The Allegheny National Forest is a reminder of what Eastern forests used to be. The stands of 500-year-old hemlock, white pine and beech, home of the endangered Indiana bat, are one the most heavily logged forests in the East. The forest is a day's drive from a third of the country's population and the site of the largest timber sale east of the Mississippi. It is also a national forest where direct action has never happened - until now.
On May 20, several cars packed with enthusiastic activists pulled up behind the Allegheny National Forest headquarters in Warren, Pennsylvania. With U-locks and lockboxes, a small group entered the building. After a quick "hello" to the receptionist, they cruised up a staircase and down a hallway to Forest Supervisor John Palmer's office.
Even though a meeting was in session, activists interrupted and introduced themselves. "Hello, we're Earth First! We are here for a peaceful protest. We aren't going to hurt anyone or damage any property, but we are taking over the office."
The shock on the faces of the Freddies was wonderful! Three people locked arms in lockboxes and laid on their backs to form a lockdown triangle with a pile of feet, a fourth activist U-locked his neck to the triangle.
Outside the building, banners saying, "Stop the East Side Project" and "Camping not Cutting, Recreation for Lasting Jobs in the Allegheny" were quickly hung in the trees in front of the building. One Earth First!er chained himself to a tree to give the Freddies a preview of what they can expect in the forest.
The action was in response to the East Side Project, also known as Mortality II, the biggest timber sale east of the Rockies. Mortality II was halted in court when a federal judge said it would require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in order to proceed. In its infinite pursuit of forest destruction, the Forest Service's EIS doubled the damage and changed the name to the East Side Project. Now it calls for cutting 8,200 acres (3,020 acres of clearcuts) in a 141,000-acre area (one-sixth of the entire forest). It will remove 55 million board feet of wood, construct or reconstruct 90 miles of roads, spray over 3,000 acres with herbicides, and log areas previously set aside as old growth.
After two hours of songs, chants and our demand, "Get out of our forest, and we'll get out of your office!," the cops, Freddies and an Emergency Medical Technician removed the U-lock and arrested one activist. Then, they proceeded to lift up the three-person lockbox triangle and squeeze it out the door. Still locked together, the Earth First!ers were carried down a thin, twisting staircase. One woman's arm was almost broken. The three didn't unlock until they were at the police station. Meanwhile, a group of activists outside the building handed out fliers, talked to the local people and chanted. One of the best chants of the day was "John Palmer you silly goose, East Side Project ain't multiple use!"
On that day, we alerted John Palmer and the Forest Service to an Earth First! presence in the Allegheny. All that needs to happen now is... more action! Legal action from the Allegheny Defense Project has reduced planned logging from 55 million board feet to 16 million. Once the Forest Service starts the East Side Project, however, we will need to put up some serious resistance.
For more information, contact the Allegheny Defense Project, POB 245, Clarion, PA 16214; (814) 226-4918; adp@envirolink.org or NYC Earth First!, Wetlands, 161 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013; (212) 966-5244.