Union Mills, Rutherford County, NC— Activists from all over the southeast physically stopped the destruction of the southern Appalachian forests this morning in a nonviolent action, completely shutting down Willamette's newly opened chip mill. The entrance of the mill was blockaded with 5 protesters chained together and 4 others have occupied the crane and dropped a 25' banner reading, "Willamette Destroys Rivers, Forests, and Jobs," while dangling 30 feet in the air. Katuah Earth First! and EarthCulture have been warning Willamette for years that such action would take place if the corporation did not increase its use of recycled materials and stop logging our National Forests. The activists remained in place for nearly seven hours and were pryed from their positions around 12:30 PM.

The ten people arrested (including one support person not locked to anything) were charged with 2nd degree criminal trespass and resisting and obstructing a police officer. Bail has been set at $2,000 per person and the activists will at least spend tonight in jail.

Chip mills grind up trees into quarter-sized chips for paper and particle board, and in the process, destroy 1.2 million acres of southeastern forests. There has been a dramatic shift in the wood products industry from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast in the past 10-15 years, as is evidenced by the Oregon-based Willamette's new southeastern headquarters in Fort Mill, SC, which was the target of a protest last October. Since 1985, 108 of the 140 chip mills in operation in the Southeast have opened. Increased clearcutting promotes wildlife fragmentation and loss of biodiversity, erosion, siltation, and poor water quality, and unsustainable jobs.

The construction of this mill was particularly controversial because of the overwhelming opposition in Rutherford County and throughout the region. It was eventually opened last August, and it, along with a new mill in Missouri will feed chips to an expanded Willamette paper mill in Hawesville, KY which makes 100% virgin fiber cardboard. Both of these chip mills only use hardwood trees. Forests are clearcut in a 60-100 mile radius for each chip mill. The Pisgah, Nantahala, Cherokee, and Sumter National Forests lie within the sourcing area for the mill at Union Mills.

"We are willing to sacrifice our freedom to defend the Southern Appalachian forests" says Katuah Earth First!'s Ed Stein who blockaded the gate and remains in jail. "We have done similar actions in this region, but we will continue to do many more until the paper industry stops using virgin fiber."

"Our southern Appalachian forests are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in North America, but we're destroying them for junk mail, toilet paper, and grocery bags," says EarthCulture's Rick Spencer. "Over 100 forest-dwelling species are driven to extinction every single day and paper plates aren't worth it. We must reduce our consumption of all wood products and use recycled and agricultural residue products like wheat and rice straw when paper is necessary." ###