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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

ACTION ALERT: Day of Action Against Boise Cascade

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

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04/21/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

Boise Cascade is being forced to take responsibility for their

ecological and social misconduct.  After devastating forests

elsewhere, they are exerting tremendous pressure to access Chile's

marvelous temperate rainforests, and are associated with human rights

abuses to prevent protest to their Mexican logging.  Please take part

in a day of protest planned for April 26th--make calls and send

letters, and get involved in this exciting campaign.

g.b.

 

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ITEM #1

Title:   DAY OF ACTION AGAINST BOISE CASCADE OFFICE PRODUCTS

Source:  American Lands Alliance & Rainforest Action Network

Status:  Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint

Date:    April 21, 2000

 

Today in Boise, Idaho activists scored a victory for endangered

rainforests when they took over the Boise Cascade shareholder meeting.

Over 100 protesters chanted outside while seven activists inside

demanded that Boise Cascade "get out of Chile's rainforests" and

called for justice for jailed Mexican farmer-ecologist Rodolfo

Montiel.

 

THE GOOD NEWS: today's corporate responsibility shareholder resolution

passed!

 

THE BAD NEWS: Boise Cascade CEO George Harad said they do not have to

make the changes shareholders requested, the Chile project is good and

they never heard of Rodolfo Montiel or the farmer-ecologists in

Guerrero.

 

Last week Rodolfo received the Goldman Environmental Prize for

fighting Boise Cascade's logging of old growth forests of Guerrero,

Mexico. Rodolfo was tortured with electric shock last May when the

Mexican military arrested him along with a companion Teodoro Cabrera.

An international campaign to gain their release headed by the Goldman

Foundation's Human Rights and the Environment Campaign is shining a

spotlight on the environmental destruction and human rights violations

that resulted from Boise Cascade's logging in Guerrero.

 

In Chile, Boise Cascade plans to build the world's largest chip mill

in the heart of Chile's endangered temperate rainforests near Puerto

Montt. Chile is home to one-third of the world's remaining old growth

temperate rainforests Chile's native forests are one of the world's

natural treasures:  more than 90 % of animal and plant life in Chile's

forests are endemic and they contain the highest species diversity

among the world's temperate forests.

 

However, the Central Bank of Chile has found that Chile's native

forests will be completely deforested in just twenty years if current

practices remain unchanged. Chileans working to protect these forests

from the Boise Cascade threat add that local tourism, farming and

salmon industries will lose 50,000 local jobs if Boise Cascade logs

the pristine forests they depend on for clean water and recreational

opportunities.

 

Despite today's partial victory, we still have a long way to go to

stop the massive Cascada Chile project and free Rodolfo.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

 

1) TAKE ACTION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 AT A BOISE CASCADE OFFICE PRODUCTS

STORE NEAR YOU

 

2) CALL OR WRITE BOISE CASCADE OFFICE PRODUCTS CEO AT 1-800-472-6473

 

Boise Cascade Corporate Headquarters

800 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Itasca, Ill 60143

1-800-47-BOISE (26473)

 

3) ASK YOUR UNIVERSITY WHERE THEY BUY THEIR PAPER AND IF IT IS BOISE

CASCADE, CALL ON THEM TO CANCEL THE CONTRACT or PROTEST THE UNIVERSITY

PROCUREMENT POLICY

 

For more information contact:

 

Pat Rasmussen

American Lands Alliance

mailto:prasmussen@igc.apc.org

PO Box 154

Peshastin, WA 98847

Phone: 509-548-7640

 

Jennifer Krill

Rainforest Action Network

mailto:jkrill@ran.org

http://www.ran.org

415/398-4404 x 307

 

Matt McGovern-Rowen

Native Forest Network

<mcgov@wildrockies.org>, 406-542-7343

 

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