Members of Rainforest Relief's Northwest Chapter demonstrated outside the Cost Plus World Market store at 2315 NW Westover Road in Portland today to compel the chain to end their sales of furniture made from wood from the endangered rainforests of Indonesia.

The demonstrators carried a banner which read, "Cost Plus Destroys Rainforests -- Rainforest Relief".

During the demonstration, one of the activists phoned the store and spoke with the store manager, inviting her to come down to the demonstration and talk.

About 45 minutes later, Laura Hyland, General Manager of the store, spoke to the activists. At first, she claimed that all the furniture was made of wood from plantations, but Jeff Lockwood, the Northwest Chapter director, explained that the nyatoh was being logged from primary forests and that almost all logging in Indonesia is being done illegally.

The manager agreed to send our information to a number of vice presidents and buyers in the company. Following up with her in a half hour, she informed Jeff that she had sent the email and asked if the acitivists would therefore stop picketing her store.

We agreed to the 'cease-fire' with the stipulation that Ms. Hyland would keep us informed as to the results of the messages and would continue to follow up with us on the issue. This is the kind of result we like from a demonstration at an individual store.

Keep the pressure on Cost Plus by sending postcards, calling or emailing (see "Send a Message to Cost Plus World Market!" elsewhere on our home page).

After the Cost Plus demonstration, the activists stopped into a nearby Smith & Hawken store and were dismayed to see a large amount of teak outdoor furniture on sale. This furniture comes from an operation in Indonesia that has lost its FSC certification status due to the company's inability to control illegal logging. At this time, illegal logging in Indonesia accounts for 75–95% of exports.

We'll be following up with Smith & Hawken and will keep you informed. In the meantime, avoid all teak.