Forwarded with Compliments of Government of the USA in Exile (GUSAE): Free Americans Reaching Out to Amerika's Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free. NOTE: Best wishes for this important gathering. -- kl, pp http://www.sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/05/1611587.php Western EF! Rendezvous 2003 by mazama forest defense Saturday May 17, 2003 at 08:13 AM nwregional@mazamaforestdefense.org 541-482-2640 Now: Any or All Days, May 23 Thru 27, Come to the York Butte Trailhead in the Siskiyou National Forest! Western EF! Rendezvous 2003 This long, last weekend in May, Cascadia Summer begins! It begins wherever you are, but especially in the wild Rogue just outside the Northeast edge of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. It begins on ground that for salvage-scam logging. Earth First! began saving forest in the forest, with bodies and heart-minds, twenty years ago at its first national gathering, near this very spot where Cascadia Summer now begins. Please come join with your comrades past, present and future in a truly wild, threatened and fragile place. Come only if you can respect the other humans and beings and place. Come especially if you want to defend them with others that love them as much as you do. Stop the corporate and government profiteers from destroying the last of what is wild and free. Let Cascadia Summer begin! Sense of Place The Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion is a land of complex natural history, including unique geology thrust up from the sea floor, rare botany and a long relationship with fire (for more information on the ecology and natural history of the Siskiyous, contact the Siskiyou Field Institute ( and June field courses). The Biscuit fire began with a lightening storm on July 13, 2002 near the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in southwestern Oregon. By the time it was declared controlled on November 8, it was estimated to be one of the largest fires recorded in Oregon's history, nearing 500,000 acres. George W. Bush came to southern Oregon last August to fly over the Biscuit fire and announce his "Healthy Forest Initiative", soon to be up for vote on the House floor. The US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management recently assessed that salvage operations in the Biscuit fire alone could produce up to 90 million board feet of timber. We will be camping on the edge of the Biscuit fire. Public lands all over the western US are being logged under the guise of fuels and hazard reduction and forest health. Their philosophy is that if you log it, it won't burn. In reality, cutting the largest trees for commercial value increases fire severity. Fire suppression, commercial interests and manufactured hysteria all contribute to the continued logging of ancient forests. We believe that fire is a natural process that the forests require to build strength, resilience and diversity. We invite you to join us and learn more about fire ecology, salvage impacts and forest defense. Fragility and Respect Post-fire areas are in a process of recovery. Natural fires burn in a mosaic pattern, burning in different severities throughout the landscape. The rendezvous site is in a lightly burned area. Nearby are severely burned areas. Pay attention to your surroundings. Watch for standing dead trees and falling limbs. Soils are very fragile. New grasses, forbs and other plants are sprouting. PLEASE TAKE ALL CAUTION while at the rendezvous to respect and protect the fire recovery process. STAY ON DESIGNATED TRAILS. Be gentle! Port-Orford cedar is an endemic species (it doesn't occur anywhere else on the planet but here) that is endangered in the wild. Port-Orford cedar is dying from a root fungus that is spread through contaminated soil and water (mainly from vehicles, industrial equipment and boots). If you have been exploring in infected areas of the Siskiyou or Six Rivers National Forests wash your boots and tires with high-pressure water or bleach. The trees depend on it. There will be more information at the orientation table regarding identification of Port-Orford cedars and the spread of the root fungus. Anti-oppression We will not tolerate racist, sexist, heterosexist, classist, threatening or other oppressive behaviors. We as a community are committed to recognizing, confronting and eliminating social constructs that harm us and all life. This is a safe space for all people. Please share respect for all life. What to Bring Come prepared to camp in the rugged mountains of southwest Oregon. Be prepared for all weather, including intense sun, cold rain and possibly even snow. Come knowing that this is bear, mountain lion and tick habitat and that the Kalmiopsis is an easy place to get lost. Bring a tent and tarp, flashlight, sturdy boots, warm clothes, musical instruments, food, utensils, bowl and cup, lots of water or a water filter. There are a couple of things NOT to bring. Weapons and hard drugs are not welcome. Dogs will not be allowed at the gathering due to the sensitivity of the fire recovery area. If you are traveling with a dog, plan on camping outside the burn and away from the main gathering, leaving your dog at your remote campsite while you are in the burn. Directions From I-5 North or South Take the Merlin exit (just north of Grants Pass). Go west through Merlin 14 miles on the Merlin-Galice road, crossing the Rogue River at Hellgate Canyon and past Indian Mary State Park, and turn left on FS Road 25/Taylor Creek Road. Go approximately 13.5 miles to the Sam Brown campground and Horse Camp, and turn right on FS Road 2512 (please drive carefully, this road is steep, narrow and winding). Continue on FS Road 2512 for about 9.3 miles, past the juncture of the Chrome Ridge Road/FS 2405, to Flat Top. At the three way intersection, take a left onto FS 675 and proceed uphill about 1.2 miles to the York Butte trailhead/Welcoming Table! Check in, drop off, and continue approximately 0.5 miles downhill to the large parking lot. From Hwy 199 North of Selma, turn west on FS 25 at the Hayes Hill Summit. Go approximately 20 miles to the Sam Brown campground and Horse Camp, and turn left on FS 2512 (please drive carefully, this road gets steep, narrow and winding). Continue on FS Road 2512 for about 9.3 miles, past the juncture of the Chrome Ridge Road/FS 2405, to Flat Top. At the three way intersection, take a left onto FS 675 and proceed uphill about 1.2 miles to the York Butte trailhead/Welcoming Table! Check in, drop off, and continue approximately 0.5 miles downhill to large parking lot. For more information, details, questions... Check out OR Contact MFD at nwregional@mazamaforestdefense.org OR 541.482.2640 e-mail:: nwregional@mazamaforestdefense.org Homepage:: |