As the third month of Redwood Summer began, actions and counteractions continued, and by this time, many of these were taking place in the woods. On Monday July 30, 1990, three activists were arrested after climbing eighty feet into Pacific Lumber old growth redwoods to document the existence of spotted owls and marbled murrelets there. That same day, Grandparents for Old Growth held their weekly vigil in Scotia. The next day, the primary Redwood Summer base camp was moved from Branscomb, in northern Mendocino County, to a location in northeastern Humboldt County on California State Highway 299, about thirty miles east of Highway 101. Also, supporters of Redwood Summer in Marin County held a vigil at the Pacific Lumber offices in Mill Valley. Meanwhile, demonstrators congregated at the Fisher log decks of P-L in Carlotta, east of Fortuna on California State Highway 36. There they engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience to protest Maxxam’s THPs in Headwaters Forest and the arrests that took place the previous day.[1]
On August 1, 1990, in Sacramento, two Redwood Summer activists, Annie McPheeters of Berkeley, California and Robyn O’Neil of Sisters, Oregon, began a fast and daily vigil (from 10 AM to 4 PM) on the steps of the Natural Resources Building in Sacramento. They were demanding that the Board of Forestry enact an immediate moratorium on old growth redwood logging on both public and private lands. The two intended to present their request personally to Board of Forestry at their upcoming meeting on August 8, 1990. McPheeters declared:
“Spotted owls, marbled murrelets, and timber industry workers are going hungry as a direct result of the greed of the large timber corporations. Of the 2 million acres of original ancient redwood forest, 1,900,000 acres have already been destroyed by clearcut logging, and the big corporations’ feeding frenzy continues unabated in anticipation of November’s elections. The future of sustainable forests throughout the world rests on the people’s decision to act NOW!” [2]
Her fellow hunger striker O’Neil stated:
“Activists have used every traditional means, and some not so traditional, to try to protect the remaining ancient redwoods, yet the Board of Forestry remains committed to backing the corporations’ short-term profit motive. These forests are a world treasure; their value to all of humanity in terms of genetic diversity, oxygen generation, and combating the phenomenon of global warming far outweighs the short term profit of one company.”[3]
Earth First!er John Seed conducted the “Council of All Beings” in order to raise awareness and funds for Redwood Summer over the course of the next three days. During that weekend, however, a handful of closed minded human beings were attacking Redwood Summer organizers, demonstrators, and even a handful who merely looked as though they were connected to it. On August 3, 1990 three separate attacks took place. On the way out of a doctor’s appointment in Santa Rosa, Judi Bari was taunted by a pair of men in their forties who recognized her and made fun of her injuries; both men claimed to be Louisiana-Pacific employees.[4] Meanwhile, Betty and Gary Ball were attacked right outside of the Mendocino Environmental Center (MEC) in Ukiah by a group of men wearing (among other things) red buttons with the slogan “Get Real!”.[5] According to Bruce Anderson’s vivid account:
“Friday afternoon, as they left the MEC in Ukiah, Gary and Betty Ball were accosted by a small group of drunks emerging from the Sports Attic next door to the MEC. One Sports Attic hero threw a beer in Gary’s face. Gary does not have the use of his legs. He gets around on a pair of crutches. The Sports Attic posse seemed to be upset at the MEC for reasons they were of course—drunk or sober—unable to articulate other than saying they were loggers angry at Earth First!. When the Balls made it to their car, the drunks surrounded it chanting ‘Car Over! Car Over!’ The Ukiah Police told Betty Ball they’d ‘log’ the incident.”[6]
That same day, a man with Earth First! bumper stickers on his car was assaulted as he exited from his vehicle at Mad River Beach near Arcata. He was punched, kicked, and left lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood.[7] The next day, two people unconnected with Redwood Summer in any way were harassed, denounced as “spotted owl lovers”, and then beaten in a Fortuna parking lot simply because they wore colorful clothing! Some days later, feces were smeared on the office door of the MEC and a Laytonville activist had her car windows smashed by someone with a rock while she was swimming in a nearby river with her family. In all cases, Police refused to investigate, claiming they had insufficient evidence, which is ironic given the fact that they had been more than willing to go along with the FBI’s obviously trumped up charges against Bari and Cherney.[8] Judi Bari noted the political significance, declaring, “The pattern of violence and official neglect is clear and frightening. It recalls the deep South in the 1960s when official non-prosecution gave a green light for attacks on Black people.”[9] By contrast, Redwood Summer activists, including all Earth First!ers involved had remained consistently nonviolent without exception.[10]
A telling example of the selective enforcement of the law and establishment bias against political dissidents was the incarceration of Mendocino County Green and Redwood Summer supporter Don Lipmanson. Lipmanson, who had once served on the Mendocino County School Board and had more recently been active in gathering signatures for the Forest Forever initiative, was found guilty of marijuana cultivation on April 11, 1990[11], and sentenced to six months in jail on June 8, 1990.[12] The activist argued, with some justification, that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.[13] This was certainly true, as timber industry supporters who had actually threatened the lives of Redwood Summer supporters were left alone by right wing County District Attorney Susan Massini.[14] Also it was fairly well known that marijuana cultivation was quite common in both Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. Yet it seemed that only supporters of dissident political movements were targeted. Lipmanson declared that he would engage in a hunger strike[15], but as these were the early days of the President Ronald Reagan inspired “war on drugs”, the heavily propagandized residents of Mendocino County were mostly unsympathetic to the charged activist.[16] Even at least one active Ukiah teacher criticized Lipmanson[17], and the Ukiah Daily Journal editorialized that Lipmanson should “quit whining.”[18] To their credit, the activists and organizers of Redwood Summer stood in solidarity with Lipmanson, and rallied in support of him on August 3, 1990 at the county courthouse in Ukiah[19], even though it was a politically risky move to do so. Certainly the cries of “pot smoking hippies!” from the reactionary peanut gallery didn’t help matters—but it was the right move. Earth First! had by this time fully realized and accepted the IWW slogan that “an injury to one is an injury to all,” and inspired the participants of Redwood Summer to embrace that philosophy. A judge eventually ruled that Lipmanson’s sentence did indeed violate his rights[20] and ordered him released from custody on November 5, 1990.[21]
If this matter was sublime, it paled in the face of the ridiculous. “Fresh from their victory in Panama,” according to Judi Bari[22], army troops in helicopters took part in a combined federal military force also including Air National Guard and Bureau of Land Management (BLM)[23] marshals called “Operation Greensweep.”[24] Their announced objective was to eradicate illegal marijuana gardens in the Mattole watershed area of northern Mendocino and Humboldt Counties and in a dramatic, ostentatious display of force, they occupied the King Range National Recreation Area near Garberville in early August.[25] In a series of incidents that were too large in number to be coincidence, “Greensweep” troops pointed rifles at residents of the area, flew their helicopters low over their homes, and marched noisily around the area, frightening many of the locals, no matter what side of the Green-Yellow divide they happened to be on.[26] This heavy handed display of military force on US soil not only angered the locals, it was denounced in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat[27] and by some local officials[28], though the Ukiah Daily Journal[29] and the Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance[30] supported it, and law enforcement officials from both counties declared that it was necessary, because they lacked sufficient funds to deal with the perceived problem.[31]
The BLM defended the operation[32], and claimed that it had confiscated over 1408 marijuana plants[33] worth nearly $2 million.[34]
Residents from all over Humboldt County weighed in on the issue, many of them supporting the ultimately futile attempts at “drug eradication”.[35]
Angry King Range residents responded by staging a protest, complete with music, speakers, and amplified sound, on August 5, 1990, at the military’s base camp on Chemise Ridge, and some engaged in civil disobedience by crossing a blue ribbon that had marked specific territory in the area “off limits”, which led to seven arrests.[36] The locals were joined by Redwood Summer participants making the dissident crowd about 250 strong. The demonstrators gave speeches on that advocated using hemp, instead of trees for paper and fiber. Some tossed marijuana seeds over the ribbon, while others openly smoked overlarge marijuana joints in an act of open defiance. The entire affair was punctuated with a large drum circle.[37] While some may have questioned the strategic effectiveness of the Redwood Summer coalition’s involvement in a protest against a government action that seemed to be unconnected to the timber issue, in actual fact, this was, again, the right move. For one thing, the timing and the location of the raid suggested a connection, as Redwood Summer had thus far been successful and the (manufactured) case against Bari and Cherney had collapsed. Secondly, the name “Greensweep” suggests an association between “marijuana” and “environmentalism”. Finally, this was another example where solidarity was warranted, because the same level of force might be used against Redwood Summer type protests at some point if not challenged.
Ironically, however, Operation Greensweep was suddenly abandoned after the assembled forces refused to assist the CDF in fighting a series of forest fires that had broken out in the King range due to late summer drought conditions.[38] The CDF and local volunteers were hard pressed to fight these fires[39], and yet they refused to allow the participation of Redwood Summer participants who offered to help fight the fires, citing insurance concerns.[40] Even more ironically, Pacific Lumber accused Redwood Summer of interfering with the firefighting efforts during a protest that was unrelated to them, a lie that was parroted repeatedly in the pages of the Eureka Times-Standard and the Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance.[41] The media didn’t report on Redwood Summer’s offer to assist in the firefighting efforts.
The Eureka Times-Standard letters to the editor section was bombarded with angry correspondence from readers, including at least one volunteer fire fighter captain, lambasting Earth First! for its hypocrisy, and the audacity of locking down to equipment that was allegedly supposed to be used in firefighting efforts.[42]
This echoed capitalist class accusations that the IWW Lumber Workers Union’s strike on the job in 1917 had interfered with the World War I effort, by driving up the cost of spruce needed for airplanes, even though the price spikes were actually the result of the timber barons’ excessive profiteering. That same year many IWW members had volunteered for firefighting duty to help fight forest fires throughout the Pacific Northwest.[43] Attempting to save face, the government declared “Operation Greensweep” a success, however residents organized a class action lawsuit against the government[44], the arrestees charges were dropped[45], and marijuana cultivation continues to this day in the King Range area and elsewhere throughout the so-called “Emerald Triangle”.
One might think that this was the most ridiculous attempt at repression by the powers that be and/or the forces of reaction against Redwood Summer, but that is not the case. As it turns out, the Mothers Watch blacklist, which had fizzled in Humboldt County, was attempted again, this time in Mendocino County. Earth First!, the IWW, Seeds of Peace, and other activists were fighting wars on every front imaginable.
Notes:
[1] “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.
[2] “Fasting for the Redwoods”, Press Release, Country Activist, August 1990.
[3] “Fasting for the Redwoods”, Press Release, Country Activist, August 1990.
[4] “Here and There in Mendocino County”, by Bruce Anderson, Anderson Valley Advertiser, August 8, 1990.
[5] “A Pattern of Violence”, by Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, September 15, 1990.
[6] “Here and There in Mendocino County”, by Bruce Anderson, Anderson Valley Advertiser, August 8, 1990.
[7] “Judi Files Suit…”, Press Release reprinted in the Country Activist, August 1990.
[8] “A Pattern of Violence”, by Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, September 15, 1990.
[9] “Judi Files Suit…”, Press Release reprinted in the Country Activist, August 1990.
[10] “A Pattern of Violence”, by Richard Johnson, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, September 15, 1990.
[11] “Ex-Mendocino School Board Member Guilty on Pot Charge”, by Clark Mason, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, April 12, 1990.
[12] “Lipmanson to do Jail Time”, by Lois O’Rourke, Ukiah Daily Journal, July 8, 1990.
[13] “Let the Punishment fit the Crime”, by Don Lipmanson, Mendocino Commentary, July 12, 1990.
[14] “Judi Files Suit…”, Press Release reprinted in the Country Activist, August 1990.
[15] “Fasting for Freedom”, by Don Lipmanson, Mendocino Commentary, July 26, 1990.
[16] See for example, “Frustration at Fast”, letter to the editor by Lyn Lukas, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 2, 1990; and “Why Jail Pot Users”, letter to the editor by Steve Jack, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 22, 1990
[17] “Angry at Lipmanson Fast”, letter to the editor by Mike Jossel, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 2, 1990.
[18] “Lipmanson Should Quit Whining”, editorial, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 10, 1990.
[19] “Crowd Rallies to Protest Ex-trustee’s Conviction”, by Lois O’Rourke, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 5, 1990.
[20] “Judge Says Lipmanson’s Basic Freedom Violated”, by Lois O’Rourke, Ukiah Daily Journal, November 4, 1990.
[21] “Lipmanson Released from Custody”, by Lois O’Rourke, Ukiah Daily Journal, November 6, 1990.
[22] “1990: A Year in the Life of Earth First!”, by Judi Bari, Anderson Valley Advertiser, January 2, 1991.
[23] “BLM Leads Marijuana Raid Effort”, staff and AP Wire, Ukiah Daily Journal, July 31, 1990.
[24] “Fed Target Humboldt Marijuana: ‘Operation Greensweep’ Aims to Clean up the King Range”, by Clark Mason, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, July 31, 1990.
[25] “Locals Decry King Range Pot Search”, by Clark Mason, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 1, 1990.
[26] “Coastal Pot Raid Upsets Targets”, by Clark Mason, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 2, 1990.
[27] “Sweeping Priorities”, editorial, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 1, 1990.
[28] “Green Sweep Raid Draws Official Fire”, by Robert Digitale, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 2, 1990.
[29] “Military Suited for Fighting Pot”, editorial, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 5, 1990.
[30] “Feds Sweep County for Marijuana”, Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance, August 2, 1990.
[31] “Emerald Triangle Lawmen Decry Lack of Funds: Upswing in Pot Violence Feared”, by Robert Digitale, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 3, 1990.
[32] “BLM Defends ‘Operation Greensweep’: Residents Protest Pot Raiders”, AP Wire, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 3, 1990.
[33] “Opereations Sweeps Up 1,408 Pot Plants”, by Clark Mason, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 10, 1990.
[34] “Raid Nets Plants Worth $2 Million”, by Lois O’Rourke, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 3, 1990.
[35] See for example, “Bravo to BLM for Green Sweep”, letter to the editor by Judi and Jim Douglas, Eureka Times-Standard, August 9, 1990 (no location given); “Cleaning Up Public Lands”, letter to the editor by Winnie Baker, Eureka Times-Standard, August 11, 1990 (Ferndale); untitled letter to to the editor by Bob Bridges, Eureka Times-Standard, August 11, 1990.
[36] “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.
[37] “Activists ‘Occupy’ Tract of Federal Timberland”, by Mike Geniella, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 15, 1990; “BLM Lands Occupied by Earth First!”, by Chris Calder, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 15, 1990 ; and “1990: A Year in the Life of Earth First!”, by Judi Bari, Anderson Valley Advertiser, January 2, 1991; .
[38] “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.
[39] “Firefighters, Equipment Head North - Official: ‘We’re at bare Bones Here’“, by John Adams, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 9, 1990; “Humboldt Fires Hit King Range”, by Steve Geissinger, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 12, 1990; “Late Summer Fires Keep Firefighters Hopping”, Willits News, August 15, 1990; “CDF Has Local Fires Near Containment”, by Jerry Sena, Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance, August 16, 1990; “Forest Fire Blackens King Range”, by Alex Long, The Lumberjack, August 29, 1990; “Bureau of Land Management Monitors Wilderness Area”, BLM Press Release, Mendocino Beacon, August 30, 1990.
[40] “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.
[41] “Protest, Fires Fan Timber Firm’s Ire”, by Mike Geniella, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 9, 1990; “PL Condemns Protesters For Interfering With Firefighting Tools, Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance, August 16, 1990; and “Five Writers Armed with Misinformation”, letter to the editor by John J Prevost, Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance, September 6, 1990.
[42] Examples include, “Protesters Should Help Firefighters”, Joyce Johnson, Eureka Times-Standard, August 16, 1990; untitled, by Louise Grover, Eureka Times-Standard, August 16, 1990; “How Dare Protesters Restrain Equipment?”, Brooke Epperly, Eureka Times-Standard, August 16, 1990; “Earth First! Should Enlist as Firefighters”, by Wayne Smith, Eureka Times-Standard, August 21, 1990; “All Out Attack on Timber Workers”, by Juanita MOdisett-Claybon, Eureka Times-Standard, August 23, 1990; “Grab a Shovel and Protect Forests”, by F. F. Dahl, Eureka Times-Standard, August 29, 1990; and “Forest Fires and Earth First!”, by Ruth Drier, Eureka Times-Standard, September 2, 1990.
[43] Rowan, James, The IWW in the Lumber Industry, Chicago, IL, IWW, 1920.
[44] “Green Sweep Called Success, but Lawsuit Filed”, AP Wire, Ukiah Daily Journal, August 10, 1990; “Green Sweep: Feds End Pot Effort, Class Action Lawsuit Filed”, by Richard Mann, Humboldt Beacon and Fortuna Advance, August 16, 1990; “Marijuana Raid: Federal Sweep Hits So. Humboldt”, by Tom Prete, The Lumberjack, August 29, 1990; “Green Sweep Sued”, by Ronald M Sinoway, Esq., Chief Council, Civil Liberties Monitoring Project, Mendocino Country Environmentalist, September 1, 1990; and “Marijuana Raids Continuing”, Willits News, September 7, 1990.
[45] “Marijuana Protesters Get Charges Dropped”, Ukiah Daily Journal, November 1, 1990; and “Greensweep Charges Dropped”, Willits News, November 14, 1990.