Palco violating court order

Treesitters in Freshwater observed loggers cutting trees on Pacific Lumber Co. (Palco) land and hauling them off, a day after Superior Court Judge John Golden ordered all activity to stop related to the legally questionable "Habitat Conservation Plan" (HCP), which has been used until now to overrule the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Court Order is effective until September 17, when the next hearing in the Sierra Club/EPIC lawsuit is scheduled. Palco P.R. Mary Bullwinkel contends that the ruling is not applicable to "company operations". Palco has a long history of violating court orders, often because court fines are minimal compared to the value of Redwood trees. Palco contractor Columbia Helicopter has also been violating Federal aviation laws by buzzing six protesters perched in a tree next to their landing pad Tuesday in the Mattole watershed. The Mattole area contains almost 3000 acres of old growth Douglas Firs. Palco has been busy recently clearcutting large swaths of this irreplacable ecosystem.