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BACKGROUND: Terrorism is defined as "the use of violence and intimidation, especially for political purposes." For more than three decades, communities, particularly those involved in the timber industry, have suffered at the hands of environmental extremists who have developed their own brand of terrorism. It began as highly secretive acts known as "monkey-wrenching," such a draining oil from equipment or spiking trees on timber sales. Over the years, there has been an escalation in the number, costs and targets of these violent, destructive acts, including recreational facilities, natural resource providers and medical research facilities. A few examples illustrate the high cost this domestic terrorism has taken: a half-million dollar fire at a Medford, Oregon, timber company, a $12 million dollar fire at a ski resort in Vail, Colorado, equipment and buildings destroyed at a vaccine lab in Wisconsin, numerous arson fires at construction sites, and thousands of life-threatening ceramic tree spikes throughout our national forests. Since 1980, these and other atrocities total over $42 million dollars of damage alone in just the eleven contiguous western states. Local governments are voicing concerns regarding the deteriorating health across our national forests as the western states anticipate yet another devastating year of forest fires. These fires threaten the safety of residents, the protection of private property, air quality and the watersheds that provide community water. The United States Forest Service attibutes this to "analysis paralysis." However, on some environmental groups’ websites, they have acknowledged this form of intimidation as they have effectively used it -- "paper monkey-wrenching."

RATIONALE: Voices in the environmental movement have been slow and often resistant to denounce these vicious attacks, and by this conspicuous hesitation, have colored their own efforts and illuminated some underlying core values. In fact, endless appeals and lawsuits by mainstream environmental groups are holding communities hostage to an uncertain future. This "paper-wrenching" has resulted in hundreds of mill closures across the west and thousands of Americans who have lost their livelihoods. At the same time, unwarrented life-threatening risks are created for hard-working Americans at their job sites, and for emergency and law enforcement personnel who respond to situations, whether it is the media-grabbing antics of a tree-sitter, a major facility fire or catastrophic forest fire that may endanger thousands of people. These acts of violence and intimidation have created an extremely volatile situation, essentially a rural cleansing war on America and its food and fiber producers as their obstructionism comes to fruition.

CONCLUSION: Terrorism is terrorism. The use of violence and intimidation to achieve political purposes is the very essence of environmental extremism. Left unchecked, as they have been, the nature and intensity of these violent acts have escalated. Lawsuits have become more numerous and obstructive so that even the threat of legal action ends legitimate, science-based forest management. Environmental extremism has repeatedly been enabled by a sometimes willing, sometimes unsuspecting federal government and the blessings of an intentionally misinformed public. As they undermine the orderly disposition of public issues, disrupt our national economy and local communities, and put families and businesses at risk, environmental groups have fanned a flame of destruction toward America’s resource producers and rural residents. These acts are just as disruptive and destructive as the threats from international terrorism the United States is addressing. Federal agencies must acknowledge their accommodation of the perpetrators only empowers them and, instead, make a concerted effort to eliminate these criminal, malicious acts by environmental terrorists.