Canadian Women Blockade Temperate Rainforest Logging Road
9/30/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
Canada's Temperate Rainforests on the Pacific Coast are ecological
gems. A very large, intensive primary forest consuming industrial
timber industry threatens biodiversity and ecosytems. Recently, the
Stoltmann Wilderness in British Columbia has been a flashpoint where
citizen advocates are practicing non-violent civil disobedience to
protect ancient forests. The timber industry responded with
violence, and now the "Raging Grannies" are on the case. Read on...
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: B.C. Women Blockade Elaho Valley Logging Road
Source: Environment News Service, http://www.enn.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 28, 1999
SQUAMISH, British Columbia, Canada, September 28, 1999 (ENS) - At
five this morning, a determined group of women began a blockade of
the logging roads leading to the contested Stoltmann Wilderness in
the Elaho Valley about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Vancouver.
The blockade is in retaliation for the September 15 attack on logging
protesters and forest conservation researchers by loggers in trucks
belonging to International Forests Products (Interfor). The assault
sent eight people to hospital.
Interfor President Duncan Davies has called for a "cooling-off"
period at the anti-logging protest in the Elaho Valley 50 kilometers
(30 miles) north of Squamish, for loggers, contractors and
blockaders. "In no way do we condone violence or vandalism," said
Davies.
But the women's anger has not cooled. "The recent attack against
environmentalists at the peaceful protest camp in the Stoltmann sent
Sharai Mustasia to hospital and left her traumatized by threats of
rape - a signal that Interfor employees hold conservation issues and
women's rights in little regard," a blockade organizer said.
Action against the threat of rape has drawn together people
representing the Canadian Party of Women, a grassroots women's
network, who have joined with women from People's Action for
Threatened Habitat (PATH), Forest Action Network (FAN) and members of
the Raging Grannies to oppose the destruction of the Stoltmann
Wilderness. The Raging Grannies are a singing group of grandmothers
who use their music to support environmental and human rights causes.
It was the PATH/FAN protesters camp that was attacked and burned
September 15.
Betty Krawczyk, an activist imprisoned for four months following her
arrest for logging protests in Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of
Vancouver Island, plans to be arrested on today's blockade "in
support of environmental justice" in the Squamish area.
Interfor president Davies said, "All parties must uphold the law. The
numerous incidents of vandalism by blockaders and the incidents of
alleged violence by blockaders on September 5 and then by frustrated
workers on September 15 should be condemned. Our bottom line is that
we must have faith in democracy to settle our differences and our
actions must always respect the law. That applies to everyone -
blockaders and workers."
FAN spokesperson Jarah West said, "It is well known that men in B.C.
hold most of the positions of power over our public lands. As we
challenge this inequality, we also challenge their decision to build
roads into pristine areas, clearcut and pillage our last remaining
ancient forests."
In establishing the cooling-off period for Interfor, Davies set in
motion a high priority review of the situation that includes the
evaluation of blockaders' issues, company permits and obligations to
government in the area, damages to company equipment and operations,
status and issues surrounding the ongoing police investigations.
"This is a serious situation that involves more than just a few
loggers, police and blockaders," said Davies. "The conflict and
confrontation in the Elaho are taking us back to the 1980s. There
appears to be no acknowledgment by the blockaders of the public
processes and approvals that allowed us to harvest here."
"As a sign of good faith, we will hold off logging in a 25-acre area
in the Elaho at Lava Creek that has a concentration of about 60 very
old Douglas firs," said Davies. "We have requested University of B.C.
forest ecologists to undertake a study to determine the age,
distribution and condition of these trees."
He noted that this area is connected to the trail and study area
established by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
The Wilderness Committee is the largest membership-based, citizen-
funded wilderness conservation group in Canada. One of the victims of
the September 15 assault is an employee of the Committee who was
working in the area on lawful research at the time. Wilderness
Committee founders Paul George and Adriane Carr have sent a letter to
B.C. Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh requesting an immediate meeting
to discuss the volatile situation.
George and Carr allege that Interfor was "complicit" in the September
15 assault and that "the local RCMP did not act with due diligence in
protecting the rights and safety of our employees, our volunteers and
citizens in general."
Today's blockade is outside the injunction zone set up by the B.C.
Supreme Court around the Interfor logging operation, so the police
may do nothing. The Western Canada Wilderness Committee tree research
camp is closed this week for regular staff time off.