Tree-sitter injured in fall from redwood

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | 10/9/02 | MICHAEL DE GIVE

[Carry_Okie]

If he hit a stump it was probably a second growth tree.

[fone]

[Carry_Okie]

I really find the comments on this thread disturbing. Most people don't realize how brainwashed these kids are and dimly recall their twentyish behavior. I'm damned lucky I survived some of the stupid things I did when I was young and really didn't understand property rights until I wrote the book on it.

I wonder how many Christians understand "Forgive us our trespasses..."?

[sasquatch]

Great graphic! (but where's the stump??!)

[sasquatch]

It points to the many angry people; especially when it comes to issues that shouldn't be issues. Like dissing one of the few renewable resources in the county. Pisses me off.

[11B3]

"If you had a Timber Harvest Permit (logging permit) in hand in California you would need a Licensed Timber Operator to cut them or face a $25,000 fine. The LTO wouldn't risk his chainsaw on that tree. The sitters have spotters and cell-phones to call for help. Some have video. The local judges won't give property owners permission to bring them down and the Sheriff's Department won't do it either."

I was saying that if I had the logging permit, in this case I'd get my damn license to be a timber operator if I were in the forestry business to start with (as this company obviously is). I guess I should have been more specific in a tactical sense, but if it came down to clearing the forests of these scumbags there wouldn't be any cell phone calls. They tree sit and have their logistics on schedules. Pretty simple affair for a recon to establish routines, and these leftists aren't used to having experienced infantry in the woods actively hunting them. Suppressed .308 goes a long way. Like I said, if it were my property......I'm on 220 acres of forest right now, and am quite aware as to what goes on here - even during hunting season - and the back 90 acres aren't even fenced. This isn't really all that hypothetical to me. I'm thankful not to have to put up with California's communist system where private land is everyone's.

[Grampa Dave]

This sounds good to me: If we can sue tobacco makers for causing deaths with false advertising, should the families sue environmental groups for this?

[sasquatch]

I have an unconfirmed report that the young man is dead.

The morning Sentinel confirms fatal attraction.

[Frohickey]

Judge Younts issued an order that essentially prohibited the landowner from any activity that might harm the sitter(s). Although disgusting to those who believe in the rule of law, it was probably a reasonable decision. (Flames here...)

Did Judge Younts' order come with funds to compensate the property owner for the loss of use of his land? Things like this burn me up. Same with the having to get building permits from the city in order to make home improvements.

[madfly]

Most people don't realize how brainwashed these kids are and dimly recall their twentyish behavior.

Where is the sympathy for these kids that are being recruited in schools by Eco-CULTS. Parents don't have a clue that kids that are involved with Enviro groups are in danger. They are relieved that they are not involved in Satanic, drug or gang related activities. I am surprised that some on FR are just as ignorant.

[Carry_Okie]

I just can't imagine how it would be for his parents. If I had to bury my son over something like this, I would be read to kill some people if they weren't brain dead already. It's the leadership that have to account here.

[madfly]

October 10, 2002

Fall kills tree-sitterBy BRIAN SEALS and KAREN A. DAVIS
Sentinel staff writers

CORRALITOS — A tree-sitting protester who fell 50 feet from a redwood Tuesday night has died.

The man was part of the environmental group Earth First! and was protesting Redwood Empire’s logging operation in the Ramsey Gulch area.

A spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office confirmed Wednesday night that a man "from that area" was dead, but had not been identified.

Local Earth First! members said Wednesday night they, too, had been told that the tree-sitter had died but had little information.

"We never imagined we would be facing something like this," said a tearful Donna Beavers, who was staffing the organization’s booth at the Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market.

Rescue personnel were called to an area between Hazel Dell and Summit roads at 7:12 p.m. Redwood Empire workers in the area heard moans coming from the area where tree-sitters had been since August. It was unclear how long the injured man had been on the ground, but loggers said he was not wearing a harness. He had been sitting on a platform for several weeks.

The man had apparently spent time in the forests of the Matole area of Northern California, but had never tree sat before, Beavers said. Still, she said, "no one who spends a lot of time up there was careless."

Workers had to hike a half-hour to get to the scene.

The man, who was believed to have suffered a broken arm and leg, was transported via helicopter to San Jose.

In August, two Earth First! protesters, Penelope and Acorn, began staging a sit-in at the site. Earth First! tree-sitters typically adopt pseudonyms and decline to reveal their names. It is unknown if either was still involved in the protest.

Local Earth First! spokesman Dennis Davie could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

The group was protesting logging operations by the San Jose-based Redwood Empire, owned by Roger Birch.

Earth First! contends the logging causes erosion that pollutes Ramsey Creek, which feeds into Browns and Corralitos creeks, and threatened steelhead habitat. Company officials vehemently deny that and say the project passed all state regulations and is closely monitored for compliance.

Though the company and the group have fiercely opposed each other, the company issued a statement Wednesday saying its employees were saddened by the death.

Redwood Empire officials also said that the man and other tree-sitters are trespassing on private property, which is state-approved for harvest of second-growth trees.

Earth First! and Redwood Empire have been at odds since 2000. In July of that year, the company obtained a court order in an attempt to remove a tree sitter from the Ramsey Gulch are where the company was logging.

Earlier this year, Michael Lewis Fine, 20, was sentenced to 36 months probation after pleading guilty to felony vandalism. Fine and others had used a car to block a road leading to a logging site, buried a steel post in the car and filled it with concrete. Fine locked his arm in a box in the car and it took workers five hours to get him out.

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You can find this story online at:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2002/October/10/local/stories/01local.htm

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[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[VOA]

Fall kills tree-sitter

Like, radical environmentalism kills, man.

[Black Agnes]

Darwin *does* work after all!

[MotleyGirl70]

A tree-sitter protesting logging in the slopes above Ramsey Creek fell 50 feet from his redwood perch and onto a stump Tuesday night.

"... fell 50 feet from his redwood perch.....

So he fell off of Hillary Clinton????

How baazaro.

[sasquatch]

Did Judge Younts' order come with funds to compensate the property owner for the loss of use of his land? Things like this burn me up.

I recall that it was an order by Younts (may have been another judge) but there was no compensation. The argument stated was that the trees were not taken; that their value could be recouped at the next harvest (which is this one BTW).Unless they apply for and are granted winter ops from CDF (they should unless it rains) the operation will halt Oct. 15. That means the trees will have been held hostage for a couple of years. The good news is that they continue to grow despite the parasites.

[Some hope remaining.]

Or possibly it was a Sport Utility Tree. I've heard those are very dangerous.

[garden variety]

>I really find the comments on this thread disturbing. Most people don't realize how brainwashed these kids are and dimly recall their twentyish behavior. I'm damned lucky I survived some of the stupid things I did when I was young and really didn't understand property rights until I wrote the book on it.

I had to ponder your comment for a while so I decided to sleep on it and see if I could muster any sympathy for these terrorists. Nope, couldn't come up with any. As a matter of fact, the more I think about it the angrier I get. These people not only have no respect for private property rights and have a powerful anti capitalist agenda, they purposefully endanger innocent lives, some of whom are members of my family. (Your post #56.) BTW, when you were doing what you did in your twenties did people coddle you? And do you think that if they had, would it have made a difference? I doubt it.

While I agree with you that there is a very disturbing brainwashing agenda underway in public schools, I would love to hear your suggestions about what we can do about it. I don't think that coddling is an option which will produce any positive results. I still have sympathy for this man's family.

[Some hope remaining.]

The group says the erosion caused by logging the property pollutes Ramsey Creek, which feeds into both Browns and Corralitos creeks, all habitat to threatened steelhead trout.

I suppose it would be insensitive of me to suggest that they could have just left the body there as erosion control and natural fertilizer.