Activist Climbs Down From Tree

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(BLOOMINGTON) - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is defending its decision to arrest a man for climbing into a tree in an attempt to prevent logging in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest near Bloomington.

25-year-old Shawn Putnam of Fresno, California was booked Monday into the Monroe County Jail for trespassing. Two of his companions were given warnings.

Conservation Officer Angela Goldman says Putnam only agreed to climb down from the tree to avoid resisting arrest charges.

The tree is owned by a private timber cutter company. Two environmental groups are staging "tree-sit" protests to raise awareness about logging activities in the forest. They say the practice could cause soil erosion and other damage.

In 2001, environmentalists held a tree-sit for eight months in a red oak tree in Yellowwood State Forest that had been sold for timber. A state official prevented the sale after opponents agreed to end the protest.

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