Save the Sierra Campaign Kicks Off with Friday the 13th Demonstration

San Francisco – ForestEthics launched a new campaign on Friday the 13th by re-enacting a real life horror story: the destruction of the forests of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains by Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI). “Sierra Chainsaw Massacre” demonstrations, featuring chainsaw-wielding activists in hockey masks, were held across California, coinciding with the launch of a new campaign site, www.savethesierra.org.

SPI is the largest private landowner in the Sierra Nevada--and the single greatest destroyer of its forests. They’ve clearcut hundreds of thousands of acres of both public and private land, and they have plans to clearcut over a million more--an area eight times the size of Lake Tahoe.

 “Destroying forests isn’t good for people, businesses, or the environment,” said Casey Harrell, Director of ForestEthics’ Sierra Campaign. “Even though sustainable logging approaches exist, SPI is recklessly clearcutting the forests of the Sierra Nevada, single-handedly ruining one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.”

Despite sustainable logging alternatives, SPI persists in the practice of clearcutting, which releases tons of pesticides and chemicals into the land and water, increases fire risk, and destroys valuable wildlife habitat--and they’re receiving taxpayer dollars to do it. To date, SPI has received tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. In all likelihood, SPI considers their tax breaks to be a return on their investment--they’ve contributed millions of dollars to federal, state and local politicians.

“ForestEthics and grassroots activists have repeatedly demonstrated that they won’t stand for this kind of forest destruction. We’ve convinced major corporations, including Staples, Office Depot and Victoria’s Secret, to take steps to protect Endangered Forests from logging,” said Liz Butler of ForestEthics. “We’re now approaching major companies that sell SPI products to let them know the role the company is playing in destroying one of our country’s most important places: the Sierra Nevada Mountains.”

California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains are both a world-renowned tourist destination and an essential natural resource. Encompassing the second largest continuous wilderness area in the lower 48 states, the Sierra Nevada is home to some of the biggest and fastest growing trees in the world--which means that it plays a vital role in absorbing pollution that leads to global warming. 40-50 million people flock to the Sierra every year for its stunning beauty and for recreational opportunities. The Sierra also provides 60% of California’s drinking water and is home to half of all the plants and animals found in the state.

ForestEthics, a California-based nonprofit, has protected seven million acres of Endangered Forests from logging--largely by convincing major corporations to demand sustainable practices from destructive logging companies. ForestEthics is demanding that SPI:

• Identify and protect Endangered Forests within all of their logging tenure, including the Sierra Nevada
• Stop clearcut-style logging
• Get Forest Stewardship Council certification, the only credible standard for sustainable logging.
  

To learn more about SPI’s destructive practices, the forests of the Sierra Nevada, and the ForestEthics campaign, visit www.SavetheSierra.org.

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