By Mokai – Earth First! Journal, Samhain (November 1), 1987
Earth First! Journal Editor’s note: The day before sending the text to our typesetter, we received a news flash from northern California, where Northcoast Earth First! has just completed another daring action in defense of Humboldt County’s Coast Redwoods. This is the latest in an escalating EF! campaign to save the world’s largest remaining area of privately owned old growth redwoods.
After Greg’s and Jane’s last adventurous escape from the timber barons’ guards Northcoast California Earth First! yearned for more action. Visions of a banner flying where a helicopter could film it grew in the minds of tree-huggers wandering the riparian flat at endangered All Species Creek.
So it was with enthusiasm that on September 27, Jane and Greg commenced climbing two more giant redwoods. Eighty feet up, they erected platforms and hauled up gear. They then suspended between the two trees a 40-foot banner. We had notified the media of the tree climb, and all that remained for a successful action was for the reporters to arrive, go up in a chopper, photograph, then land in the adjacent clearcut and take shots of the gory scene. We had decided to let the Maxxam timber company (the corporation that bought Pacific Lumber and now owns the forest) learn of our action through the media—which they did. As local TV and national press broke the story, Maxxam came hunting for the treesitters.
During the two days it took the loggers to find them, our heroes enjoyed a rest from their actions. Their peace was rudely shattered, however, when loggers swarmed toward them and swept the area for supporters. They threatened to cut down the tree-sitters, but then set up camp when they realized they could not convince the sitters to descend. The loggers were pissed because Greg and Jane had escaped last time. However, as time passed with Greg and Jane in the trees again, they couldn’t help but begin to respect the tree-lovers’ convictions.
On their fifth morning in the trees, Tarzan and Jane greeted the sheriff and asked for a ride to town. In an atmosphere of good cheer on the part of protesters, loggers, and cops, the tree-sitters surrendered. They now face several charges and civil action.