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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 11, 2005 Timber salvage protests will continue By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Even if federal courts reject lawsuits to stop logging on the Fiddler timber salvage sale within the 2002 Biscuit fire area, protests to silence the saws will continue, vows a leading activist. "Absolutely," said Laurel Sutherlin, spokesman for the Oxygen Collective, a coalition of Southern Oregon environmental activists. "This campaign has been going on for well over a year now," he said. "The level of solidarity includes old-timer locals to people who have never been involved in anything like this. ... The morale and momentum is strong. "Whether your interest is social, economical or political, you’re going to oppose it," he added. Sutherlin’s comments on Thursday came on the eve of an expected decision by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Hogan on a temporary restraining order to halt the controversial logging project on Fiddler Mountain a half dozen air miles northwest of Kerby. His decision following a hearing on Wednesday is expected today or early next week. Advertisement In addition, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hold a hearing March 22, considering a challenge by several environmental groups to logging old-growth timber protected under the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. Many of the protesters, who began blockading the road to the sale on Monday, resulting in 22 arrests, had asked that no logging occur on the sale until the two court cases were resolved. "They are challenging us to be legal but they aren’t willing to be legal themselves," said Tom Lavagnino, forest spokesman for the Biscuit salvage project in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. He observed that logging began Monday after the court of appeals injunction blocking the sale was lifted following a 45-day waiting period. In addition to cutting trees, the work currently being done at the Fiddler sale includes tree planting, he said. The Fiddler sale includes about 14.5 million board feet on 697 acres in the Illinois Valley Ranger District. It was purchased last summer for its advertised price of $1,060,790 by Silver Creek Timber Co. In an interview earlier this week, company president John West indicated he firmly believes the loggers and agency are on solid legal ground. The Forest Service plans to salvage up to 370 million board feet of timber on some 19,000 acres from the burned area which covered nearly a half million acres. Deterioration of the fire-killed trees from bug infestation and decay since the fire is expected to reduce that amount. Meanwhile, James Johnston, executive director of the Eugene-based Cascadia Wildlands Project which filed the U.S. District Court lawsuit, doesn’t expect Hogan to silence the saws. "I hold out very little hope that Judge Hogan will rule in our favor," Johnston said, referring to Hogan’s reputation for rejecting lawsuits by environmental groups. That lawsuit cites the potential harm to the salmon fishery and Port Orford cedar which is threatened by a root disease that can be spread by human activity. If the request is rejected, it will be appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Johnston said. "The people down there protesting are not a marginal fringe," he said. "The majority of Oregonians are opposed to this." Sutherlin agreed. "People realize we are on the frontline of a national struggle," he said. "But this is not a personal issue between loggers and protesters. We care about the forest and families; they do, too." Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s