The logging of "protected" old-growth reserves began at the Biscuit timber sale, atop Fiddler Mountain. 11 people, including a 72-year old womyn from rural Selma, Oregon was arrested on Monday. Another 11 were arrested on Wednesday, including one man who locked down to the rear axle of a police vehicle with a steel lockbox.

The logging takes place in areas set aside for protection of the northern spotted owl by Clinton, and is directly adjacent to a pristine, roadless area. Logging of so-called "killer trees" along roadsides in the Biscuit timber sale began early in 2004 under the farce of public safety concerns. Despite successful summer efforts preventing logging, cutting on unprotected ancient forests began again in the fall. Although stalled by roadblockades (1, 2), the destruction has continued unceasingly over the past months. Ultimately, this logging project is is slated to log 19,500 acres (30.41 sq. miles) of public National Forest land, or roughly 70,000 truck-loads of logs. This logging includes 8,173 acres (12.77 sq. miles) in the Pacific Northwest's largest untouched, unroaded area and 6,303 acres (9.85 miles) of logging on these "protected" old-growth reserves.

A US District court will hear arguments in the case on March 22, 2005 and could likely rule the logging operations are illegal.

Photos: 1, 2 Videos: 1, 2, 3 Logging Photos: 1, 2

related: Rogue imc (Southern Oregon) | Portland imc forest defense page | Oxygen Collective | Siskiyou Project | Cascadia Rising EcoDefense