Activist Jailed
In May, Humboldt County forest activist Ethan Coonen was sentenced to 60 days in jail, beginning June 9, for breaking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by non-violently occupying the canopy of Brushy Ridge, in THP 1-00-020. Brushy Ridge is located in the North Fork of the Mattole River watershed. The TRO is part of the SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) filed against Mattole forest activists by Pacific Lumber Company and seven other companies and individuals.
"There are five more approved Timber Harvest Plans in the North Fork of the Mattole watershed, all of which contain clearcutting old-growth on steep slopes. As long as unsustainable harvesting practices continue, people will be getting arrested and put in jail for defending the forest. If Pacific Lumber wants to remedy the problem, all they have to do is be willing to sell the land," said 19-year-old Coonen.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2002
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