Logging Road Blocked in Santiam Watershed
4/1/97
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: April 1, 1997
For Additional Information Please Contact:
Earth First Journal (541)741-9191
Santiam Watershed Guardians, Salem (503)585-2767
W.A.L.L. Joe Keating (503)234-2613
FOREST DEFENDERS BLOCK LOGGING OPERATIONS IN SANTIAM WATERSHED:
BASE CAMP ESTABLISHED NEAR SITE OF CONTROVERSIAL SPHINX SALE
Eight forest activists from the Cascadia Forest Defenders and
Santiam Watershed Guardians were blocking a road Tuesday morning
being cleared by Frank Lumber, who has a permit to log the
Sunnyview and Cloudy timber sales. These controversial sales,
collectively known as Sphinx, are located 30 miles from Detroit
in the Santiam Watershed, the source of Salem's drinking water.
The Salem city council has opposed further logging in this area
after devastating floods damaged the city's water supply on
multiple occasions over the past year. Heavy siltation and mud
from over-logging in the area were responsible for the damage.
The company is currently clearing Parrish Road and Road 2265 off
of Hwy 22 near mile marker 79. The activists have vowed to stay
in the road and prevent equipment from moving up Rd. 2265. A
Forest Service law enforcement officer at the scene said persons
in the road would be arrested.
Last weekend 30-40 people from the Santiam Watershed Guardians,
Cascadia Forest Defenders, and WALL established a base camp 14
miles south of Detroit Oregon on Hwy 22 at the Riverside
Campground in anticipation of the commencement of logging
operations.
Frank Lumber has a permit to start destructive timber operations
on two shelterwood cuts on April 1, and on the rest of the units
they purchased on April 15. The entire sale involves more than
400 acres of late successional reserve old-growth and second
growth, over 200 acres of which will be clearcut. Over 150
protested the auction of Cloudy and Sunnyview timber sales
November 1 in a tense standoff with dozens of riot police.
Freres Lumber Company also purchased some of the sales.
The City Council and Mayor of Salem have condemned the sale as
being injurious to already overtaxed Santiam Watershed which
provides drinking water for the Salem area. The area is unusually
steep which increases the threat of mudlsides and harm to the
streams running into the Santiam. It is a beautiful pristine old
growth forest which draws thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and
tourists to the area annually. Joe Keating of WALL says "If
people really understood the true economic value of the beautiful
Santiam watershed the very last thing they would do would be to
destroy it to make 2x4's".
The groups plan to resist this outrage every step of the way. All
protests and rallies will be nonviolent.