NEW MILFORD TOWNSHIP -- Some Hollywood star power showed up to help in the effort to save trees a family uses to make maple syrup.
He arrived in Susquehanna County as a company began the effort to cut down trees for a natural gas pipeline project.
Actor James Cromwell has been in numerous Hollywood films and TV shows. Now he's among the people joining the fight to save trees in Susquehanna County.
We told you earlier this week about the natural gas company's plan to cut down trees, just as a family is tapping them for their maple syrup business.
We were there when the star made a surprise visit.
Cromwell heard about Megan Holleran and her family's small maple syrup business near New Milford, fighting against a company planning to cut down their tapped trees to make way for a major natural gas pipeline, and possibly do it in a matter of days.
"You have to fight it," Cromwell said. "Whenever anyone resists, you have to be there because there aren't enough of us yet because people are apathetic."
So Cromwell tried the family's maple syrup and joined a group of supporters from all over who heard about the fight and came to help stop the tree cutting after a federal judge ruled the Constitution Pipeline can use eminent domain to cut through the Holleran family land.
"The support has been incredible," said Megan Holleran. "We get to meet these incredible people, who put their time, their money, and their reputations and come out here and say, 'Hey, we're with you.'"
James Cromwell went to see the area where tree cutting along the planned pipeline has already begun. It was underway a few miles away earlier in the day.
Cromwell knows showing up draws attention to himself. He's involved in protesting other natural gas activity.
"They want to come to me because there's a little celebrity here," he said. "But I know less than all these people. But I care as much because I care about this land and the people who live here. I care about this country. I care about our democracy."
When and if the crews come to cut down the trees, there will be a group waiting. They plan to be there until the end and hope that makes a difference.
"We'd really like to see this resolved peacefully on both sides and in a way that isn't people chaining themselves to trees," Holleran said. "We don't want cops, we don't want police, we don't want anyone to get hurt. We don't want any kind of a problem. We just want to be treated fairly."
Most other landowners along the proposed line through Susquehanna County have agreements with the Williams company. It says eminent domain here was a last resort.
"We are really trying to keep our land and keep our trees and all these people have no direct interest in our property, yet here they are in the wind and cold to support us and show people do care," said landowner Maryann Zeffer.
Williams calls the Constitution Pipeline a "direct highway" linking the Marcellus Shale gas in Susquehanna County with New York and New England.
A spokesperson for the pipeline company says the Hollerans refused twice the market value to use their land, and due to other obstacles, Williams can't reroute the pipeline at that spot.