The following unedited letter describes dishonest, slanderous, unethical, illegal and violent behavior suffered by an American resources firm in America at the hands of self–described extreme environmentalists. Many in the mining community recite similar incidents. Those individuals or organizations mentioned pejoratively or otherwise herein are invited to present a signed letter of reasonable length for open presentation on this web–site. Hot–links to the web–sites of all organizations mentioned herein are also presented. The voices of all should be openly heard, with no–one shouted down, in order for the truth to be known. The expression "Freedom of Speech" is a mockery unless all sides are granted the same rights.

It is the duty and obligation of all citizens with knowledge of criminal acts, in particular those which are violent, to report all the details to the appropriate police agencies.

Boise Cascade Corporation Web–Site: http://www.bc.com/enviro/epcover.html

American Lands Alliance (Frank Ambrose) [ALA] Web–Site: http://www.americanlands.org/

EarthFirst! (Mike Roselle) Web–Site: http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/elfindex.html

Earth Liberation Front [ELF: Members refer to themselves as "elves"] Web–Site: http://www.earthliberationfront.com or http://www.iiipublishing.com/elf.htm.

Rainforest Action Network (Jennifer Krill & Mike Roselle) [RAN] Web–Site: http://www.ran.org

Ruckus Society (Jennifer Krill & Mike Roselle) Web–Site: http://www.ruckus.org.

EarthFirst! Journal Web–Site: http://earthfirstjournal.org/index.html

Idaho Statesman (Molly Ivins) Web–Site: http://www.IdahoStatesman.com

Wall Street Journal Web–Site: http://www.WSJ.com

Boise Cascade to RAN: Sever Your Ties With Extremist Organizations

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Internal Revenue Service will evaluate allegations by the Frontiers of Freedom Institute that the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is violating its nonprofit tax status. According to the Journal s article, RAN is accused of violating federal law by using tax-deductible donations to fund its advocacy campaigns.

During the past year, RAN has conducted a campaign of harassment and intimidation against Boise Cascade. The Idaho Statesman invited our company to respond to a related column by Molly Ivins in today s paper.

We frankly don t understand Ms. Ivins perspective, because Boise Cascade is neither a party to the IRS complaint nor affiliated with the organization that filed it. However, we can understand why they might be concerned about some of RAN s actions. We are also concerned, particularly since RAN s activities include ties with some of the most extreme environmental groups. One of these groups is The Ruckus Society. Two others, EarthFirst! and The American Lands Alliance, support or are connected with the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), the organization that claimed responsibility for the arson fire which burned a Boise Cascade facility to the ground on Christmas Day 1999.

Several weeks ago, George J. Harad, Boise Cascade s chairman and CEO, sent RAN a letter asking that RAN sever its ties to these extremist groups. Excerpts from this letter, sent May 2 to RAN President Randall Hayes, are as follows:

Dear Mr. Hayes:

As you know, Boise Cascade has been meeting with the Rainforest Action Network to try to establish a dialogue about our forest management practices. We have been frustrated in this process because of RAN's refusal to halt its dissemination of false information about our company.

Now, the more we learn about RAN, its personnel, its associations, and its reckless and illegal activities, the more we question whether RAN is dealing with us in good faith. Specifically, we are very concerned about RAN's links to other radical organizations, and what this association says about RAN's true agenda, its honesty, and its willingness to use force and illegal activity to achieve its goals. These organizations include:

• EarthFirst!, which first came to the public's attention a few years ago on a "60 Minutes" segment about the group's "tree spiking" activities  activities that led to serious injuries. Boise Cascade is distressed that Mike Roselle, the founder of EarthFirst! and co-founder of RAN, continues to play a prominent role in EarthFirst! while serving as a RAN board member. Recently, a feature story in EarthFirst! Journal praised the actions of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) for its eco-terrorism activities and encouraged continued and expanded acts of terrorism. Since the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the arson fire which destroyed our Monmouth, Oregon, office on December 25, 1999, we have experienced firsthand the destructive violence that EarthFirst! now publicizes.
• American Lands Alliance (ALA): RAN and the American Lands Alliance have joined forces to campaign against Boise Cascade on a number of occasions, such as the April 26, 2000, Day of Action against Boise Cascade Office Products. We find this particularly disturbing as ALA has also been linked to the Earth Liberation Front. According to media reports, ALA staffer Frank Ambrose was arrested in January of this year in connection with an ELF spiking incident in 2000. In addition to the arson fire which destroyed Boise Cascade's Monmouth facility, ELF has claimed responsibility for over 30 similar acts of destruction, including arsons at Michigan State University, a Vail, Colorado, resort and numerous homes.
• The Ruckus Society, also founded by Mike Roselle, which conducts training camps for activists in the techniques of "direct action," a euphemism for violent intimidation and aggressive harassment. The Ruckus Society's role in the violent WTO protests in Seattle and the World Bank demonstrations in Washington, D.C., last year is well documented. Based on media accounts, we also understand that RAN's Jennifer Krill, who was recently arrested and charged in a RAN demonstration against Boise Cascade, is a Ruckus Society trainer. This concerns us greatly.

I am asking that you sever your ties to EarthFirst!, ALA, and The Ruckus Society and publicly disavow their policies and practices. I am also asking that you discontinue RAN's own support for and participation in similar policies and practices. RAN's links to these organizations are clearly deep and strong. We are very concerned about what these links say about RAN's own philosophy, agenda, and willingness to use violence and illegal actions. Severing these links and disavowing these practices would go a long way toward showing Boise Cascade and others that RAN is not an extremist organization.

Sincerely,

George J. Harad

Chairman and CEO

Although RAN has not responded to our letter, we continue to be extremely concerned about RAN s affiliations with such groups and their radical activities. In fact, EarthFirst! has announced its intent to conduct a protest action in Boise on July 19-25. We again call on RAN to stop its affiliations with these groups and its own lawless and radical activities, both in the Boise community and everywhere.

For more information about Boise Cascade s environmental practices, including forest stewardship and old-growth forests, please view the Environmental Perspectives available on our web site at http://www.bc.com/enviro/epcover.html.

Vince Hannity is Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Boise Cascade Corporation.