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Sequoia Crushes SUV In National Park POSTED: 4:46 p.m. PDT August 18, 2003 SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- A 200-foot-tall giant sequoia tree fell along Sequoia National Park's main road, crushing a vehicle into a several-foot high pile of crumpled metal, park officials said Monday. The tree, believed to be approximately 1,000 years old, fell Sunday at about 5:15 p.m. along the Generals Highway several miles east of the Giant Forest Museum, said park spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet. No one was injured but the Jeep Grand Cherokee was destroyed, Picavet said. The vehicle was parked in a turnout alongside the road....

  Arson suspected in massive fireSIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES9:18 a.m., August 1, 2003 Durodami LiskFlames soar from an apartment complex under construction in University City at about 3:25 a.m. Friday.Click here for larger version SAN DIEGO – A huge blaze leveled an apartment building under construction in University City today, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents and triggering an arson investigation.No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, which broke out at about 3 a.m. at the intersection of La Jolla Village Drive and Towne Centre Drive, fire officials said.The Metro Arson Strike Team was called out to...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - People attending the Rainbow Family gathering in the Uinta Mountains threw rocks and snowballs at Forest Service officers attempting to tow a car parked in a restricted area, the federal agency said. Following the melee Wednesday evening, the Forest Service on Thursday closed a 2.5 mile spur off the North Slope Road, meaning the campers will have to hoof it to the campsites scattered around 4,000 acres near the Wyoming border and 70 miles east of Salt Lake City. Versions of the story vary, but both sides agree a group of young Rainbow members encircled...

CHEYENNE – Days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated critical habitat for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, landowners and officials expressed concern about the decision’s potential impact. While Ralph Morgenweck, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s mountain-prairie region, said in a statement last week that the effects would be minimal, others are not so sure. “The problem is this is our first critical habitat designation in the state,” said Matt Hoobler, agricultural coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. “We haven’t gone through this realm.” On Friday, the Fish and Wildlife Service released a report designating 125...

Public Hearings have begun on a proposed extension of Metra (commuter rail) services to facilitate the entire Chicago to Milwaukee corridor. Metra currently stops in Kenosha, WI, approximately 40 miles south of Milwaukee. Estimated costs are $152 million start-up (80% federal, 20% state and local funding) and approx. $15 million/annual additional subsidy to cover expenses over and above revenue from fares. Best estimates are a couple hundred commuters from each added location will use the Metra on a daily basis, with a possible 1,000,000 annual ridership by the year 2020! Two primary driving forces behind the groundswell in this area...

<p>BERKELEY -- To some, she was an environmental Joan of Arc, patron saint of the Save the Redwoods movement and tree-sitting bane of the Northern California timber industry.</p> <p>To Berkeley writer Kate Coleman, she was a fascinating cross between nuclear whistle-blower Karen Silkwood and the late anarchist Emma Goldman.</p> <p>Environmental activist Judi Bari died of breast cancer six years ago in a Mendocino County cabin. She was 47.</p>

Man-eating lions dine on ecotourists By John Von Radowitz, Evening Standard 13 February 2003 Ecotourists are helping nature in an unexpected way - by becoming "fast food of the bush" for man-eating lions, it was claimed today. Reports of lions eating humans are increasing in Africa, and one reason may be more tourists camping on the big cats' doorstep. Craig Packer, of Minnesota University, told New Scientist magazine: "There have been a fair number of attacks on humans in the last couple of years, including some in South African camps. "The problem is, there is a growing number of camps...

Activist Laguna Beach Mayor Named to State Coastal Panel Toni Iseman once chained herself to a bulldozer to block canyon development. 'She gets it,' says one Sierra Club official. By Stanley Allison Times Staff Writer January 16 2003 Laguna Beach Mayor and environmental crusader Toni Iseman is the newest appointee to the powerful California Coastal Commission, the panel announced Wednesday. Iseman, appointed by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco), has been an outspoken environmental advocate since the 1970s and has helped lead an ongoing battle against the development of Laguna Canyon. "She recognizes the economic importance of protecting...

<p>WASHINGTON — The FBI is on the watch for special-interest terrorists committing crimes in the United States.</p> <p>Although these terrorists aren't the typical evildoers, what's known as "special-interest extremism," or "eco-terrorism," is a very real terrorist threat.</p> <p>Environmental and animal-rights activists preach peace and love, but the FBI classifies the Animal Liberation Front, for example, as a terrorist group, and describes it as "one of the most active extremists elements in the United States."</p>

Black residents in Rose Tree Media are angry at the school district. There was an incident in September between a security guard -- whom the parents insist was armed -- and a black female student. The residents say the guard pushed the girl without cause. The district is not saying much of anything.I wasn't there. It could be the girl is exaggerating. It could be the guard was provoked more than the girl is implying.Or it could be the district hired an untrained bozo and let him carry a gun. The parents -- and other adults -- are also very,...

Little to cheer about for tree huggers By Don Williams November 8, 2002Glancing at giant TV screens over the shoulders of friends talking in a restaurant Tuesday night, I watched the brave new world of Republican rule arrive piecemeal. The volume was down, so I got my first returns from on-screen graphics. Trimmed in red, white and blue, screen after screen showed Republicans winning most races for Senate and House. Added to a Republican president, this puts virtually all the power in Republican hands in the mightiest nation that ever existed. I didn't have to catalog the things I wanted...

Just wanted to make a post, and happen to have a subject... first time :) be gentle. Well, here goes. I've been asked over and over again by tree-huggers, leftists, and hippies of all status (poor and smelly) why on Earth i would support a war ever. i constantly hear the "war, what is it good for? nothing" crapola around me, and would like a list to print out some day, to hand out. simply fill in the brackets with your reasons for or against. (ex. Q:War, what is it good for? A:[getting the Nazis outta power]or [keeping your rights...

Activists rally against clearcuttingBy MARGO HORNERSEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERWhen Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., checks her voice mail this morning, she will have to hold the phone a few inches from her ear. In a message left yesterday, more than 1,000 voices from Seattle roared in unison, shouting into a cell phone "1-2-3 Protect Old Trees."     Renee C. Byer / P-I   Leanne Grimsey, 25, leans over a fence for a better view to take a picture of Dave Matthews, who played at a free benefit concert. The message was part of the activists' plan to prevent clearcutting on federal...

<p>TRENTON -- In the wake of Republican outrage over state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell's strident participation in a Democratic political rally, Gov. James E. McGreevey moved Thursday to pull his Cabinet off the campaign trail.</p> <p>Campbell called Republicans in Washington "corrupt" on the environment during a noontime rally Wednesday on the Statehouse steps for U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-N.J.</p>

Apple Fire Update: September 03, 2002: Fire Information: (541)496-0235 Size: 13,595 acres Started: August 16, 2002 Containment: 75 percent Expected Containment: September 5 at 6:00 p.m. Line to build: 3 miles Location: 21 miles east of Glide near the area of Dry Creek Resources Assigned: 27 crews, 10 helicopters, 27 engines, 20 watertenders, 7 dozers. Total 912 personnel. Objectives: Keep the fire south of the North Umpqua River, west of Twin Lakes and 4770 Road, east of Panther Ridge, and north of a line between Lake in the Woods and Snowbird Mountain. Ensure firefighter and public safety, make management decisions...

New mapping drops Biscuit fire below half-million-acre mark By JEFF BARNARD The Associated Press 8/30/02 12:32 PM GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Based on closer mapping, the size of the massive Biscuit Fire dipped below the half-million-acre mark Friday as firefighters built the last bits of containment lines to securely encircle the blaze. Burning since July 13 when lightning raked the Siskiyou National Forest, the Biscuit Fire stood at 499,780 acres, down from 500,068 acres, and remained 90 percent contained, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Miera Crawford. Full containment was projected for Wednesday. The delay in full containment was caused...

If the leaders gathered at this week's World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg really want to save the environment, they should concentrate less on eco-rhetoric, and more on promoting the free-market conditions that permit poor nations to become rich: The simple truth is that countries grow cleaner as they grow wealthier -- no matter whether they've self-consciously dedicated themselves to "sustainable" policies (whatever those are) or not. Singapore, the wealthiest state in Asia, is also its cleanest, despite being one of the continent's largest per capita manufacturers. Canada and the United States -- which Friends of the Earth...

FRESHWATER, Calif. - Though she has spent the past five months living 130 feet up an ancient redwood, Remedy - as the young woman calls herself during these days as a tree sitter - is hardly lonely. People stop by all the time. On Saturday afternoon, when she rappelled about 100 feet down the bulky trunk of the 1,200-year-old tree to talk to a reporter, six supporters happened by, including a couple from down the road who brought two gallons of water, a phone buddy bearing bananas and peaches, and a local environmentalist and two friends from Berkeley who came...

The most important hearing of the year was held on Capitol Hill last week on a critical issue this country faces today. No, you didn't hear about it because there was no press coverage. The information that was presented was so damaging to the left that a petty squabble occurred over the ground rules. This kept the fate of this hearing in doubt until one minute before the witnesses were to be seated. As a result, the press was never alerted, which may have been the point. It was the Democrats' only avenue to prevent this information from getting out....

Lightning Ignites New Fires in Central Oregon 07/24/2002 By AP and KGW Staff Nearly 1,000 lightning strikes hit central Oregon yesterday afternoon and last night igniting several new fires across the state. Firefighters are now chasing the new wildfires, including one that has prompted the voluntary evacuation of campgrounds on Suttle and Blue lakes northwest of Sisters. Heavy lift helicopters are set to begin attacking the Cache Mountain fire this morning, said David Widmark, spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Coodination Center in Portland. Smoke billows skyward and spreads east near Summer Lake, Ore., Tuesday. (AP Photo) The Cache Mountain fire...