Otter-Wing Update and Action Alert

9/5/99:

Activists block road for two days, lawsuit filed against the Forest Service, Highland Enterprises, Shear Lumber Products, and law enforcement for their handling of last year raid by workers on the tree sit camp, call for help in defending Otter-Wing from destruction.

Two Activists are arrested for blockading the Otter-Wing timber sale, one activist is arrested trying to observe forest service law enforcement.

By Mike Bowersox and Joshua Burnim

Otter-Wing (20 miles SE of Grangeville), Idaho - At dawn today three activists working with the Cove/Mallard Coalition were arrested by Forest Service law enforcement on the 1875 road in the Nez Perce National Forest.

Two of the activists (Bat girl and Scuttles) had been blocking access to the Otter-Wing timber sale since Sunday morning. The third activist (Sarah Seeds) was arrested for demanding that she be able to observe police conduct. Sarah Seeds was arrested after she refused to move from a location where she could witness the conduct of officers in dismantling the blockade. She had chains on her wrists and ankle so that the officers could be assured that she could not interfere with their operation. Sarah Seeds stated from jail, "I think it is really unfortunate that it is necessary to go to these lengths to prevent not only the clearcutting of our lands, but the clearcutting of our human rights."

Forest Service law enforcement used a cherry picker to remove Bat girl from a thirty foot tripod. They then proceeded to use the same machine to remove Scuttles from a thirty foot monopod with the assistance of workers. The three individuals are being taken to Boise for arraignment before a federal judge today. Although no one was hurt, witnesses said that law enforcement used techniques that put both individuals in extreme danger of injury in order to remove the blockade as quickly as possible.

Mike Bowersox, a coalition volunteer stated, "These actions will continue in the Otter-Wing timber sale as long as the forest service continues to break the law. Otter-Wing and the streams that will be affected by the continuing logging and road building offer the last viable habitat for endangered steelhead trout, bull trout, and chinook salmon on the South Fork of the Clearwater River." The blockade was the second civil disobedience action of the summer on the 1875 road. For the last year citizens have engaged in numerous protests against the sale. Activists have submitted several reports to the Forest Service regarding environmental violations taking place in the lay out of sale units, stream buffers, and road construction.

Joshua Burnim of the coalition said, "This sale represents industrial logging at its worst where roadless areas are violated, pristine old growth habitat is destroyed, and massive amounts of sediment are routed into the last healthy streams. If the Forest Service cared about healthy ecosystems it would stop logging the Otter-Wing timber sale immediately." Otter-Wing is a part of the Wing-Twenty mile area which is a part of the Greater Salmon/Selway Ecosystem, the largest roadless area in the lower 48 states. The sale includes 12 miles of new road and 694 acres of clearcuts.

The sale is just south of the Gospel Hump wilderness area in the Nez Perce National Forest. Activists have been protesting the sale since 1998 and there have been numerous arrests over the last two years. The Otter-Wing campaign is a part of a seven year effort by the Cove/Mallard Coalition to protect the Greater Salmon/Selway Ecosystem. Still photos and video are available on request. Contact Joshua Burnim at 208-882-9755.

Lawsuit Filed

In other news from the campaign we have now filed a lawsuit against Highland Enterprises, Shearer Lumber Products, the Idaho County Sheriffs Department, Nez Perce National Forest, and the Nez Perce forest service law enforcement over last years attack by employees of Shearer and Highland on our tree sit support camp in federal court.

The suit also names numerous officers, employees of Shearer, Highland, Forest Service law enforcement, and Nez Perce National Forest as defendants. The suit charges that these individuals, corporations, and law enforcement conspired to violate the activists' right to protest road building, provide equal protection to all citizens under the law, threatened the lives of activists, and burned and destroyed our camp and personnel gear. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Cove/Mallard Coalition and six individual activists on August 20. On the night of August 21, 1998 individuals who were employed by Highland Enterprises and Shearer came to the location of a tree sit blocking road construction in Otter-Wing.

They were armed and made numerous threats to kill activists and rape the women who were there. They eventually found our support camp and stole our packs. They also cut gear with knifes and threw gear into the fire, which the activists eventually had to put out. The raid lasted from about midnight to sunrise the next day. The next day Forest Service law enforcement arrived on the scene to take statements and do an investigation. On their way into the sale they encountered the people who had raided us but failed to question or stop these individuals at all. Upon arrival at the site they threw out beer cans, told activists to clean up their trashed camp, and said we should leave because they were not going to baby sit us. Later that same day Idaho County Sheriffs arrived to take statements.

One of the officers advised the defendants to leave because they would not protect them even though the workers had threatened to come back that night and kill us. None of the slashed or burned gear was taken for finger prints and no individuals have been charged in connection with the crime. Through a Freedom of Information Act Request we have now learned that both the Idaho County Sheriffs Department and the Forest Service law enforcement were at the workers security camp the night of the raid about 3 hours before it began. The Forest Service officers even encountered the individuals who raided our camp on the way up to the sale. These people were drunk and going to a party and driving on a road that is only open to contractors who are working. The F.S. officers did nothing to stop them.

A manager for Highland Enterprise provided the sale contract officer from the Forest Service a detailed description of workers who were meeting at a bar in Elk City deciding something must be done about the Earth Firster!s blocking road construction. We are in the first stage of the lawsuit and summons have now been sent to the individuals named in the lawsuit. We will keep you updated as the suit progresses. Taking this step to protect our rights to protest and have equal protection under the law is costing us a bit of money. Larry Hildes and Bernie Zaleha have generously donated their legal skills to us, but we still need funds for depositions, filing fees, copies, and travel expenses for our two lawyers. We are asking our friends to help us with this important action. Funds are desperately needed and should be made out to Cove/Mallard Coalition with legal defense fund in the memo. Checks can be sent to the Cove/Mallard Coalition at P.O. Box 8968, Missoula, MT 59806.

OTTER-WING STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP:

Despite our efforts Highland Enterprises completed construction on the 1875c spur road this week. We expect that Shearer Lumber Products will be starting logging operations any day now. We still need dedicated individuals to join us in the field to monitor the roads and units for violations. Our base camp is still open and we expect the campaign to be going on until the snow falls in early November.

We can provide you with free food and loan the gear to be comfortable. Direct Action is on-going and we need your help to effectively defend Otter-Wing. We are hoping for an injunction from a lawsuit filed by Friends of the Clearwater from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals this month. Till then the only thing between the destruction of this wild and beautiful place is the activists in the field, please come help us.

If you cannot come here, there are some things you can do that will help:

* If you cannot come please call Supervisor Bernhardt at 208-983-1950 or write him at Nez Perce National Forest, Route 2, Box 475, Grangeville, ID 83530. Tell him to halt the Otter-Wing timber sale until the forest service responds to the violation reports and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals hears the case.

* Call Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck at 202-205-1661 or write him at P.O. Box 96090, Washington, DC 20090. Ask him to buy back the Otter-Wing and Mackey Day timber sales and honor his commitment to protect endangered species and water quality.

* Call or write Special Agent Dan Hawkes at the same address and phone number as Supervisor Bernhardt. Tell agent Hawkes to stop his officers from hurting non-violent protesters. Also tell Officer Hawkes that you demand that he order his officers to allow support people to watch and record the activities of his officers as mandated by the 1st amendment to the constitution.

* We can always use donations of funds, climbing ropes, socks, rain gear, coffee, and food. You can send contributions to the Cove/Mallard Coalition, P.O. Box 8968, Missoula, MT 59806.