''Watch'' is a 2001 documentary written, directed and produced by environmental activist Briana Waters, who is serving a six-year sentence for charges relating to the

University of Washington firebombing incident The University of Washington firebombing incident was an arson which took place in the early morning hours of May 21, 2001 when a firebomb was set off at Merrill Hall, a part of the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture, caus ...

. The film portrays the cooperation between residents of the Washington logging town,

Randle Randle, as a surname or a given name, may refer to: Surname: * Betsy Randle (born 1955), American actress * Bill Randle (1923–2004), American disc jockey, lawyer and university professor * Brian Randle (born 1985), American NBA coach and basketba ...

, and Cascadia Defense Network activists attempting to stop the

clearcutting Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/ logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of fore ...

of old growth trees on Watch mountain (part of the Cascade Mountain range) and along the nearby Fossil Creek. The film served as Waters' senior project at Evergreen State College.

Synopsis

The film opens with the

Plum Creek Timber Company Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. was a timberland owner and manager, as well as a forest products, mineral extraction, and property development company, until it merged with Weyerhaeuser Company. It was headquartered in Suite 3100 at 601 Union ...

attempting to exchange ownership of of land to the federal government in exchange for considered more suitable for commercial logging, in what will become known as the I-90 land exchange. This exchange, if approved will give Plum Creek ownership of from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which includes Watch mountain and land surrounding Fossil Creek, near Randle. Residents of the town, in addition to young activists, express concern that Plum Creek logging operations will destroy old growth forest in the area and damage the local eco-system of the creek, resulting in mudslides. ''Watch'' documents the responses of residents of Randle as well as the activists who come to engage in tree sitting as a means of deterring Plum Creek logging. Footage includes two town meetings addressing the issue of the logging, protests outside of and inside of Plum Creek's offices in Seattle, confrontations with police, and acts of support by the

Cowlitz Cowlitz may refer to: People * Cowlitz people, an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest ** Cowlitz language, member of the Tsamosan branch of the Coast Salish family of Salishan languages * Cowlitz Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe of ...

tribe. In November 1999, Plum Creek agrees to remove the disputed areas from the draft of their land exchange agreement, and the finalized exchange grants them rights to only of land, primarily east of Cascades, with Watch mountain and Fossil Creek excluded from the deal. The film ends with the activists tearing down their own platforms in the old growth canopy, and gathering celebrate their victory.

References

External links

*
Support Briana
- A website made by supporters of Waters with regards to her imprisonment. Copies of the documentary may be ordered through this site. 2001 films 2001 in the environment 2001 documentary films Documentary films about forests and trees American documentary films Films about activists 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{nature-documentary-film-stub