural restoration and healthy wildlife.
Soda Gulch is one of six THPs being monitored daily by forest protectors. The Coalition to Save Jackson Forest is calling for a moratorium so that JDSF’s out-of-date Management Plan can updated to reflect current conditions of climate change and the Mission Statement reoriented towards Indigenous co-management.
photos at these links:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vZ7uM7MwvQAnAZ0lJFEZGJRuoDdV2zOH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D4D_y_WOh54Bf-IExoJoBz82_rCUwgHA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10jmS09j34v8-oTq0wC0QMgdUk8GVnO-z/view?usp=sharing
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