Forest Defenders: Images of Nonviolent Eco-Activism

photo: Christopher LaMarca/Redux

In the summer of 2002, the largest forest fire in Oregon's history reached deep into roadless regions of the Siskiyou National Forest, a pristine wilderness in southern Oregon. The Forest Service responded with a broad plan of tree removal, both to reduce fuel for future fires and to stimulate the economy. As feared, however, the plan evolved into the largest timber sale in modern history -- a threat to area forests that made activists out of college kids and ranchers alike. By March 7th, 2005 -- when old-growth reserves were officially opened to logging -- the diverse group, informally known as "forest defenders," had developed a tool-chest of tactics to stall the logging. And photojournalist Chris LaMarca was there to follow their every move.

Christopher LeMarca: "I called a friend of a friend and told her what I wanted to do. She said, 'OK, I'll bring you into the forest.' When she took me into the woods for the first time, people were very skeptical. At first, no one would talk to me."