Area activist to relocate before trial

Alleged ecoterrorist Frank Ambrose has packed his bags for Detroit.\nAuthorities have accused Ambrose, a vocal area environmentalist, of driving 10-inch nails into trees set aside for logging in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest last June. The FBI said Ambrose, 26, is the first individual arrested in connection with the Earth Liberation Front, an ecoterrorist group.\nELF, a loose-knit underground organization, has taken credit for $37 million in property damage across the country. It was active in Monroe County last year, destroying construction equipment and burning down a house in a subdivision on the west side.\nAmbrose maintains that he is innocent, and his lawyer, Richard Kammen, said Ambrose is not affiliated with ELF. \nAmbrose filed change of address notification with the Monroe County Circuit Court earlier this month. According to the court document, he'll head to Detroit, where his wife has family. \nAmbrose was charged with timber spiking, a class D felony, and must appear in court April 5 for a pretrial conference. \nKammen could not be reached for comment Monday.\nLocal activists who believe Ambrose is innocent plan to protest outside the Justice Building during the hearing, as they did during his Feb. 2 arraignment. Monroe County Sheriff Steve Sharp said he would keep extra deputies on hand for the hearing and is working on other safety measures. \nThrough e-mail mailing lists, ELF has declared April 5 a national day of "direct action," which could include violent acts of protest.