From the open publishing newswire: The number of licensed fur trappers in Oregon has more than doubled for the 2007 - 08 trapping season. According to the ODFW, 1500 new licenses were issued above the roughly 1,000 already outstanding. The revived popularity of furs in fashion, reversing the decline of the past decade, has caused a marked increase in the price of pelts, especially bobcat.

Population growth in rural areas has led to more conflicts between newcomers and trappers, often caused when pets, especially dogs, are caught and sometimes killed. Most new residents in the rural West are unpleasantly surprised to find traps along their hiking and skiing trails, fishing streams, creek bottoms, anywhere in fact where furbearers can be found. Oregon has very few restrictions on where traps can be set. They can be set anywhere along public roads and trails, anywhere on public lands unless specifically forbidden. There are no required setbacks, no indications where traps are set. Traps designed to kill are mingled with leg-hold traps.

Newspaper stories and letters to editors about trapped pets have brought unwanted attention to the trapping industry. Dogs trapped and killed in Montana, Nevada and Oregon during the 2006 -07 trapping season have inspired the formation of citizen groups intent on restricting or eliminating this abusive practice. TrapFree Oregon, FootLoose Montana and TrailSafe (Nevada) have all begun to educate the public about the indiscriminate and cruel nature of trapping, whether it be for fur or wildlife management.

 http://trapfreeoregon.org

From the open publishing newswire: Last month, a landslide crashed down from the mountains, swallowing up homes and cars, and closing down Highway 30 for days on end. People could very likely have died, had it not been for the heroic efforts of workers who realized the slide was imminent, and quickly evacuated the area. It is now beyond dispute that the slide was caused by logging. Even the corporate media has finally acknowledged this indisputable fact. (Ironically, the slide began on land that was being "managed" by the OSU forestry program.) One tract of land above the slide had been logged in 2004, another had been logged more than a decade ago. The state of erosion and instability in both tracts contributed to the slide. It was, in fact, caused by logging.

Today, I traveled out that way to see how the clean-up is going, and to assess the situation along the highway through the coast range. What I saw was a disaster in the making. I saw peoples' homes and all their worldly possessions, still buried in mud and debris. I saw steep mountains denuded of their protective trees, from Ranier all the way out to the ocean. And I saw many more slides in the making. It is only a matter of time.

From the open publishing newswire: The Brazilian semi-arid is immense: 912 thousand square km. It is populous: 22 million people in rural areas. It is the most rainy of the planet: 750 mm / year, on average, which corresponds to 760 billion cubic meters of rainfall per year. It is not true, therefore, that there is no water there. The nature provides it, but it is wasted: the waters evaporate quickly, under the strong sun, or go soon away, running on the crystalline waterproof ground.....

I look for a book on the bookshelf at home. In the face sheet I read: "To Cesar, who also walks on the same side of the same river. Gentio do Ouro, October 2001. "From inside the book falls a card that was already forgotten:" Cesar, grateful for your unexpected softness, for your lucid and firm presence. Thank you for you there. I hug you. Adriano. "I can't contain my emotion.

Between 1992 and 1993, for a year, Adriano and three more people held a walk of 2,700 km, from the springs to the mouth of San Francisco river. The book, which they gave me when I visited them in the desert-From the mouth to the source, the message of the river, Nancy Mangabeira Unger-poetically tells the works of this group of heroes whose lives are confused with the struggle for life of the river and of populations that depend on it.

The leader of the pilgrims was a Franciscan friar, the most Franciscan of all Franciscans I knew, Luís Cappio. I don't remember where I met him the first time - I think it was at "Pintada" - but I never forgot him. He is a rare man. He lives deeply to Christianity, his mission. Today, he is the bishop of "Barra". Continued the same simple pilgrim, a brother of humanity, a poor living among the poor. He is on hunger strike for more than 30 days and may die. Adriano remains at his side.

From Brasilia, President Lula criticizes brother Louis and his companions, contrary to the transposition of the waters of San Francisco river, saying they do not care about the thirst of the people of northeastern. To those who know the two characters, it is pathetic. A moral abyss separates them. From this abyss are born the two different proposals.

From the open publishing newswire: Chile - Police shot and killed Matias Catrileo Quezada, a 22-year-old university student, and Mapuche supporter during a land re-occupation near the southern city of Vilcun. The indigenous Mapuche peoples of of southern Chile regularly clash with authorities over control of their ancestral lands but this is the first fatality that has resulted from the conflict since 2003.

The incident took place at Dawn on Thursday when a group of about 25 Mapuche Indians and their supporters raided a farm and burned the livestock feed. Police who had been charged with protecting the farm after a number of similar incursions, gave chase and fired on the group who retreated to a nearby school. Catrileo was shot in the stomach and died at the scene. Catrileo's comrades took his body and refused to hand it over to police but after negotiations organized by Villarica Bishop Sixto Parzinger worked out a deal in which they were willing to turn over the body. The human rights group Amnesty International has demanded a full investigation into the incident.

Activists rallied outside the La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago and died at least one of the Palace's fountains blood red to protest the murder. Riot police clashed with demonstrators and made a number of arrests.

From the open publishing newswire: 23 year old Brendan Walsh has spent over three years in Federal Prison for his role in a militant action that targeted a military recruitment center in Vestal, New York in April 2003. As tanks were entering Baghdad, Brendan took action against the military machinery in the town he was living in. Brendan is slated to be released from prison to a halfway house on February 8th. He's in need of support from our movement more than ever as he faces his release.

During a visit with Brendan last week, he communicated a desire for Kansas Mutual Aid to collect monetary donations to help aid Brendan in buying clothes and other needed items once released. Brendan's halfway house confirmation has been repeatedly delayed, so he has been under a lot of stress as he fights to ensure his release in February. He's in need of as much love and support as we can send. Please consider sending Brendan some words of love and support during his last several weeks in prison.

Brendan Walsh 12473-052
FCI/FSL Elkton
PO Box 10
Lisbon, OH 44432

From the open publishing newswire: In short, NW officials are scapegoating sea lions for the decline of the salmon populations on the Columbia. But it is not sea lions who are causing the salmon to go extinct, it is humans. Killing sea lions will not help salmon. It will only hurt sea lions.

You need to go out to the Columbia and see these animals to really understand. They are our neighbors. They clearly love each other. They sing to each other. They caress each other. They are intelligent beings, smarter than your dog. And they love their lives.

The best place to see them right now is along the pier in Astoria, just behind the safeway store. But soon, they will be making their semi-annual journey upstream, following the runs, as they have done for thousands of years. Then, you will be able to see and hear them all along the Columbia, sometimes even in the Willamette. They are part of our heritage as Cascadians. They, as much as the salmon, are part of who we are.

Please do something to save them. Take this one small action. If you act, it will make a difference. Please make a few phone calls.

Call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife here: Director's Office
(503) 947-6044 (for other ODFW contact info, see  http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/directory/index.asp).

From the open publishing newswire: Yucca Mountain is sacred to the Shoshone as an herb gathering site, for rituals, and as a part of their stories. Yucca Mountain is known in Shoshone language as Snake Mountain. Indeed it looks like a snake. It is said that the snake was headed north when it froze where it is. Further more it is said that it will move again and "flip around". Geologists say that there are thirteen different fault lines running through it.

Public hearings have not been well attended, statements mostly in favor of the plan to put all of the nuclear waste in the country in this one sacred place. Local papers & media spin have recently stated that opposition to the nuke dump had dropped off since the passing of Corbin Harney. The nuclear reps are confident to the point of acting like it's a done deal. LETS PROVE THEM WRONG! MAKE YOUR COMMENT NOW & TAKE ACTION!!

Citizens can make an oral statement at the scheduled public hearings or fill out a form and mail it in to EIS Office U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Mgmt, 1551 Hillshire Dr. Las Vegas, NV, 89195-7308 or by e-mail.
HERE ARE TALKING POINTS

"The eyes of the elders are on us. The fate of the unborn is rolling toward the cliff, the voice of Corbin Harney is ringing in my ears, "It's on your shoulders now...". ~ Bear Dyken

Western Shoshone Defense Project

From the open publishing newswire: indy geek writes:

The selection 2008 page is for all the articles about 2008 elections, candidates, etc. Because this stuff starts to overwhelm the site, especially now that state primaries/caucuses are close, the selection 2008 page has a unique characteristic from other topic type pages. Articles sent to the selection 2008 page will not also show up on the front page newswire. So if you are interested in that stuff, visit the selection 2008 page. Likewise, if you are posting election related articles, please check the selection 2008 checkbox under actions on the publish page.

From the open publishing newswire: Hi folks, We'll be doing a press conference on Jan 1st announcing upcoming goals for 2008. Due to space concerns we don't have the room to just post the location for this conference, but if any folks are interested we don't want to exclude members of the underground press that would like to be involved. Please email to RSVP.

Also, we need some help from the community in two areas.
1. We don't have any video cameras and we would like a recording of the event along with some folks who might be able to edit it.
2. Webwork. Due to Revolt ltd taking some time off, we need to find a new server and host for a website. If anyone knows hookups for webhosting, that would be awesome. Likewise, we need some folks who can do admin/sitebuilding work and are willing to teach.

Please reserve the following dates also: Feb 29th, Mar 1st and 2nd from 7 - 9pm. We will be doing community informational forums around the CIP and its programs those nights in southeast, northeast, and downtown Portland. The news conference on Tuesday is for underground and aboveground members of the press primarily, all interested persons who do not consider themselves journalists should be encouraged to email us for more info, or please participate in the upcoming forums.

From the open publishing newswire: Downtown has steadily been becoming more and more a thing of the corporate interests who populate the buildings around Pioneer Square. Ordinances have been passed which have, by inches and degrees, driven out the people of downtown to make things more comfortable for the hordes of consumers who flock there to spend their money on frivolities from stores like Macys. Now, in Portland's living room, free speech expression is under attack as well.

For going on 6 years now, PPRC has met, drummed and marched from the NE corner of Pioneer Square every Friday like clockwork, BUT last Friday's rally was told in no uncertain terms: if you continue to do that you've been doing for the past six years, you will be issued a citation.

From the open publishing newswire: On December 28 the Seriously Pissed Off Grannies returned to the Army/Marine recruiting center on NE Broadway in Portland. During the course of their protest simulated bloody hand prints and white peace doves were taped to the windows. Messages were written in washable window paint.

The police arrived about ten minutes later and the grannies waited patiently - not wanting to be charged with fleeing - while the police and marines tried to decide what to do. Officers were overheard mentioning something about a "jury trial." When two grannies said they were ready to go home, but didn't want to be accused of fleeing, an officer asked how they could help them go. It was the appointed time, and quite cold out, so the Grannies asked for the return of their confiscated sign and left their messages on the windows.

From the open publishing newswire: When I got to 729 Oregon street it was really raining, not that drizzle stuff but wind driven rain, the kind that makes your bones say get me out of here. I found out the office was closed for the Holidays, very few people were walking about, I thought of my Baileys.

After setting up my picket sign and trying to smoke a cigarette, people started to show up, wow! I was impressed; others got themselves out in the rain and wind and said, "What the hell."

After a while, many of the people whom I have spent the last 22 Thursdays with were walking around with their signs and laughing.

Impeachment Vigil Video

From the open publishing newswire: From local organic farmers to third generation fishermen, from small business owners to loggers, over 200 Oregonians gathered in front of Northwest Natural Gas in Portland Oregon on December 12, 2007 to protest Liquefied Natural gas facilities proposed for the Columbia River Estuary by Energy speculators from Texas, New York and California. Speakers from these, and many more demographics briefly took the bull horn to demand that their Governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, weigh in against the establishment of another unsustainable fossil fuel industry. He has not come out against this, and if fact, has been riding the fence on this most important issue.

This concerns all Oregonians, as we could find ourselves investing in another fossil fuel technology with money which could be going to alternative energy research and development. These energy infrastructures situated in Oregon would be used to pipe the natural gas to the lucrative markets in California, who have already refused to situate the facilities in their own state. This technology has already caused much damage in other parts of the world, where the collection and liquefying of the gas is destroying the environment, species, and native subsistence cultures.

VIDEO: Oregonians Reject Liquefied Natural Gas | Audio file of a Russian, Dimitri Lisitsyn, speaking about the damage to Sakhalin Island, Russia: MP3 | Web site of Russian organization dealing with this issue:

Governor Kulongoski's office number is .

www.PhilosopherSeed.org