RE: The Gap and logging

Gregg Foster (inc@northcoast.com)
Thu, 7 Jan 1999 09:17:54 -0800

Actually, the property is in Northern California. Environmental activists
in this region are not united behind the call for a boycott. The Fishers
bought the property from L-P not that long ago, about a year ago, I think.
They might be clearcutting, I don't know. The lands were mostly second
growth, harvested by L-P. I do not know if there is much old-growth left.
I am concerned that going to a boycott is to drastic a step, too soon.
Some in the environmental community feel that the Fishers are well-meaning
but need time to transition the company. Let's not rush to judgement.
Let's not forget, also, that it is rumored that Pacific Lumber or Sierra
Pacific would be happy to buy the property from the Fishers.

Gregg Foster, Coordinator
Institute of the North Coast
A program of the Humboldt Area Foundation
P.O. Box 99
Bayside, CA 95524
707-442-2993
707-442-9072 (fax)
inc@northcoast.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Katharine Bennett [SMTP:katbennett@usa.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 07, 1999 6:48 AM
To: greenyes@earthsystems.org
Subject: Re: The Gap and logging

Stephen,

No hoax. What your daughter is referring to is a boycot of The Gap that was
organizied just this past November. The company's owners inherited a
sizable forest in Louisiana and has been systematically removing it by
clear-cut. I believe Sierra Club endorsed the action, as did many other
environmental groups.

Here's an excerpt from the EcoTrust Circuit Rider Dispatch on the action
from last November:

"At stake is the management of nearly a quarter of a million acres of prime
timberland bought by an investment partnership led by the Fisher family,
founders of The Gap chain of clothing stores. Angered that the Fishers and
their partners have been slow to change the forest practices they inherited
from Louisiana-Pacific, activists are calling for a nationwide boycott of
The Gap and plan to picket Gap stores on the day after Thanksgiving."

But let's not single out The Gap! Home Depot made a public promise in 1992
to phase out all unsustainably harvested old growth wood products from its
stores. Today, Home Depot remains the largest retailer of old growth
tropical hardwood products. They broke their promise... sound familiar? (I
refer to the Coke Action!) Home Depot's broken promise has farther
reaching environmental impacts that Coke's failure to use recycled PET. Add
on top of that the fact that in 1997 Home Depot paid out $87.5 million to
settle a gender discrimination law suit filed by 25,000 female employees in
ten western states. You read those zeros correctly... 25 THOUSAND women
sued them for widespread discrimination in hiring, pay and promotions. Not
a very good corporate citizen either!

The point is that these large corporations are not behaving has good
citizens of this planet and they need to be made accountable for it. Laws
don't do it, so the onus falls on the consumers to launch boycots and other
actions. Be proud that your Second Grader is already learning how to hold a
business accountable for its actions.

Kat Bennett
Longmont, CO

<<Hello,
My second grade daughter came home today and told us that we are not to
buy clothes at The GAP anymore because "They are cutting down the Redwood
Forests."

Have I missed a movement, or is my daughter the victim of a hoax?
Anyone know?

Thanks,
Stephen Suess>>

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