Hope in the Forest

Have you heard about the protests in Jackson Demonstration State Forest? Many dozens of protestors have been interrupting logging, staging sit-ins, and collaborating with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians to try to wrest control from pro-logging CalFire and have the Indigenous people who’ve lived in the forest for millennia take the lead on deciding how this land is managed. The protests have flown under the radar for months; I’ve only known about them because a close friend is deeply involved. But despite not getting press, the protestors persisted. Now they’re starting to win. New Timber Harvest Plans have been suspended for the rest of the year; the Pomo are holding government-to-government negotiations with the State of California; and the big regional newspapers, like the LA Times in this pretty good feature, have started covering the protests. It’s an inspiring movement, showing how powerful even a few dozen activists can be if they stay principled and disciplined and keep pushing. But the most exciting part to me is the collaboration with the Pomo—as you may know, I think the US should return the National Parks and much more to the tribes. Jackson Demonstration State Forest would be a great place to start. If you’d like to get involved or send support, I’m told a good place to begin is this website.