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Forest Peace Alliance Trip Into the Mattole(fixed version)

by Shunka (shunka_2002 [at] yahoo.com)
As part of the out-of-court settlement from the David "Gypsy" Chain wrongful death civil suit, the Forest Peace Alliance was formed, intending to bring activists and PL workers & management together, in a non-confrontational atmosphere, to prevent further deaths and injuries, to talk about the issues, and come up with creative solutions.
pointingatbrushy.jpg
Near the beginning of October, a group of ten activists, three PL reps, and a woman from Scotia, took a trip out into the Mattole, as part of the Forest Peace Alliance.
Early that morning, we met with the PL folks at the Scotia Inn, in the company-owned town of Scotia.
After our good morning greetings, we loaded up into PL suburbans and headed for the Mattole.
We had good conversations along the way, as we rode with one of the RPFs for the Mattole, and discussed our views on sustainability, Old Growth logging/preservation, clearcutting, herbicide use, corporate control of local businesses and lives, global politics, and private property.
The conversations were good, and an overall good vibration was present throughout the day.
Voices were heard, and heart were felt, I believe.
I feel that this was a very groundbreaking day, because it's not every day that forest defenders and big timber management go hang out together all day, especially in an area where much direct action has taken place, and continues to take place, and mutual understandings were kept in place, so that the relations could be kept good throughout the day.
This is the last thing that the big corporations want...the locals getting together, face to face, to REALLY talk about what is going on in our community.
I'm sure that the spirits of Gypsy and Judi Bari were out there with us that day, and I'm sure that their spirits were very pleased with what they saw and heard on that day.
Other events of the Forest Peace Alliance have included a dinner with PL workers & management & a Maxxam lawyer from Houston, a picnic with a few PL reps(it was a holiday, so many PL workers didn't make it), and roundtable meetings for the core Forest Peace Alliance committee.
We look forward to talking more with the local PL folks, and working towards a brighter future.
Sorry for the previous bloated pictures...I've got it down, now, I promise;)
§Cuts on Brushy Ridge
by Shunka (shunka_2002 [at] yahoo.com)
brushycuts.jpg
What's interesting about this picture is that the patch of woods on the left had been operated on this year. Notice that there is still a canopy, and, from a distance, you really can't tell they they have been there. Why can't all their cuts be like that? They can...this is a classic contrast photo, showing the good and the bad, in our eyes, side by side.
I haven't had a chance to ground-truth it, yet it looks like a responsible cut, as long as they didn't take the Old Growth from it.
A responsible, peaceful future is the light at the end of the tunnel.
§Putting together the hardhats.
by Shunka (shunka_2002 [at] yahoo.com)
hardhats.jpghu6280.jpg
We all got to put on hardhats, at one point, to walk around an active yarding operation.
It was difficult to see more trees being taken from the Mattole, right before our eyes, and strange to be so close to a live operation without being cursed at and chased.
So real it was almost surreal.
§Forest Defender in a PL hardhat.
by Shunka (shunka_2002 [at] yahoo.com)
funnyhardhat.jpg
A rare sight...again, almost surreal...
§Loading logs from the Mattole
by Shunka (shunka_2002 [at] yahoo.com)
loader.jpg
A difficult sight to see...
goodrelations.jpgzz6280.jpg
Overall, the relations were really good, and bridges were built.
The solution to corporate control of our lives is reconnecting our communities, reconnecting with the sacredness all around us, and within each of us, and each other, and really working together to come up with a way of life that we can all live with, in Peace.
We are all looking towards and sincerely hoping for a brighter future. Love and Light!
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