Sep 8, 2008 4:05 pm US/Pacific
Four Protesters Remain, Berkeley Trees Gone
BERKELEY (AP) ―
A tree-sitting protest at the University of California, Berkeley, was whittled down to one tree after arborists chopped down most of the disputed grove to clear the way for a new sports center.
The cutting began last week after the campus got a court order clearing the way for construction. By Monday only one redwood -- containing the final four protesters -- remained of the trees marked for the ax.
Tree-sitters, communicating by walkie-talkie, said they still hoped for a "productive and positive" outcome.
But campus officials said an attempt at reaching some sort of settlement ended without success Sunday.
"We're now weighing options for the next steps," said university spokesman Dan Mogulof.
Officials are urging protesters to come down voluntarily but are "making preparations to quickly bring this situation to a safe but certain end," said Mogulof.
Tree-sitters have been occupying the grove, which is next to the university's Memorial Stadium, since December 2006.
The center also was opposed by a neighborhood group, the city of Berkeley and the California Oak Foundation. The three groups filed suit charging the project violates environmental and earthquake safety regulations.
But rulings mostly went in favor of the university, and last week a state appellate court declined to issue an injunction blocking construction.
University officials had planned to remove 42 trees. As of Monday they had cut 40. The final two that remained included the occupied redwood as well as another redwood they plan to transplant.
The campus has promised to plant three new trees for every one cut.
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