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This video was shot on August 6, 2004 in Scotia, California.

My friend Gregory and I went back up to the redwoods last Friday to document the horrors we had seen the week before. To us, these tree carcasses provide a shining symbol of our own demise. The beginning of the end, if you will. Humans in the future will look back at this time period and wonder how we could have been so careless and stupid. These trees help keep us and the whole planet alive.

Here is a short video we have created to illustrate what's going on up there, and, specifically, what we saw two weeks ago that set us on such a rampage to try to save this forest:

Pacific Coast Lumber's Scotia Redwood Slaughter
(Small - 7 MB) (Music is "War Again" from the Variable Unit album Handbook for the Apocalypse.)

Remember! As of this moment, there is something you can do. Please, wherever you are in the world, write a letter (I've provided text and word files) to the Appropriations Committee supporting SB 754, The California Heritage Tree Preservation Act. The vote is taking place this Wednesday, August 11th.

Here are some stills of what's in the video. Please send off letters to Judy Chu today. I'm going to figure out who else is on the Appropriations Committee so we can all send them letters too.

Here's the letter (Text and Word docs of it available here).

August 9, 2004

The Honorable Judy Chu
FAX# 916-319-2149
Email: william.wong@asm.ca.gov

RE: SB 754 - SUPPORT

Dear Assembly Member Chu and Members of the Appropriations Committee,

I urge your support of SB 754, the Heritage Tree Preservation Act. This bill
has been carefully written to protect some of California's largest and oldest
trees while minimizing impacts to landowners, jobs and state revenues. The
bill minimizes and offsets costs and it preserves revenues to the state from
tourism, recreation and fisheries.

Less than one percent of California's old-growth trees remain standing on
non-federal forestland. SB 754 will protect these trees and the ecological
and economic benefits they bring to our state. Millions of tourists flock
to California's forests each year to witness these towering giants with their
own eyes. The trees protected by this bill are among the oldest, tallest, and
largest living things on earth.

Please approve SB 754 and help us preserve California's ancient trees for
future generations.

Sincerely,

Your name and address here