PAGE 9
NORTH COAST TIMES EAGLE, OCTEMBER 2001
LIMB IN COD’S VALLEY
With Tree Sitters established in the three remaining
areas yet to be cut, commitment was building and awareness
was being raised with bits and pieces of media attention A fund
raiser event followed not long after at the Nehalem Bay Winery
to support the Tree Sit. I was trying to line up a small group of
kids, along with a reporter from the Daily Astorian, to share an
educational experience in the forest, hoisting themselves up into
the trees of God's Valley. Unfortunately, the events that followed
in the next few weeks put all except the continued tree cut on
hold.
Then came September 11, with national grieving and all
media attention focused on the impending worldwide war against
terrorism. This and all other emotions have altered our collective
consciousness, putting us in a pattern of fight or flight, and as
everyday life and business continue there is a prevailing psychic
numbness that tries to contain our human spirit. As we look for
leadership and that which seems most familiar, it seems easiest
to ignore reality and in busyness continue the usual The econo
mics of the forest are unhampered by national tragedy and ODF
stands strong, while backed by the forces of patriarchal duty that
enforce what they believe to be economic law and order The
elder trees continued to fall.
Logging of the second area in God’s Valley began on
Wednesday, October 3. On Thursday another call came into the
Community Store, this time from KMUN. A woman had called
the station from the forest of God's Valley desperately trying to
let people know what was coming down. Matthew ‘Ridge’ Hill
free-climbed a tree in the darkness of the night before and was
attempting to stop further logging in Area 2 of God’s Valley.
Three women were arrested that Thursday while attempting to
document the confrontation between ‘Ridge’ and the true
outlaws of the forest. Tom Hood from KMUN and myself were
seemingly in charge of sounding the forest action alert alarms
on the north coast of the county. All was on standby By Friday a
state of emergency was coming down among activists as media
attention shifted from the outcome of September 11 to God’s
Valley. Receiving a call from Cascade Forest Alliance, all were
informed of a direct action 'On The Line’ plan for Saturday noon.
The alert went out over the airways once again and bulletins
were posted
My emotions were mounting, feeling a part of what I
believe to be a collective psychic alignment between the trees
that held and surrounded ‘Ridge’ and all those involved. I was
obligated to my daughter Cedar, the responsibilities of the
Community Store, my community, and the forest of God's
Valley. I can truly say it was an awesome time sequence of
events.
Friday afternoon I found myself sharing as a chaperone
with dbout 50 Astor School 3rd graders on a field trip to the local
Cathedral Forest. It seemed incredibly profound to witness so
many children of our community and observing their view of the
forest and the ancient trees that stood before them in light of
what was happening in God’s Valley.
The collective connection continued Friday night. Little
did I sleep feeling the torture the humbly committed man named
‘Ridge’ must have been experiencing. No food, no water, no
shelter, 40 degree temperatures, dehydrated and approaching
hypothermia while perched out on a limb 80 feet in the air. I can
truly say it was a dreadful night.
Saturday morning I had to open the Community Store.
I made arrangements to leave by 10 am, my conscience heavy
with the plight of Ridge’ and the trees of God's Valley. Tom
Hood, my daughter Cedar and I packed up food and gear and
headed south for God’s Valley. This was serious and we knew
it. We talked of the priority to bring ‘Ridge’ down to safety.
Arriving on the site, we saw that 50 or so people had
already gathered. We had all arrived to discover that Matthew
‘Ridge’ Hill had fallen to the forest floor at around 2 a m. after
48 grueling hours up in the trees He was in critical condition at
Emanuel Hospital in Portland with a broken pelvis, collarbone
and shoulder, a collapsed lung and brain hemorrhage It was
beyond belief — how could this have happened? It was so
shocking after two days of emotional buildup up that when I saw
Clatsop County Sheriff John Raichl and his deputies the words
that came to my soul must have resonated across God's Valley
My daughter Cedar stood by my side and I am sad to say that I
was so angry that I frightened her. It was as if I could feel Ridge’
fall. I couldn’t bear the pain — and they were responsible
This never should have happened. He should have been
given a safety harness and netting should have been set up to
catch him He was committed to his convictions and after so
many hours under such conditions it seemed obvious that he
had entered a state of medical emergency. Our Clatsop County
Sheriff Raichl is responsible for what happened to this young
man. I believe Raichl and the ODF should be held accountable
and liable for what has happened, and hopefully justice will
prevail.
‘ The American Peace Test' by Debora Seymour.
NOTE. April&May 1988
One by one they were loaded as we cheered in solidarity
to stand behind and witness their mass action of nonviolent civil
disobedience. When the van was loaded with all 16 they were
able to shift their weight in unison enough to rock it back and
forth. We shouted in appreciation, peering past the police and
sheriffs who stood in line in front of us I held Cedar and Eva
tight as we sat on the ground in the very front of our line, and
they witnessed it all Both girls were afraid Eva's dad or I might
cross the line but also joined the group’s voice in cheers and
chants
It is my conviction that Cedar’s future well-being is
rooted in her consciousness of witnessing this action while being
held tightly in her mother’s arms. She will stand strong with the
trees throughout her life I know this as only a mother can and
knowing this I am grateful.
Not all that was said that day was in good grace. I felt
some voices young and angry, lacking experience. I recall
thinking of myself as a young elder and wondering where were
the Tree Musketeers of old Many of these folks needed more
support and guidance from those with experience in the graces
of nonviolent civil disobedience. I recalled in memory gray
haired older women locking arms with me and crossing the
line with a thousand others at the Nevada nuclear test site
many years ago.* I am still wondering where have all the elder
activists gone?
Near the end of our action a young woman asked if
it were not possible for both sides to reach out toward one
another. We all put forward a hand, looking for some kind of
resolve. I felt that same desire in some of the faces in front of
me, as stone cold as they seemed, and could almost believe
that calm passion might prevail over arrogance someday. It was
hard to turn around and walk away from what came down that
day, and two weeks later as I am writing this story I can’t help
but still feel how Ridge' felt when he landed at the base of the
tree he held to after 48 hours, 80 feet up in the forest air.
A call came into the Community Store on the following
Monday. The 16 people arrested at the Acey Line and the three
women taken into custody three days earlier would all be
arraigned at 4:30 p.m. in the Clatsop County Courthouse. I
praise KMUN for having kept us informed once again Many
people showed in court to give support,
It was difficult to watch the long line of dirt worshippers
clank into the courtroom in shackles. The feelings of injustice
prevailed as the corrections release officer (I want to call her the
coldhearted unhappy painted lady) ran a hard line against this
group of forest activists, her long red painted fingernails tapping
on the desk as she expressed that she was tired of processing
all the Jane & John Does that day. Her final words to the court
were in objection to releasing the three Jane Does even though
it was obvious by running their fingerprints they had no previous
‘criminal’ records. This meant a possibility of 36 hours before
they could be released. The courtroom hissed under breath after
this obvious abuse of power. I believe Carol Newman's final
words to her and the energy she received from all as she turned
to face the courtroom guests broke her spirit of arrogance
momentarily because in the end all the prisoners were released.
ROXANA VILLA
We gathered as a collective group of about 75 strong,
sharing the pain of Matthew Ridge’ Hill, sharing the grief of
losing our forest elders that he was so badly hurt attempting to
save, sharing the tragedy of planetary destruction for the sake
of economic greed and arrogance Together we walked up the
steep road to the Acey Line cut (by Christian Futures'), stopping
twice to share in solidarity the plan for nonviolent civil disobedi
ence. In the beginning only a few had committed themselves to
crossing the line but the collective consciousness grew as we
climbed the gravel road covering the forest floor. On our last
stop before the line, bread was broken for a makeshift last meal.
Cedar’s turtle blanket served as a table with Home Spirit Bread,
seaweed, rice crackers, sliced apples, dried nectarines, a few
nuts and water. The committed nibbled quietly together as
statements were made as to the wisdom and strategy for the
action before them Sixteen people stood firm that this was their
only means of change; it was almost as if the survival of all was
on the line
I walked up toward the line with Cedar and her young
friend Eva. County sheriffs and state police formed a solid line
wearing bulletproof vests. Drums began to beat behind us as
75 ‘tree hugging dirt worshippers’ roared in solidarity. 16 men
and women locked arms and crossed the line for the trees, for
Matthew Ridge' Hall; for all! They were then thrown to the
ground by police and sheriffs in a huddle of locked arms until
forced face-down on the forest floor and handcuffed behind their
backs The line of support that stayed behind roared with shouts
of “SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON YOU!’’
The iron-faced line of force stood stone cold, separating us as
each prisoner was dragged to a circle before being loaded into
a van
In the last of this writing I can express that I am in true
regard for all that has come down from my experiences in God’s
Valley. To all those who have said that the action taken by
Matthew 'Ridge' Hill (aka Michael Scarpitti) and the 19 arrested
along with him --- he is a prisoner in the hospital — were foolish,
it seems to me that it is past time for you to get down with the
elements and get naked with the trees. It is high time you too
stood out on the limb and experienced true humility. I say you
have forgotten your Mother and she calls to you to remember
the womb that nurtures you. Remember!
Let us stand behind the people who continue to sit in
the trees, even as the cold autumn nights turn into blustery cold
winter storms. It could not be a pleasant experience to be 75 to
150 in the air on a platform under these conditions May the
story of Julia Luna' Butterfly, the woman who spent two years
of her young life living this way to save the last of our ancient
forests, help us to understand the wisdom of our one-legged
elders and our own foolishness attempting to destroy them
May this kind of tree hugging dirt worshipping foolishness
prevail.
Please let us not forget that God's Valley elders will
continue to fall and the risk of losing all the other Big Trees
in this country continues. We must not let the injustice and
degradation to our local and global environment continue.
Debora Seymour is a longtime Clatsop County peace
activist and organic gardener who spends her time exploring the
concepts of direct action bioregional sustainability. She is raising
her 8 year old daughter Cedar as a single mother and says that
“all contributions toward that effort’’ by the North Coast commun
ity "are appreciated from violin to piano, swimming lessons to
literature that support a Waldorf Educational Foundation, may
the gifts of Cedar's potential unfold from your own graces."
TONY S TAVERN
1313 MARINE DR., ASTORIA
(503) 325-5069
325-9722*1052 COMMERCIAL* ASTORIA 97103
Specializing in Forest Inventory
& Reforestation
StraightUp Gallery
PHILLIP KEIM
Forestry Technician
Opening receptions every First Friday
Downtown
Currently seeking artists and musicians
of all genres for performance and installations.
Office (503) 325-2690 • Cell (503) 338-9691
1505 Irving Avenue • Astoria, Oregon 97103-3721
straightup(a tnac.com www.straightup.tv
1213 Franklin Ave Astoria. OR (503) 33H-7318
3 3 2 1 O th • A storia , O regon 9 7 10 3