Charges dropped on two treesitters fighting Scripps Biotech

Two others prepare for trial

By Everglades Earth First!

Treesit against Scripps Biotech in Briger forest as seen from a Ch 12 news helicopters

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida— Four activists with Everglades Earth First! (EEF!) attended a court hearing today, related to the treesits in an ongoing campaign to stop the expansion of Scripps Biotech facilities into the Briger forest.

Two of the four, Brandon Block and Courtney Claar, have had their charges dropped.

The others, Russell McSpadden, a current editor with the Earth First! Journal, and Rachel Kijewski, a climb trainer with Everglades Earth First!, were offered a plea deal barring them from the property and requiring psychiatric evaluations. They are preparing for trial. According to the affidavits from their arrest, a Joint Terrorism Task Force agent is involved in the case.

Despite these legal obstacles, the campaign to stop Scripps Biotech from expanding continues on several fronts. And these activists continue to be on the front lines. For example, on May 1, 2011, Kijewski authored a response to the Biological Opinion by US Fish & Wildlife Service regarding the protection of federally protected species in the forest.

The group is inviting support in the form of donations for their legal battles ahead.

To read more background stories from the fight to stop Scripps and save Briger forest, click here

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