Posted on 03/15/2005 9:57:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Loggers went to work without interference Tuesday at the site of a 2002 forest fire, felling old-growth trees after the U.S. Forest Service closed off the area to keep out protesters.
Citing safety concerns for loggers and protesters alike, officials in the Siskiyou National Forest on Monday closed the 700-acre area and roads leading to the timber sale. Protesters had impeded loggers going to work.
Forest Service spokesman Tom Lavagnino said a crew of loggers had no trouble getting to work Tuesday, and rangers had not spotted a tree sitter who logging opponents said was in a fir tree.
Protesters are trying to stall the harvesting of trees killed by the fire in old-growth forest reserves until federal judges can rule on two lawsuits challenging the timber sales.
Forty-three arrests have been made since a federal appeals court injunction barring the logging was lifted March 7.
Tom Link, timber program manager for the forest, said he was happy work could continue.
"We realize there is a lot of litigation involved in this, and there are more decisions yet to be made by the courts," Link said. "So we'll just continue to do what the court directs us to do."
Also Tuesday, a federal judge in Eugene denied the latest request from environmentalists to halt the logging.
Judge Michael Hogan said environmentalists had raised serious questions, including a suggestion that the Forest Service did not properly ensure it was meeting its own guidelines for preventing erosion and protecting fish and wildlife.
But the judge also said the Silver Creek Timber Co. stood to lose $190,000 a week if logging is halted, and contractors working for the company would lose $322,500 a week.
Meanwhile, three of 27 protesters being held in the Josephine County Jail said they were on a hunger strike to protest jail conditions and the criminal charges against them.
Sheriff's Lt. Howard Banks said six inmates had filed grievances. He said he could not confirm whether protesters claiming to be on a hunger strike were eating.
There are people who were scheduled to appear in court for various reasons this last week.
They have had their cases rescheduled due to the volume of protesters arrested and needing to be processed through the courts.
They are over loading the small court house here in Josephine county.
From what I understand, companies are less and less interested in federal timber sales due to these types of problems. Just like a filet mignon is worthless in a town of vegetarians, old growth timber will be worthless if no sawmills or loggers bid on it. As we have seen in many areas that have lost infrastructure, we are one large fire away from staggering losses to the national wealth. In southern Cal, federal old growth timber is being ground up and buried in landfills due to the lack of markets. This is a go broke show for the nation if this keeps up.
Their behavior is easily explained by the fact that long chain fatty acids are rare in the plant world and during gestation, the fetus doesn't develop the myelin sheathing around nerves in a normal way.
I other words, they are fat-deprived heads. ;-)
Continuing, perhaps that is why Army Rangers follow the FAST food groups (fats, alcohol, sugar, tobacco). It works - look at a Ranger and a vegetabarian.
Meanwhile, three of 27 protesters being held in the Josephine County Jail said they were on a hunger strike
After about a week, maybe the lpggers could bring them a truckload of bark to eat.
Extensive brush and ladder fuels clearing, including small trees with huge piles and even saw a huge control burn up around Volcanoville above Georgetown. I looked really good and some of it even around the most militant envirowhacko's house in the region!!!
I'll have to find out more about it when I get time. Business has suddenly surged and I had to take a little break this afternoon to powerdown a little... gettin too snippy!!!
That and the piles of brush and burns are good signs that someone is taking the environment seriously.. instead of trying to let it rot and burn on its own.
What is dis 'powerdown' thing, btw? lol I need to try that too.. re: snippy.. been there.. done that ;-) --snip-- --snip-- --snip--
The enviro-nuts are trying to hold up the logging until the logs are eaten by beetles and no good. After all, the trees burned almost three years ago.
I'm not a clearcutting fan, but this is beyond ridiculous. The only reason the fire was that bad to begin with is because of envior-nut "hands off" policies in the forests anyway.
TIMMMMMMMBBBBBBBEEEEEERRRRRRRR! Music to my ears.
Similar to the four basic food groups: sugar, starch, salt, and grease, with caffeine as a dietary supplement. ;-)
At least they have these PC's we can piddle with while we're waiting!!! What fun!!!
lol.. good fun, indeed.
we finally unloaded wifey's Pontiac for a CRV last month,, now I get a shot at a newer truck,, altho I've grown quite attached to my old 87 Toyota pickum up truck..
It's the vehicle we were drivin up into the High Sierra till the snow ruts got so deep we were pluggin up everything under the little buggy with lotsa snow!!! We were all pist-off cause we were gonna go all the way up to Loon Lake and pee in Sacramento's (especially the Liberal Crapitol's) water supply, but could only get a little above our local reservoir at what used to be Stumpy Meadows and had to turn back even with our new "high clearance!"
Loon Lake,, lol. must be where the StinkyMento dems go on their summer retreats..
I got an email yesterday from the Medford area, re some of these ecoterrorists getting arrested Monday with more of them planning to block the workers on Tuesday.
Yup! AND the StinkyMento Sierra-Flubbers have a really nice and exclusive elitist cabin on the shores of Loon Lake!!!
Round 'em up, head 'em out... RAWHIDE!!!
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