William C. Rodgers

William C. Rodgers (also known as Bill Rodgers and Avalon) (died December 21, 2005) was a environmental activist, animal rights activist and a co-proprietor of the Catalyst Infoshop in Prescott, Arizona, USA. He was one of six environmental activists arrested December 7, 2005 as part of the FBI's Operation Backfire. His charge was one count of arson for a June, 1998 fire set by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) at the National Wildlife Research Center in Olympia, Washington. He was found dead in his jail cell on December 21, 2005. According to police, Rodgers committed suicide using a plastic bag.

Rodgers first adopted deep ecology style thinking and engaged in Earth First! activism at Mt. Graham telescope project protests of the early 1990s in Arizona. He lived out of his Toyota 4x4 as he traveled North America's wild lands and became involved in many Earth First demonstrations of that time. Rogers was one of the few long-term activists to camp out in snow caves in central Idaho's deepest wilderness during the Cove/Mallard timber sale in the winter of 1994/1995.

His experiences and exposure in some of the last true wild lands of this planet must have further radicalized Avalon beyond the civil disobedience activism of Earth First. EF style civil disobedience was at the time was under consideration as possible terrorism by the US Congress in hearings of select subcommittees. 'Avalon was a long term Earth First activist, one of the occupation activists of the Cover/Mallard Idaho protests for years and was one of 4 whom constantly camped out in snow-caves monitoring the only logging of Noble Road in the winter of January to March 1995 in 12-foot deep snow and sub-zero temps. After witnessing the destruction of "America's Amazon Jungle" where for hundreds of miles around was wild untouched mountainous forests, 'Avalon became disenfranchised with mere civil-disobedience tactics and became radicalized. Avalon briefly secluded himself in spring of 1995 only to reappear at the Earth First 11-month-long occupation of the Warner Creek timber sale or 'Free Cascadia' in Oregon. During these times Avalon always spoke of being a witness for the defenseless and was a peaceful presence.

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