In many ways, Earth First! is a "cousin", several generations removed, of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
Earth Fisrt! cofounder, Dave Foreman, was directly inspired by the Wobblies (among other sources) for the cultural foundations of Earth First!, but nobody can be entirely certain when IWW members first started discussing Earth First! (for better or worse) among themselves privately.
IWW member, Franklin Rosemont, alluded to ongoing dialog between himself and various Earth Firs!ers, including Roger Featherstone and Dave Foreman, but these wer mostly informal conversations.
In the May 1988 issue of the Industrial Worker, the IWW publically reached out to Earth First! in dramatic fashion. The following articles appeared there, as well as subsequent issues. A great many of them were written by Franklin Rosemont (most of them under various pseudonyms), who edited that publication at the time and went on to revitalize Charles Kerr press with his wife, Penelope Rosemont.
- Tree-Spiking and the Press - A Letter from Barbara Hansen to the Industrial Worker, February 1988
- Fellow Workers, Meet Earth First!: An Open Letter to Wobblies Everywhere - By x322339 (Franklin Rosemont), Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Earth First!ers, Meet the IWW: Notes on Wobbly Environmentalism - By x322339 (Franklin Rosemont), Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Spotted Owls and Jobless Workers - By Barbara Hansen, Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Workers and Wilderness - By Franklin Rosemont, Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Common Ground - By Randall Restless of Montana Earth First!, Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Earth First! & the IWW: An Interview with Roger Featherstone - By Franklin Rosemont, Industrial Worker, May 1988, from an interview Conducted March 31, 1988.
- Subvert the Dominant Paradigm! - By Lobo x99 (Franklin Rosemont), Industrial Worker, May 1988.
- Earth First! vs. the Rumor Mongers - By Lobo x99 (Franklin Rosemont), Industrial Worker, September 1988.
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Last Updated - July 1, 2026.