Rainforest Protection Issues: Ocean City, New Jersey Cancels Order for Rainforest Destruction to Fix Their Boardwalk

Victory for those working to end ancient rainforest logging, and a defeat for supporters of forest certification greenwashing, as an important precedent is set

January 18, 2008
By Ecological Internet, Contact: Dr. Glen Barry , glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

(Ocean City, New Jersey) -- The city council of Ocean City voted last night 6-0 to cancel a $1.1 million purchase of ipê timber originating in ancient rainforests. The timber was to be used to patch a one block stretch of Atlantic boardwalk. The purchase provoked outrage as it went against a ten-year old pledge by the council to not use rainforest timbers.

The mayor and others argued Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensured sustainability. Estimates are over 60% of FSC timber comes from first time logging of ancient forests, with claims only it is "well-managed". Such misleading statements setup a showdown with local group "Friends of the Rain Forest" and led them to a year of protest with support from Ecological Internet (EI) and others.

"EI's network sent over 100,000 protest emails from 80 countries highlighting the ecological truth that maintaining intact primary rainforests is a requirement to address climate change and achieve global ecological sustainability," explains Dr. Glen Barry. "The message is getting through -- to survive rainforest logging must end, with compensation to local peoples, and remaining rainforests protected and allowed to expand."

In recent weeks EI has significantly participated in rainforest victories from New York, to Papua New Guinea, and now New Jersey -- working successfully to end the evil of ancient rainforest logging. Dr. Barry notes "it is disappointing that Rainforest Alliance, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, WWF and other FSC supporters -- despite being targeted by this campaign -- were either on the other side of this debate or chose not to comment. Their greenwashing of ancient forest logging must end."

###ENDS###

The original alert can be found at:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=jersey_boardwalk

Comments

Last night was dedicated by Freinds of the Rainforest to the memory of Sr. Dorothy Stang, Chico Mendes and all the nameless ones who have given their lives for justice to the rainforest and its people.

We are all just a link in the long chain of ordinary people who have taken a stand for truth and justice for our fellow human beings and the planet. It is a drop in the bucket. It could not have been done but for the help of every single person who made a phone call, sent an email or stood in protest outside Council Chambers over the last year and a day.

Thanks to the Ecological Internet international action almost 111,000 protest emails were sent from 80 coutnries; at one stage causing the crash of Ocean City computers. In the end City Council, in their infinite wisdom, voted 6-0 not to pay the lumber supplier since he had missed the deadline.

As Martin Luther King siad "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly".

Now, the city has to pass a binding ordinance that tropical hardwood will never be used on the boardwalk in Ocean City.
georgina shanley

Posted by: georgina shanley | January 18, 2008 10:06 AM

Good work on this, Glen!

Paul

Posted by: Paul | January 19, 2008 11:23 AM

Well done - take a bow - I am proud to call you a friend.

Posted by: Colin | January 19, 2008 12:14 PM

I AM SO EXCITED!!! THIS IS ONE WE WORKED ON THROUGH MY NEWSPAPER AND IT ARRIVED JUST IN TIME FOR ME TO ADD IT TO OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE!!!!!
THANK YOU, GLEN, FOR LEADING THE WAY!!!! My entire family lives in New Jersey and my front page story for February is aboaut the ocean rising as I experienced it in a June New Jersey swim. This is probably the happiest I've been with a win EVER!!!
Iona

Posted by: Iona Conner | January 19, 2008 12:14 PM

Dear Glen,

AWESOME! Congratulations and keep up your great --and honest --campaign
against greenwash of FSC and others!

Jessica Lawrence

Posted by: Jessica Lawrence | January 19, 2008 12:15 PM

In moderating comment spam I accidentally deleted some comments from this thread. My apologies.
g.b.

Posted by: Glen Barry | January 19, 2008 12:19 PM

The price of ancient forest timber will probably just drop.
Congratulations for the good work.
aubrey

Posted by: Aubrey | January 20, 2008 11:05 AM

That's brilliant, thanks for your great work!

Posted by: Linda Watson | January 21, 2008 5:29 AM

It's a success again! Great, it is working like this.