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JACKSON FOREST
CAMPAIGN UPDATE |
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INDEX OF TOPICS
DETAILS SUMMARY In response to several comments that my e-mails are too long, I am beginning a new format: A brief summary for those in a hurry, with more detailed information in a later section for those interested. I will generally post these on the internet with links to make it easy to get from one place to another. Please let me know which format works best for you: 1) this format or 2) the more informal but lengthier former format. LAWSUIT TRIAL HEARING AND APPEAL 1) The court hearing on the Campaign’s challenge to the Jackson State EIR will be held on July 7 at 9:30 am, Mendocino Superior Court, Department E, 100 North State Street, Ukiah. From Hwy 101, exit at Perkins Street, go west and turn right at State Street. Make an important contribution to the Campaign by attending. Show the judge, who appears to be sympathetic to CDF and local timber companies, that you support preserving the ecological and recreational values of Jackson State Forest. You will make a difference, and I guarantee that you will find the hearing fascinating. 2) The Appeals Court will soon consider our request to direct the Superior Court to reconsider its refusal to enjoin (prevent) logging in Jackson State. CDF and the timber contractors have filed briefs and we will file our reply by July 2. The court may take up this matter at any time, but there is no firm date. Our hope is that the Appeals Court will order reconsideration of the injunction and continue its stay (halt) of logging until the reconsideration is completed. 3) See Lawsuit Update in the Details section for the latest news and prospects. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR LEGAL DEFENSE We are fighting to save Brandon Gulch and Camp 3 from a major, destructive logging plan. Our appeals court stay stopped the logging (but only after some 1500 trees had been cut), but CDF and the timber companies are frothing at the mouth, demanding that the courts let them resume logging so that they can cut the other 33,000 trees remaining in the logging plans. Only vigorous and expensive legal action can stop the irreparable destruction of these ecological and recreational treasures. Our outstanding legal bill is $12,500, and we have only about $5,000 in our bank account. I know you don’t want us to stop our legal fight, but we can’t keep going without money. This e-mail is going to 2000 people. If everyone makes a contribution, even $10, we will have the money needed to save our wonderful public redwood forest from the chainsaws. To donate, make out your check to "Jackson Forest Legal Defense Fund"
and mail it PO Box 1789, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. You can also donate with a
credit card securely by going to If you can’t afford to donate, please write three or more of your friends and ask them to donate. Please include the donation paragraph and link above in your e-mail. Thank you! The Mendocino Fourth of July Parade will begin at 11:00 am, Saturday, July 5. Campaign supporters will be marching in the parade. If you want to join us, please reply to this e-mail me and I will give you directions on when and where to assemble and other details. We always have a good time. Please join us. HIKE ON KENDRICK TRAILS – JULY 13 On Sunday, July 13, the Campaign will lead a hike on Kendrick’s Trails. These trails, constructed by Kendrick Petty, are a group of hand built, primitive trails through majestic terrain only a few miles from Mendocino Village. The hike starts off gently in a pygmy forest and moves abruptly to a thick redwood forest that was last logged nearly a century ago. A number of the trees are 25-30 feet in circumference. It is fully canopied and has a beautiful, thick, understory of ferns, huckleberries and other redwood-loving plants. Few know of the entrance to these trails. Let the Campaign to Restore Jackson State Redwood Forest show you the door to these beautiful, easily accessible trails on Sunday, July 13. See the recreational values that the Campaign is trying to protect from industrial logging. There is limited parking at the trailhead. We will assemble at the firehouse parking lot on Little Lake Road at 10:45 am and carpool from there. Bring lunch and water. The appeals court motion is getting closer to a decision. CDF and the two timber mills involved have filed opposition briefs. Our initial filing brief is at http://www.jacksonforest.com/News.htm. Our reply to the opposition briefs is due July 2 and will be posted at the above link by Thursday, July 3. CDF has not raised any new issues, but reiterates its claims that it is entitled to carry out the Brandon Gulch and Camp 3 logging whether or not the EIR is valid! This is a remarkable position to take for the agency responsible for enforcing the environmental protection laws governing forests! Those who have had dealings with CDF will not be surprised. For the rest it may come as a shock to learn that CDF is all about skirting environmental laws in order to get out the timber, whether on private land or our own public forest. Sad but true. The businesses stress how much money they have given to CDF as bonds and prepayments and the losses they will suffer if not allowed to go forward with the logging. Their claims, although true, have little bearing on the injunction because they knowingly and eagerly entered into contracts with CDF after we had filed our injunction request with the court. They made the business decision to go forward in full knowledge of the risks. Any harm suffered is a consequence of their own actions. Although the entry of the timber businesses into the lawsuits should not affect our legal position, it seems likely to have an emotional effect on the Mendocino judge. On past performance, the likelihood seems greater that he will rule that the Camp 3 and Brandon Gulch plans can go forward, even if he rules that the EIR is invalid. If he does, we will face further legal complications. -- Our reply to CDF’s opposition brief in our EIR lawsuit (hearing on July 7 in Ukiah) has been filed: Opposition Brief -- CDF has refused to provide us with electronic versions of its filings; so these are not available on our website. Please request that electronic versions of CDF lawsuit filings be made available. Write to the Director of CDF, Andrea Tuttle: Andrea.Tuttle@fire.ca.gov and tell her you would like to be able to obtain electronic versions of CDF lawsuit filings. Please support the Campaign Legal Defense Fund
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