The Mattole Forest Defenders Need Your Help

If you’ve read the Earth First! Journal, the Earth First! Newswire, or the Earth First! Newsletter over the past decade or so, you’ve surely heard about the fight to protect the Mattole Forest. If reading about the trees, wild animals, and forest defenders risking their lives to protect them makes you itch to head west—now’s your chance!

A few weeks ago, allies in the Mattole Valley obtained written assurances that Humboldt Redwood company will not try to log, build roads, or spray herbicides in the Long Ridge area until next year. Consequently the forest defenders have removed the blockade and shifted attention to shoring up the defenses in other ways; like community outreach, organizing trainings, gathering data in the field to fight the companies misinformation campaign, and much more.

This summer the forest defenders mistakenly believed that the logging permits would begin expiring this year, five years after they had been approved. However, it turns out the permits can last for seven years now, which means the forest could remain under imminent threat until 2021, unless there is some kind of resolution. All the more reason to quit your job, abandon your lease, and head to the woods!

Preparations for next year will begin with a training camp for early January. It’s still in the preliminary planning stages so we will announce the date and location once we’ve decided, but you can play a part in helping to make it happen.

The Save the Mattole Ancient Forest Campaign are putting out a call for passionate Earth lovers who are ready to join us out on the frontlines this winter and the rest of next year if need be.