Let's Go Camping! Jammin' During Solstice

This weekend, June 19-21, there will be a campout at the Jammin' Timber Sale in the Gifford Pinchot (east of Vancouver, Wash. about 60 miles). There will be hikes, nonviolence training, and strategy sessions to stop the logging that has been going on in Jammin'.

Last year forest activists successfully defended this sale but this year the numbers aren't there, so they're cutting the big trees down. Join other activists to plan actions to stop the cutting of this beautiful forest. Jammin' consist of over 10 million board feet of native old growth forest in the Little Huckleberry Mountain Roadless Area of the Little White Salmon River. This sale has three strikes against it; road building with tax subsidies, cutting forests in roadless areas on public land, and logging within riparian reserves. The corporate greed trifecta!

Earth First! Annual Rendezvous

From June 29 through July 6, Earth First! throws what will surely its biggest Round River Rendezvous to date. The site is at Twin Lakes Campground up the North Umpqua River, about 50 miles east of Roseburg, Oregon, and are bordered on the east and south by the forest and streams of Copeland Creek--several square miles of fat southern Cascadian native woodland.

The Earth First! RRR is an annual, national, communal gathering; everyone is encouraged to pitch in. During the RRR, in addition to hanging out with radical environmental activists from all over, you can help by hauling water, gathering firewood, digging shitters, taking a turn at security (mandatory for vehicle owners), or welcoming newcomers. Please contact the RRR committee if you have medical training. Plan to help rehabilitate the site after the RRR is over.

The cost for this year's rendezvous is $25. The money goes towards expenses incurred hosting this year's event, seed money for next year's RRR, and the Winter Organizer's Conference. For the youngsters, there will be kid's workshops and cooperative childcare.

EF!ers also intend to create an interregional kitchen space that is at once spontaneous and planned, gourmet yet unpretentious, fun yet hard work, and like nothing that has come before. Contact Feral at 541-687-8064 or John at 206-632-1656 if you want to be a part of this vision (donations of equipment, food, spices, supplies, etc. needed).

Eight miles from the RRR site is the North Umpqua River, one of the finest day-trip whitewater floats in all of Cascadia. The crystalline waters, ancient forests, and exciting rapids make this a trip not to miss. The RRR committee (which includes some Stump Talk folks) is organizing floats throughout the week of the rendezvous. We'll even provide the gear. The tentative plan is to do two types of trips: the lowbagger special, where we will ask for donations to cover costs ($5-l0/person), and sliding-scale benefit trips, the proceeds of which will go to the campaign of your choice. Demand will outstrip the capacity to get people on the river, so get a crew together early and reserve a slot. If you own a boat or have guide training, consider joining up. For more info call Craig at 541-741-9193.

Bring food (bulk donations appreciated), a blank t-shirt (to be screened on site), whitewater gear, musical instruments, sun protection, raingear, tarps, insect repellent, first aid supplies, large water containers, buckets, water filter, compass, cooking and eating utensils, cookstove, birth and disease control, workshop ideas and materials, backpack (you'll be hiking a few klicks), TP, and all other personal necessities. You can help post-rendezvous actions by bringing twine, rope, duct tape, tools (picks, shovels, pry bars, come-a-longs, monkeywrenches), pack food, banner-making supplies, costumes, radios, locks, chains, lockboxes, video and still cameras (for the action only).

Don't bring a round trip ticket (we want you to stay all summer), bad attitudes, biological, chemical, or undercover agents, firearms, explosives, dangerous or low quality drugs, or anything YOU are not prepared to pack out. Dogs are great, but do not bring your dog. They fight with each other, crap all over, snap at people, steal food, bark at night, and generally disrupt goings-on--usually with little restraint or even awareness by the humans "responsible" for them. Also, the bears, cougars, and other locals would rather not have to deal with your pet. Dogs that are at the RRR must be leashed, penned, or closely supervised.

The weather should be hot and dry, but the operative word is should. Early Cascadian Summer selects against those who don't bring wet weather gear and SPF 30. The lakes are at about 5000', so poison oak isn't a problem, however, down the hill it becomes one. There are a few springs nearby for good drinking water and a few rattlesnakes and mosquitoes to help you drink from them.

Stump Talk is put out every other week by a few ecofreaks. If you want to help out or for more info contact NW Forest Action Group, 206-632-1656, email can@scn.org.