Cobble Creek, Remnant Ancient Forest

With Douglas-fir and sugar pine over six feet in diameter, the old-growth forest found on Cobble Knob is an island in a sea of young tree plantations-the last wild place of its size for miles.

In 1996, the BLM began cutting trees in the 110 acre Cobble Creek Timber Sale on Cobble Knob. The sale had not yet sold, but the BLM wanted to cut one tree per acre to "cruise" the sale (determine its worth at auction).

Remnant old-forests like Cobble Knob's are an important source of propugules of old forest species. Indeed, after the BLM began cutting trees, the cryptic paw lichen (Nephroma occultum) was found in some of the felled trees by an Oregon State University researcher. This species is a poor disperser and thus its elimination from Cobble Knob could have resulted in permanent loss of the species from the watershed.

The cryptic paw lichen primarily occurs high in the branches of trees older than 400 years in low elevation old-growth forests. Because we've logged more than 95% of low elevation forests and protected forests are almost entirely at middle and upper elevations, species like the cryptic paw lichen are at particular risk of extinction. Such losses could eventually harm the health of Northwest forests. The cryptic paw lichen, for example, converts nitrogen from the atmosphere to a form plants can use. The availability of fixed nitrogen is a critical factor in the growth of Northwest forests.

The Cobble Creek Timber Sale is a textbook case of the success of the survey and manage program. After the lichen was found, the BLM worked closely with OSU researchers to determine whether the sale could continue without wiping out the lichen and other old forest species. The scientists concluded that cutting the timber sale was not compatible with the BLM's responsibility to protect the species:

"Maintenance of the N. occultum population within the Cobble Knob area will require the maintenance of an old-growth stand. Placing Cobble Knob in a normal harvest rotation is likely to eventually eliminate N. occultum from the stand, even with green-tree retention. As the older trees are eliminated over time but not replaced, the N. occultum population would likely also be eliminated." (Rosso, A. L., B. McCune, T. R. Rambo. 2000. Ecology and conservation of a rare, old-growth-associated canopy lichen in a silvicultural landscape. Bryologist 103:117-127.):

Based on these conclusions, the Cobble Creek Timber Sale was canceled and a remnant, biologically important stand of old-growth forest was protected, benefiting the lichen, other old-forest dependent species and in the long run, the whole ecosystem. 

9/96

James Redfield, author of the best selling books, The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight, visited the ancient forests in the Cobble Creek timber sale today.

This tragic sale of public forests in the Umpqua River watershed will be auctioned to the timber industry on October 22 by the Roseburg Bureau of Land Management.

James spent the morning hiking through trees older than 550 years and bigger around than his 6 foot height. "It's terrible that these old trees are being sold, with taxpayer subsidy, too. It would take over five centuries to replace the diversity this forest gives us." Standing near the top of the mountain, Redfield looked at the diameter measuring tape around a green, healthy Douglas Fir that measured 83 inches across. "These trees are so marvelous, they should be named." James gave the 83" tree the name: "Celestine Tree".

This remnant forest of cathedral trees stands in a sea of tree farm plantations. It is among the last of the ancient genetic pool in the Cobble Creek watershed. It will be sold to the timber industry, under the laws of the Salvage Logging Rider which prohibits all citizen appeals on public forests.

While walking along the side of the mountain, Redfield was told that he was walking the site of a new road that BLM planned to bulldoze across the 65% steep slope. BLM, however, won't count the new Cobble Creek roads in their 'road inventory', because the huge new scars will be "temporary" roads.

"That's ridiculous" Redfield said. "How can they do this to our public lands, our children's heritage? These mountains belong to all American people, and this should not be taken from us. I wish the American people could know what is happening."

Redfield said that these forests should left for the wildlife that lives there, and that the forests should be valued for the spiritual benefits they offer all of us.

After Redfield left the majestic, condemned forests of Cobble Creek mountain, he traveled to the near-by Miller's View timber sale. Miller's View was a green healthy ancient forest that had been deforested this summer because of the Salvage Logging Rider's mandate that all old '318' sales, previously withdrawn because of their extreme detrimental environmental effects, must be clearcut.

At Miller's View, Redfield watched from a distance as huge claws picked up a giant tree trunk and placed it on a logging truck, and then watched the truck drive by him on its journey to the chipper. Later, Redfield walked among the fallen giants still laying on the ground and touched the bleeding stumps.

It is difficultto imagine Cobble Creek's majestic trees, some even bigger than the Celestine Tree, succumbing to the same fate.

Redfield said, "There are so few of these old places left, it's terrible that this destruction is happening. In the Southern United States, when I was boy, I could ride a horse for 20 miles without crossing a highway. Now it's gone there too. All the beautiful hardwood forests are being replaced by pine plantations. The forests of North America are connected to each other and to the forests in other parts of the world. We all need to find the old trees closest to our backyard and work to save them."

While at Miller's View timber sale, the BLM sale administrator asked, twice, what our purpose was for being there. Twice we told him we wanted to learn what was happening on our public forests. Later, as we were walking with Redfield in another recently burned and ravaged clearcut, a County Sheriff's deputy and a BLM law enforcement officer drove up and asked us what we were doing there. After we told them we were looking at our public forests, they got out a camera and took pictures of us.

As Redfield left Roseburg, he told us that he wouldn't forget - he would remember the terrible burned deforestation, and the incredibly beautiful Cobble Creek Mountain and the Celestine Tree. He said he would give the forests his energy and thoughts on October 22, when our children's heritage will be auctioned away to the highest bidder.

Fall 1996

Cobble Creek, Roseburg BLM -- A rare lichen, Nephroma occultum has been discovered in this already highly controversial timber sale. BLM had reached a decision in July to clearcut this mountain top of 110 acres, in spite of the fact that it was the last gene pool for many miles of rare healthy sugar pines and seven foot diameter old-growth Douglas Firs. The sale auction was scheduled for late October, 1996. The discovery of Nephroma occultum is further proof that Cobble Creek is indeed a rare and wonderful place. The lichen has been discovered in at least three sites throughout the sale area.

Abbey Rosso, a former Douglas County resident, now a Ph.D. student at OSU studying lichen ecology, toured the Cobble Creek timber sale on 9/22. Abbey discovered the rare lichen in the sale. Abbey looked at 6 trees, and found the rare lichen on 3 of them. The lichen trees were at two distinct sites, at opposite ends of the sale. Each site was at/near the beginning of the two proposed new roads!

When present, Nephroma occultum , occurs most frequently in the mid to upper canopy of old growth forests. It would take either a tree climber, or fallen limbs to discover this rare lichen. However, BLM illegally felled old-growth trees within the unit on the weekend of 9/14, so searching for this lichen was conducted on some of those trees.

Nephroma occultum is what the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) calls a "Rare nitrogen-fixing Lichen" and when found, BLM must manage for it. The NFP rules say: "As soon as the information becomes available, it should be used in the ...modification of activities".

Abbey contacted the BLM immediately and showed them the lichen locations on 9/25. While in the field with BLM, Abbey identified a third site in still another part of the sale, again on some trees BLM had harvested for the purpose of estimating the sale value, but without having completed proper environmental analysis.

BLM personnel collected samples of the lichen. There is no word yet from BLM what their planned modifications will be.

Previously, there were only 3 known occurrences of this lichen in the entire the Umpqua River Watershed. Appendix J2 of NFP says that this lichen grows almost exclusively in pristine old-growth forests over 400 years old. The age on three of the lichen trees were 440, 440 and 540 years old.

Environmental laws on page C-4 of the Northwest Forest Plan applies: "In most cases, the appropriate action will be protection of relatively small sites, on the order of tens of acres." It appears that BLM must protect "tens of acres" (minimum of 20 acres?) for each site location, including the locations at the beginning of the proposed roads.

However, appendix J2 of the Northwest Forest Plan recommends: "Protection of key sites for the species by designation of Botanical Special Interest Areas or Areas of Critical Environmental Concern are important mitigation for them."

In the spirit of ecosystem management, BLM should follow the scientific recommendation, andwithdraw the entire Cobble Creek timber sale.

They must set aside the 210 acre ancient forest on Cobble Mountain as an Area of Botanical Special Interest and an Area of Critical Concern.

 

9/19/96

Some of you couldn't help miss the three day drama that unfolded here in the Umpqua this weekend - BLM started cutting trees in the Cobble Creek Timber sale.

So what's the big deal? It's a timber sale isn't it? Isn't that where they usually cut trees? After all, out of the hundreds, or even a thousand ancient trees that are in the Cobble Creek sale, they were ONLY going to cut 100 for a little sale preparation. After we screamed and yelled for two days, they ended up only cutting 71. So what?

So - it was 'just a little bit'. But I didn't want ANY cutting in the Cobble Creek timber sale. We had a stand of public ancient forests with no previous sign of a chain saw. A person could hike (slowly) for hours, and feel like the world still had a wild place.

But more importantly than what I felt, is what the wildlife felt. How many birds and squirrels and fungi were displaced by the cutting of 71 old, big trees. And where will they go, if they survive at all?

Cobble Creek Mountain is an old forest that sits in a sea of young forest plantations - an amazing place that some how has escaped the wheels of industries paper factory. Cobble Creek Mountain is the last wild place of it's size for miles and miles. There's a stick of old-growth here, a strip there - just enough to remind us that it's gone -- except for the one lone mountain, Cobble Creek, still with it's head unshaven - the last long hair.

Since we recently welcomed a new endangered fish species on the Umpqua, like the Spotted Owl, we have to have a 'recovery plan'.

WHAT'S LEGAL
The Owl got the President's Forest Plan, option 9, as its recovery plan. This plan divided up the forests into a lot of categories - but the two main ones are: lands that are called Late Successional Reserves (LSR), and lands that are called Matrix. The owls got the LSR's, and industry got the matrix. Everybody is supposed to be happy. The owls won't go extinct because they can live in LSR's, and industry won't go extinct, for a while, because they can now liquidate all ancient forests on matrix lands.

Trouble is, a lot of what the owl was supposed to get was cut this summer in the Umpqua, because most of the rider's 318 sales were in LSR's.

Trouble is, much of what the owl got was not suitable owl habitat to begin with. Much of LSR land is clearcuts and young tree plantations, and the owl needs old-growth.

Thus, we have a family of owls living in a place called Pebble Creek. It is just over the ridge from Cobble Creek. They are living where they were assigned to live - in an LSR. But their patch of old-growth in this LSR is a bit small for a family that wants to grow. Much of the home they were given is like LSR's everywhere - devastated by past slash and burn clearcuts.

This year, Mom owl had two baby owls. Mom said, fine, we will just hunt a few mice over on that wonderful Cobble Creek mountain. And that's exactly what they were doing when the Eugene Sierra Club visited Cobble Creek Mountain last Saturday. Owls are a friendly sort, and went over and talked to the sierra clubers. For us humans, it is a rare and beautiful experience to mingle closely with a spotted owl in the woods, for it is a rare and beautiful bird.

But wait.... Cobble Creek is in the Matrix. Didn't we agree to let timber industry have the matrix? If industry can't cut in the matrix, then were can they cut? They can't get timber off of their own land - all the valuable old-growth stuff is gone.

The problem with Cobble Creek is that it complies with environmental laws.
Yes, it is legal to strip this mountain top of some of the last old-growth in Rock Creek (Cobble Creek flows into Rock Creek, which is the big watershed).

It is legal to gouge out a new road around a steep mountain side. It's even legal not to call it road. After all, it's just temporary.

It is legal to bulldoze a road right through the hart of a riparian reserve. (Riparian = wet lands, creeks). It's legal cut down six foot diameter trees and trees over 500 years old in the riparian reserve to build this road. It's legal not to call this road a road either. It's just temporary, and they will put it back the way it was.

It is legal to kill any spotted owl that depends on matrix land for food. BLM just has to get an "incidental kill permit". We gave those owls the LSR's, and that's that.

It is legal to kill 60% of the piliated woodpeckers and other cavity dwellers in the area.

It is apparently legal to remove the last of the old genetic gene pool of the rare Sugar Pine tree. The Forest Service stopped selling these trees since they are dying from an industry introduced disease. But BLM considers it legal to exterminate them, so why not, since they bring big money to the sale.

The saddest part is that it is legal to cut down every old ancient tree in a matrix watershed - every last one of them. Yes, that is legal. BLM has the right to give industry every 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 year old tree and pluck them right away from us and our children. They don't have to leave even one. What they do have leave is 15% of the watershed in 80 year old trees. That's good enough, they say. Who needs a 500 year old tree standing up. This is capitalism, and it's greatest worth is sliced up in the mills.

This is matrix land, and public forests or not, this land belong to timber production. The animals have their LSR over there. And that is the law.

There is one law, though, that Cobble Creek actually DOES break, believe it or not. This law says that the Forest Service and BLM must, on all public lands, matrix included: "Maintain and restore the distribution, diversity, and complexity of watershed and landscape-scale features to ensure protection of the aquatic systems to which species populations and communities are uniquely adapted."

Maintain and Restore watersheds. They must maintain and restore watersheds. This means they must NOT degrade watersheds. Cobble Creek's environmental analysis from BLM had one little sentience - just a tiny weenie sentience - where they admitted they were breaking this law: "...the watershed is not properly functioning based on the cumulative disturbance history. The proposed action would further degrade this indicator..."

I said to BLM - Say, what about this 'maintain and restore' law. Didn't you write here you were 'degrading' the watershed? BLM said back to me: This "has to be taken in context with the land use allocation". That means MATRIX. It only degrades it a little bit, and, after all, it is matrix.

What they really admitted is that the "Maintain and Restore" law is too esoteric for them to comprehend. It's not a direct measurement, like the width of a riparian reserve. Maintain and Restore is just too mysterious a concept to grasp, something like Ecosystem Management. It's easy to break this law - like "prove it".

JUST A LITTLE BIT
BLM is fond of this phrase. The Cobble Creek timber sale will degrade the watershed just a little bit. Of course it degrades the watershed 'only a little bit, because there is 'only a little bit' of watershed left to degrade! And it all been degraded 'only a little bit' at a time - one clearcut at a time.

This brings me back to recovery plans, and our new endangered species, the Cutthroat Trout (a type of salmon, a fish that spends part of it's life in the ocean).

One of the reasons I was so upset over BLM cutting just a little bit of the trees on the Cobble Creek timber sale, is that I had my hopes that the fish recovery plan would save Cobble Creek Mountain in its entirety. A fish recovery plan hasn't been developed yet, and until it is, the government agency in charge of endangered fish, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), was supposed to consult on all timber harvests.

Please, NMFS, I thought, please recognize the Cobble Creek timber sale for what it is - a little bit of destruction of the last little bit left to destroy. Please see the mountain as a sponge, and the four little streams flowing down it's sides. Please see that we need every little drop of clean cool water we can get. The fish are dying - it's no time to be political.

I was on the phone with NMFS on Monday, trying to get a quote from them to prove that BLM was breaking the law by harvesting trees in Cobble Creek. At first I was told that, yes, BLM doesn't have the proper paper work, called a Biological Opinion, to harvest anything anywhere.

Yes, they broke a law - it's a little law, but it's a law. It is unfortunate that we could not justify our protests of this sale on the fact that BLM is actually complying with the laws. Somehow, I felt I needed to find a real law they were breaking.

But a few minutes later, my hopes of a real law were dashed. Rob Jones from NMFS called me back. The story had changed, and even the tone of his voice was different. BLM wasn't REALLY breaking a law - they just had some missing paper work. NMFS told me that they don't like to make waves (no pun intended) when it is only a matter of paper work. Then he told me that the Cobble Creek timber sale had been reviewed in their office, and they felt like it complied with all the laws governing matrix lands. They were going to base their recovery plans only on these current laws.

They will allow the Cobble Creek Mountain to be clearcut. The current laws, mainly the president's forest plan that designates LSR's and matrix, were developed for the recovery of the Spotted Owl. Sure, they threw in some riparian buffers, - but they didn't stop logging/roadbuilding in riparian buffers, or clearcutting of ancient forests. They didn't mandate sustainable logging, which is replacing every 500 year old tree cut with a 500 year old tree. And they are allowing the eventual liquidation of every old tree on matrix lands, even in roadless areas.

So what did we do last weekend at Cobble Creek? We stood up and fought legal (almost) logging, not lawless logging. We directly saved the lives of 29 old, old trees, so they could live for another few months.

To their shock and dismay, BLM was in the unit cutting trees down when they got there. One big tree fell while they were there, and they saw two more big ones freshly cut on the ground.

BLM said they had to cut them down for cruising purposes - to estimate the volume for the sale - and BLM said they were going to cut down maybe 30-40 more trees - all the ones flagged with blue and white. One of the next ones they will cut down could be a 78" Douglas fir.

After BLM left - the group of 6 Auduboners split up. Three of the group were looking at some Douglas firs and sugar pines that could be eight feet across. Shannon, an experienced Spotted Owl caller - called for our bird friend.

An Owl answered - and appeared for them. Yes folks - there is a Spotted Owl in the Cobble Creek timber sale!!! They took print photos of it.

Why are they cutting trees down on a Saturday? One tree they cut down was 55" DBH, 540 years old, and in a riparian reserve - in a place where they aren't supposed to sell trees anyway.

I don't want them to cut down any more big old trees. I don't know if they are going to be cutting down trees tomorrow or not (Sunday) - but I'm not taking any chances. I'm leaving now to go sleep at the sale tonight. It is BLM that's cutting the trees, not timber industry - so I figure I have a chance to talk them out of it if they come in there in the morning.

---

Sunday, September 15, 6:00 p.m.: I was at the proposed Cobble Creek timber sale this morning (Sunday), and at dawn the cutters arrived. There were two BLM personnel, and two timber cutters. I asked the BLM why they were working on a Sunday. He responded that they are in a hurry and behind schedule. I told him that a spotted owl was seen in the unit the day before. He gave a noncommittal response.

I told the BLM person that this sale had not yet completed consultation under NMFS. He told me that if they couldn't sell Cobble Creek because of a 'may effect' ruling, then all the trees they were cutting now would just been good for 'down woody debris'.

Because of the recent ESA listing of the Umpqua Cutthroat Trout, no BLM projects can proceed without consultation. Unless BLM has a Biological Opinion from NMFS, or some other authorization, they cannot proceed with any action that "may effect" the Umpqua cutthroat trout. In all likelihood, they are breaking the law by proceeding with this timber cutting for check cruising purposes.

I obviously wasn't going to change their minds today. After the timber cutters left the parking area with one of the BLM personnel, I walked up to the top of the mountain. I could hear them cutting far away, down the north side of the unit, making their downed woody debris. I heard big trees crashing to the ground - 4 or 5 of them in an hour. The two saws were working at once. I felt helpless for awhile, then decided to count some tree rings on the big trees they cut yesterday - far from where they were working today.

I was laying on top of a new stump, estimating the tree at over 400 years old, when the police arrived. They told me they were putting a closure on the area, for my safety. There was one BLM law enforcement officer and one county sheriff. As the sheriff took my picture, the BLM police officially read me the closure, and told me that I, and any other member of the public, can no longer walk on Cobble Mountain, under threats of arrests, fines and imprisonment.

I left.

Most likely they will be cutting trees there tomorrow, and for who knows how long. Unfortunately, it's a weekend, and I can't call up BLM for an explanation. By the time their office opens up tomorrow at 8 a.m., the fellers will be half way through another work day.

I saw lots of trees with blue and white flagging around them - the trees that could get cut down in this "cruise". They are big, and they are old, and they are in an ancient forest that has never before seen a chain saw or stump, and has plenty of natural down woody debris. They have metal tags nailed to them giving their diameter.

The decision on Cobble Creek says it will be auctioned on October 22, but the BLM LEO told me today they will probably change that date.

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Monday, September 16, 8:00 a.m.: I called the BLM office this morning (541-440-4930) and asked why they were logging in the Cobble Creek timber sale without the required Biological Opinion (BO) from the National Marine Fisheries Service. (NMFS)

Mel Ingeroi, information manager for Roseburg BLM told me that they had submitted a list of current projects to NMFS, which included sale preparation for Cobble Creek. BLM did not specifically tell NMFS they will harvesting for sale some of the biggest and best old-growth in the stand for sale preparation. BLM is cutting 90 to 100 of the trees down now, so they can 'estimate the volume' for the sale.

Mel Ingeroi said that since this in an 'old growth' sale, they know that there is wood that is "damaged and defective". He said they have to cut down trees to come up with an estimation of "the good wood" in the sale. These are called '3 p' trees. Ingeroi said that the logging will likely continue for another three or four days.

Two days ago (Saturday), Eugene Auduboners visiting the sale discovered the illegal logging in progress. Later, they saw a spotted owl in the sale. I've since heard that this owl is likely from the family that lives in the LSR across the ridge, in Pebble Creek. The mother is currently raising two young. They often use the matrix stand at Cobble Creek for feeding grounds, because much of their designated LSR habitat is tree plantations and clearcuts. BLM did get an 'incidental' kill permit for the owls from NMFS.

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Monday, September 16, 10:00 a.m.: Logging was stopped this morning at the Cobble Creek timber sale, because of protesters blocking the road, according to Mel Ingeroi of the Roseburg BLM.

Ingeroi was unsure of how many protesters there were, or in what way they blocked the road. He could only say that they flashed their lights when the loggers, hired by BLM, approached the road block. The loggers then left. No arrests were made.

Ingeroi says that logging will likely continue later this week, possibly tomorrow morning. He is unsure how future road blocks in the same spot as this morning's protest will be dealt with. This morning's protest was on adjoining private land owned by Roseburg Forest Products. The public forests of Cobble Creek have access through RFP lands.

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Monday, September 16, 5:00 p.m.: Protesters this morning were able to stall, for at least one day, the logging of the Cobble Creek timber sale. When the loggers encountered the protesters in the road, they left immediately. The police did not come, and logging ceased for the remainder of the day. Since this sale adversely effects the habitat of the Umpqua Cutthroat Trout, BLM was supposed to have completed consultation with NMFS before they started cutting trees for sale.

This afternoon, Rob Jones from the National Marine Fisheries told me, concerning the endangered Umpqua Cutthroat Trout: "The Cobble Creek timber sale is a 'likely to adversely effect' action and is undergoing section 7 consultation right now. We are in the process of preparing a Biological Opinion. BLM doesn't have a Biological Opinion from us on the Cobble Creek timber sale because the process is underway."

But Rob Jones also said that it is only a matter of "paper work", and that BLM will likely get permission in the future to clearcut the entire mountain top.

The trees BLM is now logging will be later be sold with the entire 110 acres. This early cut of 100 trees is for estimating timber worth. These trees contribute significantly to the heart of this old-growth forest. It is just because these trees are old, that their worth to the timber industry is questionable. Old trees often have what the industry considers 'defects and damage', exactly what is most valued by wildlife.

Information officer, Mel Ingeroi said the BLM plans to resume harvesting, perhaps tomorrow, and that the pre-cut would be complete within 3-4 working days. BLM is sheltered from any citizen legal actions by the so called 'salvage logging rider'.

BLM also told me this morning that they did receive the proper incidental kill permit from the USFW for another endangered species, the spotted owls that use the Cobble Creek ancient forest for their foraging habit.

Road construction across 65% slopes and over riparian reserves will not begin until after the sale date, originally reported for October 22.

As of 9/15/96, BLM took all access to the Cobble mountain and forests away from the owners - the public. A closure is now in effect. The notice reads: "Notice is given that certain public lands and access roads in Douglas County, Oregon are temporarily closed to all public use, including but not limited to vehicle operation, camping, shooting, hiking, and sightseeing." and experiencing this ancient forest before it is taken from us forever.

"The purpose of this emergency temporary closure is to protect persons from potential harm from logging operations, to protect valuable public timber resources from unauthorized damage and to facilitate authorized timber harvest operations."

"Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of this closure order may be subject to ... a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months."

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Tuesday, September 17, 9:00 a.m.: Mel Ingeroi, information officer for the BLM, said today that no further cutting of trees at the Cobble Creek timber sale will be done until after the sale has been sold. Additionally, the closure notice has been lifted.

!!!!

We actually saved some huge trees marked near the top of the mountain, one of them is a beautiful 78" Douglas Fir! Saved for now that is. BLM had said yesterday that they had 3 to 4 more days of pre-sale cutting they planned to do. Ingeroi denies that BLM decided to stop cutting because the proper authority (B.O.) had not been received from NMFS.

Because BLM worked through the weekend, they were able to cut 71 trees in the unit. Their goal was 100, but they stopped early because they suddenly "figured that they probably had enough for the cruise purposes".

If anybody would like to organize a tour through the Cobble Creek timber sale, e-mail me to arrange for a guide.

One other tidbit... I've begun to analyze what coincidences mean in my life. I've just had a good one to mull over: About two hours after the police escorted me out of the sale on Sunday and issued a closure notice - my phone went dead. About two hours after the closure notice was lifted this morning, my phone started to work again.