ECO GAME: SAVE THE FOREST

YOU ARE A NATURE LOVER. YOU LIVE IN THE CITY BECAUSE YOUR WORK REQUIRES YOU HERE AND YOU LOVE TO BE AROUND PEOPLE. ONE DAY YOU TAKE A WALK IN YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL FOREST AND YOU HEAR FROM A RANGER THERE IS A PLAN TO CUT DOWN SEVERAL THOUSAND TREES ON THE VERY NEXT CANYON AND FILL THE WHOLE AREA WITH TRASH, BECAUSE THE PRESENT DUMP, IN A CANYON JUST OVER THE HILL IS GETTING FULL. SO YOU HIKE THAT CANYON AND SEE A TREMENDOUS ARRAY O F OAKS, GIANT BLUE SPRUCE. A DEER AND HER FAWN SPOT YOU, FREEZE, THEN DART OFF INTO THE GREENERY. YOU FIND A TRICKLING STREAM, AND FERN GULLY, AND SEE MANY NATIVE WILDFLOWERS. ABOVE YOU SEE WHAT YOU THINK IS THE LARGEST BIRD YOU'VE EVER SEE. IT IS A GOLDEN EAGLE. AND YOU ARE SO CAPTIVATED BY THE HIKE YOU FORGET THE PLAN YOU HEARD FROM THE RANGER TO DESTROY ALL THE VEGETATION AND TURN IT INTO A LANDFILL. YOU LEAVE, WITH SOME SAGE FOR TEA LATER ON, AND A MIXED FEELING OF EMOTION. JOY FOR THE BEAUTY, SADNESS FOR THE POTENTIAL FATE OF ALL YOU SAW.

IN A FEW DAYS YOU REMEMBER THE SINGING STREAM, THE EAGLE, AND WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

FOR MANY DAYS YOU PUSH THIS OUT OF YOUR MIND. OTHER THOUGHTS TAKE OVER AND LIFE GOES ON. ONE DAY AS YOU TAKE OUT YOUR GARBAGE, YOU REALIZE, WHERE IS IT GOING? YOU RECYCLE IN THE YELLOW BINS SO YOU FEEL YOU CONTRIBUTE, BUT YOU REALIZE THE TRASH IS TO GO INTO THAT CANYON JUST OVER THE HILL FROM THE PARK, INTO THE PLACE YOU SAW ALL THAT BEAUTY.

YOU DRIVE TO WORK AND SEE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TRASH CANS FILLED ON THE STREETS. YOU SEE SIX, SEVEN EIGHT TRUCKS OF TRASH ROARING AROUND IN SPEEDING TIME. YOU GO TO WORK AND LOOK FOR A PLACE TO RECYCLE YOUR COFFEE CUP AND THERE IS NONE. YOU GO OUT TO LUNCH AND ORDER FAST FOOD AND PUT THE PACKAGING INTO ANOTHER TRASH BIN. YOU SEE THE PILE IN THE ADJACENT CANYON INCREASING IN SIZE. THE CITY IS GETTING BUSY AND LOUD. YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR DAY OFF IN THE FOREST, MOSTLY BECAUSE YOU NEED A RECHARGE... YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP.. YOU CALL UP YOUR COUNTY SUPERVISOR...THEY SAY WRITE A LETTER. YOU WRITE A LETTER. YOU START TO BECOME.....AN ECO WARRIOR..

YOU WONDER WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET A REPLY. YOU FIND OUT FORTUNATELY YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST ONE ON THIS BLOCK. IN FACT HUNDREDS OF CITIZENS HAVE TRIED TO STOP THIS DUMP. THEY'VE SIGNED PETITIONS, WROTE LETTERS, FORMED COALITIONS, MADE SPEECHES, CREATED EVENTS, AND BEEN IN THE NEWSPAPER. STILL, ALL THEIR TRASH GOES TO THE FOREST.

YOU FEEL BETTER NOW DON'T YOU? YOU'RE NOT ALONE. SO YOU MEET WITH MARY OAKHEART, WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTING THIS FOR TEN YEARS. SHE FOUGHT THE FIRST EXPANSION AND NOW IS FIGHTING THIS NEXT EXPANSION OF THE SUPER DUMP. SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP. SHE IS WEARY OF THE MANY YEARS OF BEING AN ACTIVIST.

YOU DECIDE IT IS TIME TO PROTECT THAT FOREST. IN FACT IT SEEMS TO YOU IT SHOULD IN FACT BE A PARKLAND FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT NATURE. YOU'LL CALL IT THE EARTH HARMONY PARK.

YOU GO SEE MARY OAKHEART. SHE GIVES YOU THIS PAPER WITH ALL HER LEADS AND SHE HOPES YOU CAN FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE WORK SHE'S DONE. GOOD LUCK!

MARY OAKHEART'S TEN STEP PLAN TO PROTECT SUNSHINE FOREST.

1. IDENTIFY AN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF PLANT OR ANIMAL. THE MOST LIKELY BET IS THE SANTA SUSANNA TARWEED, WHICH IS PROTECTED IN CHARMLEE PARK IN MALIBU AND IS NATIVE TO THESE SANTA SUSANNA MOUNTAINS.

IF YOU FIND ONE. TELL NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

2. DISCOVER AN ANCIENT INDIAN SITE. RECORDS AND MAPS SHOW NATIVE AMERICANS LIVED IN THIS FOREST, AND ANCIENT BURIAL GROUNDS ALL ARE SACRED AND PROTECTED. DISCOVER AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE WITH BASKETS, ARROWHEADS, OR OTHER FOSSILS.

THEN CONTACT.. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

3. THE CORPORATION THAT OWNS THE FOREST IS OWNED BY MANY STOCKHOLDERS OF WHICH 20% ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHERS. THESE TEACHERS RETIREMENT ASSOCIATIONS INVEST IN COMPANIES ON THE 500 THAT PRODUCE HIGH RETURN. SO TEACHERS OWN A SUBSTANTIAL SHARE OF THIS COMPANY THAT IS CUTTING DOWN THE FOREST.

YOU CAN WRITE TO...STATE TREASURER WHO IS ON TEACHERS BOARD AND FIND A BETTER INVESTMENT FOR THE TEACHERS ONE THAT PAYS AN EQUAL RETURN ON CAPITAL, YET, DOES NOT HARM THE EARTH. GOOD LUCK, MANY NEW COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR CAPITAL.

OR.. CONNECT A TRASH COMPANY WITH A COMPANY CREATING ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY LIKE BEDMINSTER, BALBOA PACIFIC, ETC..

4. GO TO WASHINGTON AND TALK TO A SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE. HOWEVER, THEY MAY TELL YOU IT'S ECONOMICS AND CITIES CANNOT AFFORD MORE THAN LANDFILLS, AND WHEN PRICES WARRANT, THE LANDFILLS WILL CLOSE.

5. GET AN ECONOMIST TO SHOW THAT THE COST OF PUTTING GARBAGE IN THE FOREST IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAT THE MANY ALTERNATIVES ANY ALTERNATIVE

6. SHOW THE COMPANY THERE IS MORE MONEY TO BE MADE BY PROTECTING THE FOREST AND USING THE NATIVE CROPS AS INCOME. IN THIS FOREST THERE IS SAGE, ACORNS, ELDERBERRY, CLEAN CLEAR WATER. ALL VIABLE PRODUCTS. SAGE CAN BE MADE INTO TEA, SPICES, BATH OIL, SOAP, PERFUME, COLOGNE, FOODS, ETC., AND SMUDGE STICKS. FOR CEREMONY. THE TRASH COMPANY CAN WORK WITH EXISTING TEA COMPANIES TO SUPPLY THEM TEA, OR SELL TEA. OR WORK WITH AN EXISTING CONSERVATION , PARK SERVICE, TO BECOME A PARK WITH HIKING, HORSEBACK RIDING, PICNICS, ETC.

7. GET THE BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS TO RESCIND THEIR DECISION AND HONOR THE SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL AREA DESIGNATION ORIGINALLY GIVEN TO THIS AND ALL PRISTINE WILD AREAS. HAVE THEM OVERRIDE ANY ORDERS TO OVERLOOK THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE OF A IMPOSED TRASH CRISES. SHOW THEM IT IS NOT A CRISES WHEN THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

8. GET A COPY OF THE EIR, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. TEST THE WATER RUNOFF AND SEE IF IT MATCHES THE REPORT THE COMPANY ITSELF TURNS IN. COMPANIES TURN IN THEIR OWN TESTING AND NO INDEPENDENT SERVICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.

9. COMPOSTING AND REDUCTION: SET UP COMPOST SATURDAYS WHERE NEIGHBORS GATHER ROUND THE CHIPPER WHICH TURNS THEIR GREEN WASTE THEY BRING INTO MULCH. THEY CAN TAKE THEIR MULCH HOME OR BUILD A COMMUNITY GARDEN.

LA CITY HAD A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. IT NO LONGER EXISTS.

REDUCTION: CREATE AN AWARD PROGRAM FOR COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO REDUCE THEIR INTAKE AND OUTPUT OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCT PACKAGING.

10. BUY THE LAND AND CREATE A PARK FOR THE ANIMALS IN THE L.A. ZOO THAT HAVE NO ROOM TO MOVE. THESE 230 PLUS ACRES IS ENOUGH ROOM TO GIVE LION, ELEPHANTS, GIRAFFES SPACE TO MOVE THEIR LEGS AND TOUCH THE EARTH. THE REVENUE FROM SUNSHINE WILD ANIMAL RESERVE CAN PAY BACK THE LOANS FOR PURCHASE. AND THE ANIMALS WILL THANK YOU.

MARY OAKHEART THANKS YOU TOO....