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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Oakland USA Passes Resolution Opposing Clearcut Rainforest Paper

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

5/2/96

OVERVIEW & SOURCE by EE

The Rainforest Action Network reports on the Oakland City

Council's unamimous adoption of a resolution in opposition to

clearcutting in temperate forests. The action was explained as

hoping "to raise the public's consciousness to the rapid

deforestation that is occurring throughout the globe." This is

one of hundreds of local government edicts and resolutions in

support of forest sustainability, many going as far as pledging to

not use unsustainably harvest rainforest or other timbers. This

is a good way to build the local rainforest movement in your

community. I suggest contacting Rainforest Action Network at <

rainforest@igc.apc.org > to find out about organizing a

Rainforest Action Group in your town.

g.b.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

For Immediate Release, May 1, 1996

Press Contact: Christopher Hatch--rainwood@ran.org

Mark Westlund--ranmedia@ran.org

CITY OF OAKLAND PASSES RESOLUTION

OPPOSING CLEARCUT RAINFOREST PAPER

(Oakland, CA) The Oakland City Council last night unanimously

passed a resolution to oppose the clearcutting of temperate

rainforests. The resolution was in response to concern over

MacMillan Bloedel-a British Columbia-based logging company that

engages in extensive clearcut logging of B.C.'s temperate

rainforest-that supplies paper-pulp for Pacific Bell telephone

directories. The Oakland resolution asks Pacific Bell, and other

buyers of clearcut temperate rainforest wood products to adopt

ecologically sustainable paper use practices, and asks

California's Public Utilities Commission to prevent the wasteful

over-production of telephone directories.

The resolution was introduced by council member Sheila Jordan,

with support from the Clayoquot Rainforest Coalition (CRC),

members of which were on hand to present the case against

clearcutting. CRC is made up of Rainforest Action Network,

Pacific Environmental Resource Center (PERC), Natural Resource

Defense Council (NRDC), and Greenpeace. Also at the meeting were

representatives of MacMillan Bloedel, the Canadian Pulp and Paper

Association, and the San Francisco Canadian Consul General's

office.

"By passing this resolution the City of Oakland hopes to raise the

public's consciousness to the rapid deforestation that is

occurring throughout the globe," said City Council member Sheila

Jordan.

The City of Oakland's resolution coincides with Pacific Bell's

shareholder meeting this Thursday in San Jose, where a similar measure will

be considered. At the meeting, stockholders will be asked to vote

on a proposal to stop the phone company from using pulp from ancient

rainforests for phone books. "We want to be on record as being in support

of this proposal," said Jordan.

Pacific Bell purchases 29,000 tons of paper annually from

MacMillan Bloedel, Canada's largest clear cutter. According to Federal

Litigating Attorney for Canada, Doug Chapman, MacMillan Bloedel "has the

worst record of environmental violations of any corporation in Canada."

MacMillan Bloedel spokesman Dennis Fitzgerald told Vancouver Sun that "all

pulp and paper from B.C.'s coasts is made from old-growth trees," and that

"85 per cent of trees MacMillan Bloedel cuts are old growth."

"The overwhelming public support sends a clear message to Pacific

Bell that using clear-cut ancient rainforests is indefensible." said Laura

McGourty, PERC.

By passing this resolution, the City of Oakland joins a growing

number of California communities including the City of San Francisco, City

of Berkeley and Marin County that have passed similar initiatives.

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Email (best way to contact)-> gbarry@forests.org