While forest defenders battle Pacific Lumber in the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, Dirty South Earth First! has taken the battle to the executive homes of PL's Houston-based parent company, Maxxam Corporation. In addition to numerous home demonstrations, the following letter was recently sent to the neighbors of these executives.

Dear Community Member,

In Humboldt County, California, Houston-based Maxxam Corporation and its subsidiary, Pacific Lumber Company, have been clear-cutting the remaining 3% (approx. 100,000 acres) of old growth forest that remain in the continental United States. Maxxam-owned Pacific Lumber has decimated populations of already endangered species and created hazardous conditions that have led to floods, forest fires and mudslides that continually endanger area residents.

Charles Hurwitz, Maxxam CEO, has faced numerous criminal charges and civil suits for looting and crashing the United Savings Association of Texas in 1988, costing American taxpayers $1.6 billion. Hurwitz simultaneously raided Pacific Lumber’s worker pension fund, removing $55 million from the retired loggers and mill workers’ nest eggs, and selling off much of the company’s other liquitable assets for the quick cash he desired. Hurwitz has lost seven environmental lawsuits over his incessant, illegal logging in the ancient redwood forests of Northern California.

[ Dirty South Earth First! I Jail Hurwitz! I Information on Pacific Lumber / Maxxam ]

see also: Ten Years of the Northwest Forest Plan: Eco-Resistance in Cascadia

On March 28, several thousands of people from across the central coast rallied at the Cesar Chavez Community Park in Salinas to celebrate the legacy of Cesar Chavez. A couple thousand people marched through the streets in a high-spirited demonstration of unity. The support from community members observinging the march was tremendous. The goal of the annual event is to spread awareness among young people and Chavez's messages on social justice and nonviolence.

Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers, spoke with eloquence about the life of Caser Chavez, the improved conditions for farmworkers since UFW began organizing, and the current campaigns that the UFW are working on.

Photos: [ 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 ]

Audio: Rockin' the Boat: Farmworkers March to Remember Cesar Chavez

Indybay coverage of S.F. and Fresno demonstrations

On March 29th, the California Rice Commission gave their approval for the planting and milling of two genetically engineered drug-producing rice varieties spliced with synthetic human genes. This will be the first commercial pharmaceutical food crop in the world and could be planted anywhere in the state.

The Food and Drug Administration has established a zero tolerance for pharmaceutical crop products in food and animal feed. Contamination of the food supply with this rice is inevitable!

Final approval for this Pharmaceutical Rice must still be granted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). CDFA may be making a decision at any time.

[ Californians for GE-Free Agriculture I Background on GE Rice in California I Raising Risk: Field Testing of GE Crops in the US I BioTech IMC I PDX-IMC's GMO Page ]

“The Council should be crawling all over ourselves, begging to make this project work,� said Santa Cruz City Councilman Mike Rotkin, as Santa Cruz City Councilmembers crawled all over themselves in support of a proposal by the owners of the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel (formerly The Dream Inn) for a significant expansion. The existing hotel sits on top of the public beach adjacent to West Cliff Drive. The proposal is to knock down the existing hotel, with 163-rooms, and replace it with a new 268-room facility.

Double Shot Stick in the Eye. The Santa Cruz City Council, not willing to allow nature to stand in the way of fun, voted 7-0 to override their own Planning Commission to approve on the 150-ft tall thrill ride otherwise known as Double Shot.

In a sweeping victory, Mendocino County became the first county in the nation to ban the growing of genetically altered crops and animals.

Mendocino County voters defeated the world’s largest producers of genetically engineered foods and seed, which pumped a record $621,000 into a county of 47,000 voters.

Under the guise of CropLife America, Monsanto, DuPont, Dow Chemical and a consortium of other biotech multinational corporations shattered spending records in this small agricultural county.

But CropLife America was no match for thousands of Mendocino County farmers, business owners, vintners and families who joined the largest, most successful grass roots campaign the county has ever seen to fight the encroachment of genetically altered crops.

Audio: Free Speech Radio News Story (Streaming Audio)

Related Article: Mendocino Goes GMO Free

Indybay Coverage

[ GMO Free Mendocino I neRAGE I GE Free VT I BioTech IMC I Network of Concerned Farmers I National Family Farm Coalition I BioDev I Santa Cruz / Live Oak Grange ]

September 22, 2005
Katrina vs Rita: The Return

So we've decided to hole up in Algiers, hoping that Rita will not hit us directly. We do intend to bug out if the storm track changes drastically, but for now it appears the direct hit will still be heading to Texas.

During a Congressional Hearing on Predicting Hurricanes, Max Mayfield (hurricane guru) was asked if he believes the increase in number and intensity of hurricanes are due to global warming.

With many cars running out of gas before arriving at their destinations, evacuation presents a risk of being stranded on the side of the road during tropical storm conditions. The counterflow lane-reversals may provide some relief, but is being done exceedingly cautiously and slowly.

Projections show Hurricane Rita making landfall between Port O'Conner and Freeport on the morning of Saturday September 24. The storm has strengthened to a category 5 storm, but may weaken slightly before reaching the Texas coast. A mandatory evacuation has been issued for Galveston and flood-prone areas of Houston (download Houston evacuation zones map) | Read a press release form Mayor White. Most local schools and universities have closed until the end of the weekend. If you want government assistance to evacuate call 311 or (713) 837-0311.

If you have information to share about what people in downtown (not an evacuation area) have to contend with in order to make their decision about leaving, please add a comment here.

City of Houston Website

Lets keep each other informed! Please publish reports to Houston IMC if you are able.
To offer or search for evacuee housing, check here.

The south-bound lanes of I-45 have been opened to north-bound traffic as of Thursday morning.

From the Jordan River valley and Dead Sea basin, through the central highlands comprising the West Bank's populated core, to the fertile western hills bordering Israel, recent reports from occupied Palestine reveal a worsening environmental crisis.

On September 15, Vinny and I were driving around Algiers to determine the reception quality of 94.5 FM, the Battle for Algiers. Next thing we knew, we were on the Mississippi River Bridge headed to downtown New Orleans.