Climbing Bounty Hunter Topic Continued.

I can block Mike anytime I want to here but please notice it has not happened. It is my intention for people to continue to look at this subject and interact with each other. Mike might have been blackballed elsewhere, and maybe for good reason. I do not know. But for now I want this discussion to continue.

I would hope that no one would EVER be blocked simply for having an unpopular position. I would hope the doors of communication stay open.

Peter, your statement that "for now" you'd like this discussion to continue implies that you may cut off discussions or users that you may not agree with. If that's the case, I understand, it's your website and you would certainly have every right. However, if that is the case, I feel that everyone should be made aware of it. Thanks for maintaining the site. We all appreciate it.

And Mike, thanks for replying. I think a lot of people on this site appreciate it as well, even if they don't agree with you. I'd like to see the doors of communication for all treeclimbing attitudes stay open.

Rod

I've tried to keep up with this subject but have occasionally missed some things and have had to backtrack and read stuff several times. I probably missed a few facts in all of this.
I don't personally know Michael Oxman but I've heard his name frequently mentioned ever since I began recreational treeclimbing about four years ago. I've read a few of his tips and suggestions that he's posted on various message boards and I've learned a few things from them.
I won't completely condemn him or other bounty hunters until I know a little more.
Question: Is this on privately owned timber land or is it public land that is administered by the Forest Service or some other government entity?
Question: If it is public land, did the governing entity go through the proper channels of public hearings, comment periods, etc. before granting a logging permit? Or, did the agency do like I've seen them do a couple of times in the past and "post" the legal notice for the hearings and comment period in some obscure periodical that nobody reads? (Some years ago in the south Georgia/north Florida area I actually saw a notice that was only posted one time in a small town weekly newspaper with a circulation of only a few hundred readers, using only the smallest and hardest to read type size.)
Question: Have any of the mainstream "environmental groups" like the Nature Conservancy, the Izaak Walton League or the Sierra Club taken a position on the specific logging permit, or have they just issued a general condemnation of the practice?
Question: Were steps taken through various officials or organizations to have these old-growth timber lands either purchased for public use or redesignated as wilderness areas where logging would be prohibited?
I'm sure there are dozens of other questions that could be asked, but these are the ones that seem to jump out at me right now. I hope Oxman or somebody else with specific knowledge of these timber permits can enlighten me.

I have seen topic threads go balistic with super bad language and nothing but anger content. If it goes to that place, I will block postings. Young people read these postings too and I will take responsibility if things get out of hand. Opposing views make for lively postings and that is what I see here.

Wild Bill,

Mike may have already answered your first question, "Is this on privately owned timber land or is it public land that is administered by the Forest Service or some other government entity?"

Mike said, "Right or wrong, a logging permit was granted, and a court order to vacate was issued for the treesitters trespassing on private forest land. "

Brad

Throughout human history there have been many instances of protest by people outside of the "law". Just because there is law on somone's side dosn't justify actions on the other.

How can tree climbers think that they are the best trained for human extractions? What training do they have? What experience in working with humans and not limbs and logs?

I've got a copy of a tape made from an adjoining tree to the extraction. Several friends have watched the tape without me prejudicing them. They have all been shaken by what they saw.

We all have to make choices during our lives. We also must live with the results of those choices.

Tom

Does anyone have a link to the video clip of Oxman and Schatz up in the tree. I found one a few days ago, but it was all blurry.

love
nick

There are links to several videos on this blog site:

http://www.contrast.org/treesit/


Tom

From the link provided by Tom Dunlap, there's a link--" hung up side down by one leg "--and that page has a video link--" windows media at 34.7 mebibytes ".

Originally posted by Treeman
See the other bounty hunter thread.

Has the other bounty hunter thread been removed?

Is the viedo of Mike Oxman available? There seems to be a demand to see what went on.

Sorry about last posting. I will look at video.

Thanks Rescueman for your thoughtful reply. It clarifies many issues.

The other Bounty Hunter thread was erased mistakenly by me. I was seeking to archive the thread because it became stagnent with no furhter postings for weekes on end but succeeded in erasing it instead. It was not my intention to make it go away. Sorry.

A year later and the skirmishes are still going on.

Here is a link to an update:

http://www.contrast.org/treesit/

Tom

Take a look at this:

http://www.contrast.org/treesit/

I don't understand something. Are the extractors deputized or something? Otherwise, wouldn't this be (at least) assault? I carry OC spray and a 9mm Glock on most days I'm out of the house. I can guarantee if I was treesitting, no one would be laying a hand on me, unless it was an officer of the law. Perhaps these sitters need to be trained in self-defense techniques.