Police v.s. Greenpeace Activists in Swedish Forest

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

POLICE AGAINST GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS IN SWEDISH FOREST

February 3, 1998 - At 6.00 this morning local time Greenpeace
activists in the forest of Svartedalen, Sweden were surrounded
by a large police force. The activists have held watch to
protect this area of old forest since 15 September last year.
Harvesters are expected at any minute and some of the activists
are still out in the forest, ready to protect it.

- We are prepared for a sustained action, says Ellika
Hermansson, Greenpeace campaigner at Svartedalen. We will not
let them destroy one of the last old forests in this part of
Sweden.

The area in question was sold by Swedish forest company
AssiDoman in July last year. The new landowner immediately
handed in an application to log all the old forest. AssiDoman is
one of the first forest companies in the world to have their
timber eco-certified according to the newly established FSC
standards. Greenpeace has accused AssiDoman for getting around
certification demands of no logging in old forests, by selling
off sensitive land.

Only two weeks ago, AssiDoman gave in for the pressure and
offered to buy back the land. At that time both AssiDoman and
the Swedish Forestry Agency declared the area had so unique
ecological values it should be protected. One week later
negotiations between AssiDoman and the new land owner broke down
over financial disagreement.

This is so typical for Swedish forest politics, says Ellika
Hermansson. All involved agree this forest must be protected but
no-one is prepared to take the costs. In the end it is the
responsibility of the government to make sure biodiversity is
protected. This forest would have been logged months ago hadn't
Greenpeace been here, and now we are only minutes from
destruction.

For more information please contact:

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org

updated information (in Swedish) can be found at:
http://www.greenpeace.se