Environmentalists address MAXXAM shareholders

For Immediate Release May 19, 2004

Contacts: Rhea Green,SACRED Redwood- 713-858-0074
Shunka Wakan, North Coast Earth First!- 713-858-0074

Where: The Power Center, 12401 S. Post Oak Road

When: 8:00 am


Environmentalists to address MAXXAM shareholders
at annual meeting

Houston, TX – As part of an ongoing campaign to preserve the last remaining 3% of old-growth redwood left in this country, a representative of North Coast Earth First! who traveled from Humboldt County, California, and a local representative from SACRED Redwood, will address MAXXAM shareholders today at their annual meeting. Activist encourage the company and its shareholders to engage in responsible and sustainable business practices and to preserve the last Ancient Old Growth forests left on earth.

“I have traveled all the way from Humboldt County, California, to Houston. Texas, to talk face-to-face with MAXXAM Corporation about saving these ancient wonders,” said North Coast Earth First! activist Shunka Wakan. “I want to show MAXXAM that we are willing to go that extra mile to preserve these heritage trees, and to appeal to their hearts to help end the ongoing conflict in our home community.”

Houston based corporation MAXXAM and its subsidiary, Pacific Lumber, are responsible for environmentally devastating practices, such as clear-cutting, logging on steep and unstable slopes, and dumping a carcinogenic herbicides onto California soil.

The District Attorney of Humboldt County California, Paul Gallegos, is currently suing Maxxam subsidiary Pacific Lumber Company for over $250 million for fraud. Pacific Lumber has continued to log despite numerous violations of state and federal environmental laws, and years on continuous non-violent protests by Humboldt County residents, and activists from around the globe. MAXXAM CEO Charles Hurwitz took control of Pacific Lumber in 1985 in a hostile takeover and immediately tripled the rate of logging. In addition, he raided $60 million from the workers’ pension fund..

For more information, visit http://www.SacredRedwood.org or http://www.northcoastearthfirst.org.