Redwood Summer was not intended to be all encompassing, but its scope was still very substantial, ranging from local issues, such as protecting a few old growth redwoods along local state highways to protecting giant stands in nationally recognized monuments. Often, actions that weren’t originally within the original concept of Redwood Summer got taken up by it, sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident, and sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. The confusion often led to bigger problems and even cracks within the Earth First! movement. The last week of July 1990 serves as a perfect example.
On Wednesday, July 25, 1990, nine environmentalists, including many associated with Redwood Summer as well as some associated with SherPA (or both), and some associated with neither rallied to protest a plane by Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) to remove eight giant redwood trees that stood along California State Highway 20 between Willits and Fort Bragg. Caltrans had received federal funding to resurface the highway, and contended that federal regulations required the removal of obstacles within sixteen feed of the road’s centerline under such an endeavor, according to the onsite maintenance supervisor, Bill Riley. The one exception to the rule was that if the highway had been designated as a “Scenic Highway”, the trees could have been left standing, under the provisions of the law. Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors had rejected a proposal to so designate that section of Highway 20 in 1982. The $4 million contract for the project had been awarded by the state to Ghilotti Brothers of San Rafael. Ghilotti Brother’s project manager, Hal Stober, stated, “We have a contract with the State to remove those trees…All you have to do is drive out there and see all the bark chipped off them where trucks have hit them and you know it’s a safety hazard.”[1]
The protestors disagreed. Naomi Wagner contended that she had noticed no such marks on the trees and that the real motivation for the trees’ removal was to make it easier for drivers, inebriated drivers, to speed. Instead of enabling such habits, Wagner argued that people needed to learn to adapt to the existing environment rather than vice versa. Fellow SherPA member, Louis “Bigfoot” Schultz contended that the resurfacing could occur and the trees could have been left in place if the county or the state eschewed the federal grant. The concerned environmentalists had attempted to contact Caltrans and Ghilotti Brothers only to be told that the matter could only be negotiated by petitioning the County Supervisors, a process that would likely take too long, especially given the current state of affairs.
“We just want somebody to talk to us,” declared Willits resident Robin Hough, “If not, they will face a demonstration.”
“This is not a logging issue, but it is a tree issue. We want some communication. People need to get back into the decision making process, rather than have some bureaucrat in an office decide these regulations,” opined Wagner.[2] The demonstration might have drawn far bigger support from the Redwood Summer Coalition, but at the moment, their energy was somewhat divided.
Redwood Summer had hitherto focused on the coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) of Humboldt, Mendocino, and (nominally) Sonoma Counties. For fairly complex reasons, it also took at least one weekend at the end of July to defend their cousins in the central Sierra Nevada mountains, the giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Strictly speaking, the Sequoia Earth First! Rendezvous had been planned by the Sequoia Action Group, which was affiliated with Earth First! chapters in the Central Valley not directly connected to the Humboldt, Mendocino, and Sonoma County chapters.[3] According to Mike Roselle, the event occurred annually, and it would have drawn support away from Redwood Summer at any rate, at least temporarily, so the Redwood Summer coalition reluctantly agreed to include it on their calendar, and even then, some calendars of events neglected to include it.[4] While biologically related to redwoods, which were threatened by corporate liquidation logging on privately owned land, the sequoias were threatened by salvage logging on public land. Nevertheless, this was still important, and the issue had been of concern to Earth First! for at least two years.[5]
For eighty years, the US Forest Service had protected all sequoia groves in Sequoia National Forest, but a quiet change in policy in 1982 permitted private timber companies to log as many as One million board feet of ancient sequoia trees, totaling 1,000 acres of habitat.[6] A recent expose in Audubon Magazine declared that the USFS, “ignored its own directives, flouted the nation’s environmental laws, and supped the American public.”[7] The Sierra Club won a legal injunction against the USFS, but decided to sign off on an agreement with the latter which prohibited clearcutting old growth sequoias, but allowed the clearcutting of other tree species as well as sequoias eight feet in diameter or less. This compromise was touted as a solution[8], but the potential outcome would isolate the remaining giant sequoias in isolated islands surrounded by clearcuts.[9] Redwood Summer organizer Kelpie Wilson elaborated:
“(T)he Forest Service and the Sierra Club tried to make it look like environmentalists had won a major victory on the Sequoia National Forest Plan. Through a negotiated compromise on the ten-year forest plan, Sequoia National Forest administrators dropped their proposed logging volume by 110 million board feet (mmbf); however this was from an all-time high proposed cut. And secondly, it still (allowed) some of the few remaining virgin old-growth groves to be cut.”[10]
The Southern Spotted Owl, rarely mentioned in the firestorm surrounding its northern counterpart was particularly threatened by the situation.[11] According to Redwood Summer activist Mark Huntington:
"The Sierra Club agreement means that we give up a successful lawsuit in return for promises from the Forest Service and a mere 20% reduction in the volume of timber cut. This agreement leaves intact a FS management plan that would log most of the Sequoia National Forest in the next ten years…"[12]
Earth First!’s Sequoia Action Group coordinated the rendezvous and weekend of action the weekend of July 27-30, 1990.[13] The gathering took place adjacent to the Tule River Indian Reservation, and organizers made contact with the local tribes to invite their participation.[14] A coalition of environmental groups and activists, totaling between 400-500 altogether, camped in the national forest nearby and planned to halt any logging scheduled to take place that weekend.[15] What happened over the course of that weekend is a matter of some debate and controversy. Earth First!er J.P Bernhard, who was not part of the chapters that organized Redwood Summer complained bitterly about “all sorts of rules, including ‘no alcohol’” as well as other quibbles, including the music for the gathering:
“(July 28) was an example of what EF! has grown into. First a lousy acoustical duo, then a really fine electrical San Francisco country-rock group with a loud generator that seemed to unplug itself three times to the increasing approval of listeners—especially a few dozen folks squatted on a rock bed above the machine—who liked the silence so much that one or two of them sneaked downhill to accelerate the unplugging.
“A crescendoing war of words ensued and a giant earth balloon would be rolled uphill only to be kicked back down. It wasn’t very entertaining—especially to one used to campfires where anarchy meant harmony. Puerility ruled last night and this morning the organizers spent several hours, which could have been devoted to the upcoming serious event, discussing the pros and cons of generators. The balloon owner requested a security squad.”[16]
Bernhard placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Earth First! chapters that had organized Redwood Summer, even though he conceded, “God knows that they—who’ve been laying their asses on the dangerous line daily—deserved to be listened to closely.”[17] Mike Roselle disputes Bernhard’s characterization, arguing that Redwood Summer coalition was not to blame for the disorganization and flared tempers that took place at the concert:
“Most people there were not Earth First!ers and the ones rolling the Earth Ball were not from Northern California, but the notorious ‘Hobos From Hell’, who lived in Portland and elsewhere in the Northwest.
“This only served to reinforce division between Northern California Earth First! and (everyone else), but they had little to do with this one. I came early from Chico with two kegs of donated Sierra Nevada (beer) and after an argument with the organizers I set up where they told me was outside their area. So many people showed up that we were soon surrounded and another fight ensued over weather I could drink beer in my camp. We told them politely to Fuck Off and they left us alone after a few days. The night of the (concert), lots of people were very drunk, but the Hobos did not unplug the sound system until it was clear it was never going to work. I didn’t think much of the band and we usually have our own music, so I think a lot of EF!res were a little annoyed by the stage show. They snuck in the Velcro Sheep to finish Dennis Fritzinger’s poetry reading. The Sheep played a thrash song and the hobos went nuts in front of the stage. They kicked up so much dust on the dried horse pasture that breathing became difficult…It was a disaster, but few could have predicted the impact 400 new activists from California on this event. This was a low point in a very successful summer, and happened in a region with few local EFers.”[18]
Bernhard was one of the Earth First!ers who was already critical of the Earth First! chapters in northern California and southern Oregon and was evidently determined to find fault no matter what took place.[19] According to Berhnard,
“Redwood Summer bears more resemblance to the old Mississippi Summer than just a few thousand people risking a lot for a truly worthwhile cause. It also has taken on a lot of the super-self-righteousness, humorless tone of Martin Luther King Jr…
“In an official statement that assumed Northern California EF! leaders maintain the same control over EF!ers that, say, a Mooney priest exercises over Mooney drones, the Sheriff’s Department and others were assured that no Earth First!ers would use drugs or alcohol during any Redwood actions. The statement probably turned out to be true, but EF!ers were told this was the rule, not consulted about it.”[20]
This was particularly uncalled for, including especially the appallingly disrespectful swipe at MLK, considering that the spotlight was on Earth First!ers from northwestern California because of the bombing. Bernhard’s comments, featured prominently in the pages of the Earth First! Journal gave the impression of the Redwood Summer coalition as being flakey and highlighted the divisions between the Journal staff and the rank and file of the movement. However, as that particular issue of that particular publication was dominated by articles highly critical of the Redwood Summer coalition and its associated Earth First! chapters, it no doubt reframed the division as northwestern California Earth First! versus everyone else, which was highly inaccurate.[21]
Fortunately—for the first few days of the gathering at least—the then dysfunctional Earth First! family and its invited (and uninvited) guests conducted themselves well. With all but fifty of the participants taking part in various, successful and nonviolent actions to highlight the impending threat to the sequoias by clearcutting.[22] The local Kings and Tulare County media was even impressed with the peaceful actions[23], which succeeded in halting all logging for three days at eight different logging sites.[24] According to Kelpie Wilson:
“The Sequoia action was over 200 people marching into an old growth timber sale. There was no logging that day because the Forest Service had convinced the logging companies to not work that day on all the sales in the entire area in order to avoid confrontation with us. So we effectively shut down most of the Sequoia N.F. to logging.”[25]
According to Bernhard, however, this was more a result of the loggers voluntarily taking a three day holiday rather than risking confrontation, but what he fails to grasp is that this result was itself a strategic victory for Earth First!, because it demonstrated the power of the latter’s reputation.[26]
However, on the third day, some of the demonstrators engaged in needlessly destructive actions, although luckily, there were no arrests.[27] Even though no logging was likely to occur, they rolled logs and boulders downhill to create thirty five roadblocks, which caused erosion. These roadblocks could easily have been cleared by bulldozers which were readily available to logging crews had they been present. Since even the local media had been given maps showing where the actions were to take place in advance, and logging had been called off anyway, the road blockades served no useful purpose and actually cost the organizers their $250 camp deposit. Also, six tractor tires were deflated.[28] Naturally, the corporate press harped on the “vandalism”, as was to be expected.[29] Such actions were the product of inexperienced activists who lacked strategic horse sense and failed to grasp the appropriateness of using specific tactics (such as monkeywrenching) to achieve specific goals (namely halting the destruction of the sequoias), and seemed more an instance of angry youth acting out. Redwood Summer organizers to this day disavow these needless and pointless acts in the sequoia campaign. Mike Roselle declared, “the road action was silly, but much of the vandalism was spontaneous and inspired by the sight of vandalism (at the concert) the previous night, but I didn’t know anything about it at the time.”[30] Richard Johnson described the road action as “a clear violation of the nonviolence code” [31], although in reality it’s actually debatable whether it is or isn’t, because no property was permanently damaged. Still, Bernhard described these acts as being condoned by “Northern California Earth First!”[32] which was simply not the case.[33] Nevertheless, it was Northern California Earth First!ers who were assigned the blame for the damages by the USFS and the timber industry.[34] These charges were ultimately dropped, however, on October 3, 1990.[35]
Notes:
[1] “Dispute Over Highway 20 Trees”, Willits News, August 1, 1990.
[2] “Dispute Over Highway 20 Trees”, Willits News, August 1, 1990.
[3] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[4] Interview with Mike Roselle, May 6, 2011.
[5] “Sequoia Killing Plan Released”, Earth First! Journal, Litha / June 21, 1988; and “Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks Imperiled”, by Karen Coulter, Earth First! Journal, Lughnasadh / August 1, 1988.
[6] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[7] “The US Forest Service’s Darkest Secret”, Lee Green, Audubon Magazine, May 1990.
[8] “Historic Pact Cuts Sequoia Logging”, AP Wire, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, July 20, 1990.
[9] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[10] “An Interview With Kelpie Wilson”, by Sharon Seidenstien, Ecology Center Newsletter, October 1990.
[11] “Activist Sue to Protect Southern Spotted Owl”, AP Wire, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, June 30, 1990.
[12] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[13] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[14] “Statement from the International Indian Treaty Council”, by Karl G, Erb, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, July 1990.
[15] “Save the Sequoias”, Press Release, Redwood Summer Earth First! Extra, August 1990.
[16] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[17] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[18] Interview with Mike Roselle, May 6, 2011.
[19] Interview with Darryl Cherney, May 5, 2011.
[20] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[21] “Breaking Up or Breaking Apart”, by Karen Pickett, Earth First! Journal, Samhain / November 1, 1990.
[22] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[23] For example, see, “Protest Peaceful”, by Donnell Alexander, Hanford Sentinel, July 30, 1990; and “Nonviolent Protest Halts Sequoia Timber Harvest”, by Gene Rose, Fresno Bee, July 31, 1990.
[24] “1990: A Year in the Life of Earth First!”, by Judi Bari, Anderson Valley Advertiser, January 2,1991.
[25] “An Interview With Kelpie Wilson”, by Sharon Seidenstien, Ecology Center Newsletter, October 1990.
[26] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[27] “Redwood Summer Timeline”, by Karen Pickett, Earth First! Journal, Samhain / November 1, 1990; and Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, various issues from June 1, 1990 – October 1. 1990.
[28] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[29] “Earth First! Protest Moves to Sequoias; Vandalism Marks Sequoia Protest”, AP Wire, Ukiah Daily Journal, July 30, 1990.
[30] Interview with Mike Roselle, May 6, 2011.
[31] “Redwood Summer Timeline”, by Karen Pickett, Earth First! Journal, Samhain / November 1, 1990; and Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, various issues from June 1, 1990 – October 1. 1990.
[32] “Sequoia Sayonara”, by J.P. Bernhard, Earth First! Journal, Mabon / September 22, 1990.
[33] Interview with Mike Roselle, May 6, 2011.
[34] “Earth First! Tagged for Damages”, AP Wire, Hartford Sentinel, August 1, 1990.
[35] “Redwood Summer Timeline”, by Karen Pickett, Earth First! Journal, Samhain / November 1, 1990; and Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, various issues from June 1, 1990 – October 1. 1990.