Members and supporters of the Karuk Tribe of California erected a blockade on Wednesday in protest of a logging project that they say is harming sacred sites.

The U.S. Forest Service approved a contract with a logging company to clear trees from the Six Rivers National Forest. Tribal members raised concerns about the project's impact on spiritual trails but they said the agency reneged on promises not to remove big trees and use heavy logging equipment.

"We are shocked that the Forest Service thinks that it can get away with lying to our community. We want fuels reduction, but we will not accept the destruction of Karuk sacred sites or a timber sale disguised as a fuels reduction plan," Annelia Hillman, a tribal member, said in a press release.

The supervisor for the forest said the agency wants to address tribal concerns. "This was just an oversight," Tyrone Kelley told the Associated Press. "When the tribe brought it to our attention the first week of logging, we started working with the tribe to mitigate impacts."

Get the Story:
Karuk activists block logging road (The Eureka Times-Standard 12/17)
Karuk Tribe blockades logging on ceremonial site (AP 12/16)
Press Release: Klamath Justice Coalition Halts Logging on Karuk Sacred Sites (Klamath Justice Coalition 12/16)