Logging protesters jailed

Two protesters, who sat in trees for eight days, began serving jail sentences yesterday for obstructing logging of Zaleski State Forest.

Matt Glass and Susan Heitker pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing yesterday in a Vinton County courtroom. Glass will serve seven days of a 30-day sentence and Heitker will serve all 30 days of her sentence, said Joe Hazelbaker, Buckeye Forest Council attorney.

Heitker's sentence was lengthened because she refused to name other people involved in the protests, Hazelbaker said. Both protesters must pay combined fees of $2,000 and both are required to relinquish equipment they used during the protest.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a policy that requires surveying for the Indiana bat, which is endangered and federally protected, before logging the species' habitat. The Department of Forestry admitted in court yesterday that it neglected to conduct the surveys, but maintains that it will protect the bat by following policy procedures.

Hazelbaker said the DOF picks and chooses which guidelines it follows in order to log public forests extensively. The forest council is opposed to logging Ohio's public forests and is dedicated to preservation.

Glass and Heitker will serve their sentences at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville.

— Morgan Dixon