People, climate and communities over profit!
Capitalist timber investors grow profits, not forests.
we’re rising up and speaking out; our forests must be managed for the health of our communities & climate, not wall street profits.
Who will own the forest?
On September 26-28, Wall Street investors will join timber corporations, carbon offset & biomass companies in Portland for their annual “Who Will Own the Forest?” conference. This “signature timberland investment conference” brings together some of the biggest climate polluters, corporate forest clear-cutters, and false climate solutions peddlers.
While communities around the world suffer record-breaking impacts of the climate crisis, these rich elites will convene to schmooze & network over cocktails & catering, discussing their plans to maximize profits: corporate land-grabbing, extractive clear-cutting, financializing nature, and pushing false climate solutions like carbon offsets & biomass to keep big polluters in business. In the face of the climate emergency, these big polluters and investors are sacrificing communities and the ecosystems we depend on to stay in business & keep their profits rolling in.
Capitalist investors grow profits, not forests. But communities know our forests can be vital solutions to the climate emergency, if we protect & restore them instead of exploiting them. We’re rising up and fighting back; we won’t let our forests, communities, and climate be sacrificed for the rich to get richer.
protest ‘who will own the forest?’ conference September 27
12pm Wednesday, September 27 at the World Forestry Center (4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland)
On Wednesday, September 27 grassroots activists and leaders from the forest defense & climate justice movement will converge at the World Forestry Center at noon for a massive demonstration to confront these Wall Street capitalists and put them on notice that managing forests to maximize profits for the rich & stall climate action will be met with increasing resistance. There will be speakers, music, marching bands, theatrical performances, art & creative resistance, and more–come out to show these Wall Street elites that extractive forestry and false solutions will be risky investments in the face of staunch grassroots opposition!
forests over profits conference September 28
10am-5:30pm Thursday September 28 at First Unitarian Church of Portland (1211 SW Main St, Portland)
Communities and forests need real solutions to the climate emergency, industrial logging, and colonial land grabbing. On Thursday, September 28 come to the Forests Over Profits conference in Portland. In contrast to the corporate ‘Who Will Own the Forest?’ conference, communities and activists will come together to elevate real solutions and the need for fundamental systems change in the face of capitalist exploitation and the climate & biodiversity crises.
From 10am-5:30pm we’ll learn from speakers & panelists about approaches to forest management that support ecosystems, empower communities, and grow climate resilience, including Land Back and other indigenous land management systems, community forestry & land trusts, and sustainable forest management. Through presentations and discussions, participants will be encouraged to support real alternatives to corporate, profit-driven management.
featured Speakers
Chuck Willer, Coast Range Association
Sarah Duemling, Zena Forest
John Brush, Cedar Moon Collective
Thomas Joseph, Indigenous Environmental Network
Brenna Two Bears, Indigenous Environmental Network
Alex Harris, REsources
Klasom Salt’xw Losah, Coast Salish elder, activist & longtime forest defender
Stop Cop City Roadshow
join the movement!
Stay tuned; more info and details about the protest & people’s conference are coming soon! If you want to get involved & support the protest and/or the Forests Over Profits conference, have ideas to share or ways to contribute, or just want more info, you can reach out via email to contact@forestsoverprofits.org
Forest Over Profits is grateful for the support of the Climate Emergency Fund.