NUXALK AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ENTER DAY FIVE OF RAINFOREST BLOCKADE AS COURT RECONVENES

NUXALK AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ENTER DAY FIVE OF RAINFOREST BLOCKADE AS COURT RECONVENES
Battle to Protect Ancient Rainforests Moves to the U.S. Market
VANCOUVER - 10 June 1997
The blockade to protect intact valleys on King Island in the Great Bear Rainforest moves into its fifth day this morning as the British Columbia Supreme Court reconvenes this morning to consider a request from Interfor for an injunction to stop the protest. The court adjourned yesterday afternoon after the judge initially assigned to the hearing withdrew from the case due to a conflict of interest.
Meanwhile members from the Nuxalk Nation, Greenpeace, Forest Action Network, Bear Watch and PATH continue to stop all logging activity in the area by blocking the only logging road. Ista, the rainforest valley where the blockade is taking place is sacred to the Nuxhalk Nation.
"In our past the Nuxalk people cut trees in these forests to build our homes, our totem poles and our masks. In our language there has never been a word for clearcut," said Head Hereditary Chief Lawrence Pootlass who is attending the injunction hearing in Vancouver.
The situation on King Island and throughout the other intact valleys of the Great Bear Rainforests became even more urgent yesterday as Forest Minister David Zirnhelt announced major changes to British Columbia's Forest Practices Code. The changes allow the industry to increase the efficiency, and therefore the speed, at which they clearcut the province's forests, without the introduction of equivalent measures to protect wildlife or biodiversity.
"This government is showing an incredible lack of vision by assuming we can only create jobs at the expense of the environment," said Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Tzeporah Berman.
In another development, the Clayoquot Rainforest Coalition has sent a mailing to 5000 U.S. pulp, paper and lumber buyers asking them to turn away from B.C. suppliers because of growing concerns they may be buying wood products from B.C.'s ancient rainforests. (1) National Geographic and Home Depot are companies that have already indicated they will not buy old-growth forest products.
The appeal is the first step in an international campaign to redirect U.S. markets away from old-growth forests. The CRC, which includes hundreds of groups in the U.S. led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Chief Lawrence Pootlass: 604-313-0159 at the Supreme Court;
Tzeporah Berman: 604-220-7701
Mary MacNutt: 604-253-7701
Editors Note:
(1) Copy of sample letter available upon request.