The Sahalo Forest

Andrew’s hands were fidgeting with the papers sprawled out in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere—on those eyes. There were so many things he was fighting for, but those eyes pierced his through his memory and stayed at the forefront of his mind. An orange glow that reflected the fading sun, but at the time, it seemed like so much more.

Judge Tottenham called him forward to address the court. He grabbed one of his folders and took a deep breath in before standing up from his chair.

“A small patch of woods,” he began, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and continued, “That’s how GRB described it. That’s how they would describe this part of the Sahalo Forest … but that’s not how I see it. And that’s now how the government saw it in nineteen seventy-five when they dedicated it as protected land.”

“But maybe GRB is right, maybe it is just a small patch of woods. One that contains over a hundred thousand trees, hundreds of different species, and thousands of different animals that you can see up close and personal on a weekend hike.”

He paused to let it take effect. “I don’t know about you Judge Tottenham, but I don’t think most people would be able to eat a burger if they had to kill the cow themselves, but we compartmentalize and line up in droves for that double bacon burger every Saturday night … and that’s okay.”

He made eye contact with one of the GRB lawyers, who quickly averted his gaze, “It’s okay to compartmentalize for that, but what if, instead of killing that one cow, you had to kill one thousand cows … or eagles … or … owls. Because that’s what you’ll be doing if you deny protection for the Silver Valley area of the Sahalo Forest.”

He took another deep breath in now, gearing up for his final push, “The government didn’t mean to give it a fifty-year protection … they meant to give it a lifetime protection, and as far as I saw a few weeks ago when I took a hike up the green trail, there’s still life in that forest that’s worth saving.

“And let’s be honest … just because Silver Valley is mostly separated from the rest of the forest, it doesn’t mean the Sahalo will continue to thrive. There will be pollution and desecration to the rivers and land surrounding that plant … and you know GRB won’t follow the protocols needed to ensure waste is properly disposed of—”

“—Objection!”

Andrew was facing the judge now, but he could hear the disdain in Tim Levy’s voice. It was enough to tell him he was doing well … really well.

“Sustained.”

“Sorry your honor,” continued Andrew, “I just meant that some companies end up making accidental mistakes with these protocols and end up putting things where they don’t belong,” he paused again, deliberating how far he wanted to take it before adding, “And if you look at their history, GRB just happens to make more mistakes than the average company when it comes to environmental safety.”

That remark was enough to earn a glare from Judge Tottenham, and that was saying something because they were on pretty good terms. He put his hands up to the ceiling in an apologetic manner.

“Sorry. I am just trying to make a point. Lifting this protection will destroy much more than anticipated, and in a world that’s slowly destroying itself from within, it takes good people standing up for what’s right to make a difference. Please reinstate the protection on the Silver Valley area of the Sahalo Forest.”

He nodded at the judge and the GRB lawyers before walking over to his seat. Angela smiled and patted him on the back before the judge told him he would need a few days to make his decision.

Once they outside the courtroom, Angela grabbed his wrist and pulled him in for a hug. She was usually all business anywhere near the courthouse, but she knew how much this meant to him. They got into their blue Nissan Leaf, but he didn’t start the engine. Instead, he looked over at her.

“What do you think?”

“I think you did better than anyone else in the world could have done with this case.”

“But do you think we’ll win?”

“I don’t know.”

He nodded and stayed quiet for a moment.

“Do you think you can drive home?”

***

Three excruciatingly long days later, Andrew found himself in court again. With most of the cases that had gone to trial during his ten-year career, he was at peace when it came time for the results. He always did his best and he knew the rulings were beyond his control, but this time was different, he wasn’t at peace; he needed a victory.

He held his wife’s hand under the table, briefly smiling at her through clenched teeth, as the judge began to address the room.

“This was an interesting case. Clearly the Sahalo Forest is under government protection, as outlined throughout the case, but the land in question wasn’t part of that protection in nineteen seventy-five. Silver Valley only began to grow and flourish in the years since, and although it is most undoubtedly filled with vegetation and species from the surrounding Sahalo, GRB is correct that the area wasn’t protected ground.”

Andrew’s leg started to shake, and he squeezed Angela’s hand tighter.

“But I couldn’t dismiss what Mr. Parsons had to say—that the protection was put in place for the entire Sahalo Forest, and this area was only left out because it didn’t exist back then,” said Judge Tottenham, pausing and looking about the room, “So, it comes down to be me to interpret the rule and decide whether it’s awarded protection or can be used by GRB for their plant.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but after reading through the original declaration made in nineteen seventy-five, I noticed a particular line that stood out, ‘The Sahalo Forest and all of its influences shall be protected by’”—Judge Tottenham paused again and looked up from his notes— "Interesting wording … ‘all of its influences’. After seeing that, there was no doubt in my mind that this land in question has become part of the Sahalo Forest and is protected under the spirit of the law. I am granting in favor of Environmental Sanctuaries LLC and denying GRB’s request to build upon the land.”

Judge Tottenham continued, but Andrew didn’t hear the rest of it. He felt relief sweep over him as he sank back into his chair. He knew that he had been on the right side of the argument, but he still didn’t trust the process. He had been on the other side of things far too often. Nine times out of ten, money trumped his environmental causes, but he’d fight for the ten percent with every fiber of his being … the world was at stake after all.

***

A few weeks later, Andrew and Angela decided to visit the very forest they were protecting. They’d taken some time off since the ruling, and for once, Andrew didn’t even bring his phone with him. He wanted to have a special connection with nature that day, and maybe just see some of those eyes that he fought so hard to save.

The road to the green trail was unpaved and bumpy … just how he liked it. He had to cruise at five miles per hour or Angela would spill her breakfast. He didn’t mind, however, he loved taking in the trees and soaking in the smells on the way to the parking lot. The road was cozy, tucked between forests on both sides.

It appeared they wouldn’t be alone today, because there were plenty of other tracks on the way up to the lot. It didn’t bother him, though, the forest was vast enough to find seclusion no matter how many people were hiking through it today.

As they approached the parking lot, Andrew noticed something was off. He spotted smoke in the distance, but it didn’t seem like it was coming from campers. He also noticed a loud buzzing. He sped up the car as they rounded the bend, but he skidded to a halt when he saw what was going on.

There were four different vehicles and a large work crew clearing trees at the entrance of the forest. He couldn’t tell how much progress they had made because the broken trees and debris completely blocked the entrance to his trail.

The whole parking lot was roped off but that didn’t stop Andrew from driving through the rope, dragging some cones behind his car. He got out with intense anger flowing through his veins, causing his hands to shake and clouding his mind. He raced over to the nearest man he could find—a big burly guy with a thick grey beard hiding the face beneath his hard hat.

“What in the world are you guys doing?” screamed Andrew, barely able to hear himself over the noise of the machinery. He turned towards the machine on his right and shouted at the man operating the harvester, “Cut the power now! This is illegal.”

Before the man could respond, Andrew noticed Angela approaching him. He reached for his phone, forgetting that he had left it behind, “Angela call the police.”

He didn’t wait for her response before he turned back to the burly man.

“No need to call the police, we are well within our rights.”

“No, you’re not,” he screamed again, “GRB lost the case.”

“Yes, but they were officially granted an appeal this morning by Judge Hester.”

Andrew had feared they would be granted their appeal, but it still didn’t make any sense, “That doesn’t give you the right to destroy the forest, the appeal will take months.”

“Actually, it does give us the right. Judge Hester gave GRB permission to work until the appeal has been decided.”

Andrew looked over at Angela and saw the same fear in her eyes that he felt in his chest. Peering into her eyes reminded him of his final words in the courthouse a few weeks ago; he had to save it.

He sprung forward now, running past a few more workers and hopping over obstacles of split wood and crushed leaves. He heard some people yelling at him as he navigated towards the trailhead. As he got closer, the noise died down as their machines were turned off. They were probably afraid that something might land on him.

He instinctively reached for his phone, again forgetting that he had left it behind. If he had any idea this ruling was even a remote possibility, he would have had it glued to his hip. He eventually made his way past the fallen trees to the unperturbed forest, realizing they hadn’t gotten as far as he had feared. It looked like a lot from afar, but they were only a few feet into the forest … his favorite tree could still be saved.

Knowing that time was of the essence, he ran back to Angela and the foreman, who were engaged in a heated conversation. He grabbed Angela’s hand and stared at the man, “This isn’t right.”

“My job aint about worrying what’s right or wrong. Just following directions.”

He had a point. Andrew sighed and nodded towards the man, dragging Angela back to their car. He noticed some scratches on the exterior, but luckily, he hadn’t done any real damage. They would need it to get back to the courthouse.

“This is bullshit,” he said once they were in the car, “Dial 9-1-1.”

“But they aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“I don’t care, Angela. This will buy us some time. I’d do it myself, but I left mine at home. Thought I was going to spend a peaceful day in the woods.”

He started laughing, ironically, as he pushed his foot further down on the pedal, taking just enough care to be safe as they continue down the bumpy road. The drive down was a lot less peaceful than the one up, and it involved a lying rant to the police. He hoped it would buy them enough time.

***

He made Angela wait in the car before heading into Judge Hester’s office. He was worried that she might try to talk some sense into him, and that was the last thing he needed right now. He felt like the forest harvester, ready to rip down and destroy anything that was in his path.

He and Judge Hester had their own history, which was probably why his judicial secretary gave him a curious look when he opened the door.

“Hello Mr. Parsons,” said Nancy, respectfully, “I didn’t know Judge Hester was expecting you.”

“Yes, he actually gave me a call a little while ago. He wanted to discuss the GRB case. Just got off the phone with him about five minutes ago. He said to let you know that he told me to come right in.”

Without waiting for a response, Andrew walked right past her and entered Judge Hester’s chambers. He was wearing a plain blue dress shirt and was eating a sub that had sauce oozing out the bottom. He had a piece of food stuck in his mustache and he chewed his current bite down slowly, with a curious look in his eyes, as Andrew walked towards him.

“What the heck are you doing in here?” said Judge Hester after he swallowed.

“I need to discuss GRB’s appeal.”

“There’s a time and a place for this, Mr. Parsons.”

“Yes, and it’s right here and right now.”

Judge Hester glanced towards the doors like he was expecting security to come in any second, but luckily, Nancy seemed to buy his shtick.

“The situation is a murky one, Andrew, they deserved an appeal.”

“But you granted them the right to continue construction until the appeal is heard!”

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but they did buy the land legally, so it was only right to¬—”

“—Silvery Valley will be destroyed by the time the appeal is heard!”

Judge Hester paused and he nodded to himself several times before answering with a condescending tone, “That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?”

“You son of a—” Andrew paused, wondering how far he should take this, “How much are they paying you, your honor? Is it more than you get in yearly salary from us taxpayers?”

“Get out of my chambers before I have you arrested.”

“Arrest me for what? Trying to save the planet? Trying to keep the world sustainable for our grandchildren?”

“It’s a small part of the forest … I think your grandchildren will be just fine.”

“A small part of the forest? I guarantee you the whole Sahalo Forest is gone in twenty years because you let this happen.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“No, you’re overstepping,” he replied, slamming his hand onto the table, “People need to overreact. Do you have any idea where this world is heading, what we’ve done to this place? If we keep losing trees, our carbon emissions are going to destroy the world … not to mention all the—” he paused and saw the eyes again. He always felt pressure when he thought of those eyes, “—All the animals that will be lost because of this.”

“You can’t win every war, Mr. Parsons.”

“I feel like I’m not winning any.”

“There will be other forests,” he said, displaying a wry smirk that caused Andrew to clench his fists.

Before he could give any retort, a bailiff charged through the door. He was an old, overweight man who seemed out of breath just from running into the room.

“Everything okay in here?”

“Yes,” said Judge Hester, carefully, “Mr. Parsons was just leaving.”

Andrew looked from the bailiff back to Judge Hester, “To you this is one small succession, but if every judge thinks like you and every company acts like GRB, the world is going to burn before you can even finish counting your money.”

Before Judge Hester could respond, he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him, refusing to look back all the way to the car. Angela was waiting outside for him, but he slid into the passenger seat and slammed another door.

“That badly?” she said, joining him inside.

“Worse.”

“Are you going to get arrested?”

“Yes, but not for my actions in Judge Hester’s office.”

“Then for what?”

“Drive back to the trailhead.”

“That’s not a good idea, Andrew.”

“It’s not an idea. I don’t really have an idea to be honest. But I refuse to let that forest burn just because I’m not smart enough to have an idea.”

“Why don’t we call someone from the main office, see if there’s anything else we can do?”

“There’s nothing they can do. Environmental Sanctuaries loses cases like this every day, and they move on to the next one, just like Judge Hester told me to do.”

“And why can’t you? Why can’t you move on? There’s other important cases.”

“The way I see it, this isn’t just about me and this forest. You know I love the Sahalo … have since I was a kid, but this is bigger than that. This is about those forests in California, Alaska, Brazil, Argentina … heck there aren’t any forests there, but someone’s probably fighting for something in Antarctica too.”

“How does this affect them?”

“Because if I am willing to let go and lose this case, what’s to stop them from letting go and losing theirs? I try to act in a way that assumes the rest of the world will follow suit. If I have this cause that I am so damn passionate about, and I just give up on it, why should I have any hope that other people around the world aren’t going to give up on theirs?”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Well in my head, it does. I am going to do whatever it takes to save this forest, and I hope there’s a thousand clones of me out there willing to do the same … now drive, please. Need to make one quick stop on the way.”

***

A few hours later, Angela and Andrew turned onto the dirt road that led to their trailhead. The sun was nearly fading, and Andrew wondered whether the construction crew would have stopped working for the day.

Before they made it back to the lot, he was given an answer when he began to hear machines in the distance, which was followed by a giant tree crashing into the ground as they made their way around a bend. He had no clue whether his police call delayed them or not, but there was a cruiser in the parking lot, probably waiting for him to come back and make trouble. As Angela parked on the opposite end, a police officer started to get out of his car. He was a tall, muscular man who walked slow and methodical.

“Turn around, go home, and get a good night’s rest,” said Andrew, kissing her on the cheek.

“What’s your plan?”

“I already told you, I don’t have a plan. But I have tenacity … and sometimes that’s better than even the greatest of plans.”

With that, he opened the car door and started running towards the forest. He turned back once to see if the police officer was following him—and he was—albeit at a slow, Friday-afternoon kind of pace.

The workers hollered at him and turned off their machinery again as he weaved between them and hopped over their waste to get to the forest. They had plowed through more than he had hoped, but they still hadn’t made much of a dent. He was able to find his trailhead easily enough and he followed it into the forest.

It didn’t take him long before he found the tree. It was a tall, majestic one that was diverted from the main path. It seemed to tower over the ones by its side. He scanned each branch individually, but he couldn’t find it; the owl had probably found a new home.

He looked from the branches towards the ground, and a tear started to pour down his face as he wondered if his father was with him. He had spread some of his father’s ashes at this tree a few months ago, and he hoped part of him had stuck around to enjoy the view.

It was one of his favorite spots when he was alive. They had gone on more hikes in the Sahalo than Andrew could count, but one day they came upon a baby owl that had broken one of its wings. Together, they nursed it back to health and came to this very tree to release it into the wilderness. Andrew had wanted to keep it as a pet, but his father explained that wasn’t how the world worked, and that the owl longed to be free.

When his dad got sick a few months later, Andrew had been so sure he could bring him back to health just like that owl … but he couldn’t. He went many years without visiting the trailhead again, but he realized that’s not what his dad would have wanted.

He would never forget the day he decided to bring his ashes to their tree. It was a few months before the GRB trial began and he was really missing his dad. He drove up all alone at sunset, and right after he spread them on the soil, a beautiful brown owl swooped down and landed on the lowest branch, looking him right in the eyes. He knew it wasn’t the same one they had saved together when he was a kid, but the way it looked at him, it was like they knew each other, like his dad was watching over him.

And if he was watching over him, Andrew needed to make him proud. His dad loved nature more than anyone he had ever known, and he would hate to see what the world was turning into. He vowed to save it for him.

He admired the secluded spot and his favorite tree until he heard some leaves rustling behind him—someone must have caught up to him.

He turned slowly, hoisting his hands in the air, and realized that it wasn’t a person—it was an auburn owl with a white face and beautiful yellow eyes, which stared directly at him. No, it wasn’t the same one he had seen before the trial, but that was kind of the point, wasn’t it?

He wasn’t fighting for that owl that he had nursed back to health with his dad, or the one he had seen when he was spreading his ashes; he was fighting for all of them. All the animals that would lose their homes, and their lives, if he let companies like GRB get away with violating their laws and paying off judges.

He was one person fighting one battle as hard as he possibly could so that Earth might eventually win the war, and he wasn’t leaving that forest without one heck of a fight.

“I’ve got this, dad,” he whispered, smiling at the owl as it shut its eyes and swooped off over his head.

He took a deep breath in and reached into his pocket, tracing his fingertips over the handcuffs he had bought on his way over. He walked back towards the parking lot before finding a dark red tree that had its lowest branches a few feet off the ground.

“This seems like as good a spot as any,” he said, reaching up towards the first branch and hoisting himself up. He lifted his hand to the next one and climbed higher and higher, settling in around halfway up the tree. Once he was secure, he squinted down and waved at the officer who was approaching the tree.

“You really going to do this?” said the officer.

“You’re damn right I am,” said Andrew, taking his handcuffs and securing himself to the branch for good measure.

“Come and get me.”