Tree-Sitter Protests Logging in Washington’s Olympic Foothills
A tree-sitter has been protesting a Washington Department of Natural Resources timber sale in the Elwha River watershed for over two weeks, refusing to descend from their 80-foot perch. A judge denied an injunction to halt the sale, intended to fund public schools, despite concerns from environmental advocates about the logging’s impact on a rare ecosystem and recent river restoration efforts. The tree-sitter’s elaborate rigging system poses safety concerns, and the Earth Law Center is appealing the sale and seeking additional records from the DNR. The DNR maintains that no old-growth trees are involved and that its logging policies comply with state regulations.
John Q. Hosedrinker