a walk in the woods

While I'm here, wallowing around with love and money stuff that seems incredibly petty, my friend Paz is out with Greenpeace in southern Oregon trying to stop the logging of the Klamath-Siskiyou region. These are BLM lands, public lands: 90% of the people polled said they should remain uncut, but the bulldozers are rolling. There are two weblogs maintained by Greenpeace that tell the story better than I: In the Forest and Stop the Sales. Go take a look: you can almost smell the fresh damp air, and there's video of the police breaking into the big 20' locked container Paz and his crew dropped in the middle of the road.

Better yet, if you have a few days to spare, you could go visit the Forest Rescue Station they've got set up. I talked to Paz a couple of times while this action was being planned, and each time he was glowing with excitement; he admitted to feeling sort of geeky about it, but they've got Army cots and big tents and infrastructure. The pictures on In the Forest give you an idea--a clean, orderly campsite, very organized. There's a regular schedule of hikes and talks; families and other groups are encouraged to come out.

I worry about Paz, but I'm incredibly proud of him. My friends all impress the hell out of me.