Arson Attacks on Research Center, Tree Farm

May 22 -- If vandals who ignited fires at a University of Washington research center and a Clatskanie, Ore., tree farm thought they were targeting enemies of the environment, they were mistaken, according to law enforcement officials.

Officials at the University of Washington estimate that damage at the Center for Urban Horticulture could reach $2 million by the time it is determined how many rare manuscripts were destroyed and how much research data was lost.

"Someone wants to terrorize good ecosystem research, good biology?" center director Tom Hinckley said. "That's pretty crazy."

At the Jefferson Poplar Farms in Oregon, two buildings and 18 vehicles were destroyed when explosives ignited a fire early Monday. Several unexploded incendiary devices were also found near the site.

Law enforcement officials say both fires were reported at around 3 a.m. on Monday, a connection that has led to speculation the two incidents might be linked.

Though no one has claimed responsibility for either fire, vandals painted "ELF" and "You cannot control what is wild!" on the side of one of the buildings at the tree farm.

The Earth Liberation Front, which since 1996 has claimed responsibility for arson attacks on lumber companies, developers, scientific research institutes and ski resorts that have caused nearly $50 million worth of damage, often leaves such signatures on its handiwork.

No Injuries, an ELF Signature

Police are not ready to blame environmentalists for the fires. "At this point in time, there's nothing new to say that any environmental eco-terrorist groups are responsible for this," Oregon State Police spokesman Greg Hastings said.

No one was injured in either incident, which has also become a signature of ELF. No one has been hurt in any of their attacks, and the group has repeatedly said through its spokesman in Portland, Craig Rosebraugh, that it is opposed to any violence against living things.

The group, described by the FBI as one of the most dangerous domestic terrorist organizations, is perhaps best known for its destruction of an expansion project at a Vail, Colo., ski resort that it said threatened the lynx, but has recently made news across the country targeting what it calls "trophy home" construction sites.