The new "Wake up WeyerHouse" is up and running--essentially five hardnosed volunteers rousing the rabble against Weyerhaeuser for the next 8 weeks or so in Seattle.

Among other things, the group is spreading the word about Weyerhaeuser's annual meeting of Shareholders on April 21.

Be sure to pay 'em a visit and keep up on what the team is up to on their blog.

THIS JUST IN...

Interesting follow up from the BlueLinx press conference today. On the call were reporters with Paperloop.com, American Banker and the Associated Press .

Also on the call was a guy named Ben Stevens--claiming to be a freelance reporter for CNN. Suspiciously, Mr. Stevens hung up part way through the call--just before one Mark Palmer, Director of Marketing at the North American Wholesale Lumber Association hopped on.

Now, a little digging will tell you that Ben Stevens actually works for NAWLA not CNN. So, the top PR hack for NAWLA--one of the most powerfull timber industry lobbies in the world--lied. Drop Ben an email just to say hello at bstephens@lumber.org or contact him at

North American Wholesale Lumber Association
3601 Algonquin Road, Suite 400
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Telephone (847) 870-7470 x34
Facsimile (847) 870-0201

Not So Fast
Those following developments on the coast of British Columbia should check out an interesting take on the proposed sale of Weyerhaeuser's timberlands to Brascan from Dogwood Will Horter at Dogwood Initiative. Among other things, Horter speculates that legal challenges being mounted by B.C. First Nations may prevent the deal.

Back in the Saddle

After a long hiatus, I'm back in the Blogging saddle--hereby vowing to continue with breaking news and dug-dirt from the dark corners of corporate America... So without further ado:

Investigation Finds “IMD” In Indonesia
JP Morgan Chase and BlueLinx linked to illegal logging of endangered forests and resulting humanitarian crisis.

- DirtyMoney.org publishes “investment of mass destruction” case study linking JP Morgan Chase and BlueLinx to illegal timber trafficking.

- Conservation community calls on megabank and timber trader to comply with voluntary embargo of Indonesian wood.

- Illegal loggers called “terrorists” by Indonesian government as unlawful clear-cuts cause humanitarian crisis.

- Yale study calls for “immediate transnational management.”


San Francisco – Investigations by Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network have confirmed that JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) client BlueLinx (NYSE: BXC), America’s largest building products distributor, is smuggling legally disputed, undocumented timber out of Indonesia’s critically endangered rainforests and flooding the U.S. marketplace with artificially cheap lauan plywood. The conservation community is calling on JP Morgan Chase and BlueLinx to immediately comply with a voluntary corporate embargo of Indonesian forest products already in place at Centex Corporation (NYSE: CTX), International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Lanoga Corporation.

Details of the investigation will be released in a telephone press conference.

PRESS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
Professor Lisa Curran, Ph.D., director, Tropical Resources Institute, Yale University
Pamela Wellner, senior campaigner, Greenpeace
Allan Thornton, president, Environmental Investigation Agency
Brant Olson, director, Old Growth Campaign, Rainforest Action Network
Ilyse Hogue, director, Global Finance Campaign, Rainforest Action Network

WHAT
Telephone press conference releasing research linking JP Morgan Chase investment and BlueLinx initial public offering to illegal logging and resulting humanitarian crisis in Indonesia

WHEN
11:00 a.m. (Pacific) / 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Thursday, February 24, 2005


The complete case study and news release will be made available on DirtyMoney.org at 9:00 a.m on Thursday, February 24, two hours before the press conference.

Support the people of Haida Gwaii

Yet another controversy is brewing around Weyerhaeuser--this time on the islands of Haida Gwaii where members of the Haida Nation are fighting for their cultural heritage.

The Haida want access to detailed information Weyerhaeuser holds about the old growth cedar trees that have been a central part of Haida culture for generations. Weyerhaeuser wants to log more old growth.

Click the link below to send a letter to Weyerhaeuser CEO Steve Rogel demanding that the company protect endangered forests and turn over information about Haida Gwaii's last remaining old growth cedars to the Haida people.

CLICK HERE

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada decided in late November on a case that the Haida Nation launched to protect the ancient old-growth forests of Haida Gwaii. The Court held in favor of the Haida, holding that the Province has a legal duty to consult with the Haida about timber harvesting in Weyerhaeuser's Tree Farm.

In the Haida case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Government of British Columbia must consult with the Haida Nation and accommodate their interests when renewing the tree farm license issued in an area claimed by them as aboriginal title lands.

The Court affirmed that, "In all its dealings with Aboriginal peoples, from the assertion of sovereignty to the resolution of claims and the implementation of treaties, the Crown must act honourably." "The Court has held that the Crown has a duty of honour, and now it will be our duty to hold them to that obligation," says Guujaaw. "This is the best chance for the well-being and sustainability of the land."

Rather than see the writing on the wall, Weyerhaeuser is witholding mapping information about old growth cedar requested by the Haida for analysis and planning to ensure that the ecological and cultural benefits of cedar are sustained for present and future generations.

Please click the link below to demand that Weyerhaeuser respect the cultural needs of the Haida Naiton.

CLICK HERE