Activists Protest Use of Illegally Logged Rainforest Wood in New York
8/16/98
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Activists Protest Use of Illegally Logged Rainforest Wood in New York
Source: Rainforest Relief
Brooklyn, NY: phone/fax: (718) 398-3760
Portland, OR: (503) 236-3031
Email: relief@igc.apc.org
http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/rainrelief
P.O. 150566 * Brooklyn, NY 11215 USA
Status: Distribute freely with proper credit to source
Date: 8/16/98
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Tim Keating, Rainforest Relief, via cellphone from the Parachute Jump: 917/842-
2536
Trilby MacDonald, Rainforest Relief, via cellphone at demo site: 917/842-3825
Sarah Blum,
Rainforest Relief, 718/398-3760
ACTIVISTS HANG 125' BANNER FROM CONEY ISLAND PARACHUTE JUMP PROTEST PARKS DEPT'S
USE OF
ILLEGALLY LOGGED WOOD FROM AMAZON RAINFOREST
CONEY ISLAND, NY -- The group Rainforest Relief staged a demonstration today on
the Coney
Island boardwalk, hanging a 125' long banner from the former Parachute Jump.
They were
protesting the use of tropical rainforest wood by the New York City Department
of Parks
and Recreation, responsible for maintaining the boardwalk. The wood being used
for the
boardwalk comes from the rainforests of the Brazilian Amazon. According to the
groups,
the use of the wood leads to the destruction of the rainforest.
"We are sending a message to the Parks Department that the people of New York
City will
not stand idly by while their city helps deforest Amazon rainforests," said Tim
Keating,
Rainforest Relief's executive director, from atop the parachute jump.
The boardwalk decking is made from a Brazilian Amazon wood called ipe.
According to Keating, "logging in Brazil is responsible for decimating forests,
illegal
incursions into parks, preserves and indigenous peoples' land, even murder of
Brazilian
Indians. For example, the vast majority of the wood exported from Brazil is
being logged
illegally," he added, "and the U.S. is the leading importer."
Parks began using tropical hardwoods for boardwalk renovation in the early '60s,
the
first to do so in the country. There was a large section in front of the
aquarium that
was again redone two years ago. This spring, a large area in Brighton Beach was
redone.
The Parks Dept. also uses this wood for park benches throughout the City, and
recently
used it to redeck the Bow Bridge in Central Park.
"The Brazilian government has made statements claiming it is committed to
sustainable
forestry. This has been shown to not be the case, and sustainable forestry can
only be
assured through independent verification," said Trilby MacDonald of Rainforest
Relief.
"Less than 1% of logging in the tropics is sustainable, according to a study by
the
International Tropical Timber Organization," she said.
Rainforest Relief has asked that the Parks Department test recycled plastic
lumber for
new boardwalk repairs but so far the department has not tried it for this use.
Parks has
designed a park bench that will use recycled plastic lumber slats instead of
rainforest
wood. But this will only replace a third of new benches and does not address the
vast
majority of bench renovations.
In the meantime, Rainforest Relief has called on Park to use wood from
independently
certified operations. One such supplier gets their wood from a community
forestry
operation in Bolivia, without destroying the rainforests.
James Hansen, Rainforest Relief volunteer coordinator, said, "the organization
supposedly
keeping the City green, shouldn't be destroying the rainforests in the process"
ADDENDUM:
The banner was unfurled at 11:00 AM. NYPD climbers gained access to the
structure at 3:30
PM. The five climbers -- Teal Akaret, Paul Donowitz, Tim Keating (director of
Rainforest
Relief), Paul Martin and Aaron Petz -- were taken down from the structure by
5:00 PM.
Some were threatened and shoved around, but not injured. They were charged with
felony
reckless endangerment, trespass, impeding administrative function and disorderly
contact.
They were released on their own recognizance after 28 hours in jail.