Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

DOI Faces Future Without Zinke -- Bear Essentials


America is at a Rubicon Moment in History by By Michael Shannon

(Allusion:  "crossing the rubicon": Julius Caesar's crossing the Rubicon river was an event in 49 BC that precipitated the Roman Civil War, which ultimately led to Caesar becoming dictator for life and the rise of the imperial era of Rome. ... Today, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is an idiom that means to pass a point of no return.)
~~

ZviDance will present the world premiere of Bears Ears in NYC




~~ Rollbacks proposed on Excessive EPA Water Regulation

~~ EcoWatch Screams, while Miners with Leases Go to Work 150,000 Acres of Public Lands Available Near Utah National Parks

~~ Benefits of EPA Reduction of Water Restrictions 
  "This means that hardworking Americans will spend less time and money determining whether they need a federal permit and more time growing crops, building homes, modernizing infrastructure, creating jobs and improving the lives of their fellow citizens."

~~ Sean Reyes and Rob Bishop on "short List' for Zinke Replacement




     Varying News Reports on Zinke's Resignation

~~Washington Post:   "Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke submitted his resignation to the White House on Saturday, facing intense pressure to step down because of multiple probes tied to his real estate dealings in his home state of Montana and his conduct in office."

~~ Zinke to leave at End of Year: CNN  "Some possible contenders for his position include Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller, who lost his re-election race, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
Zinke said in a statement on Saturday that he was proud of his work as interior secretary and called the allegations against him "false."
~~ New York Times Editorial Attacks Zinke "The New York Times ripped outgoing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Saturday as a cheerleader for President Donald Trump’s “boneheaded” policy of “energy dominance.” The editorial noted that Zinke is leaving his job under the shadow of an” impressive number” — 15 — “ethics investigations.”

~~ Why Wyss plans to buy $1 Billion in land to Save the Planet

       Response from Ben Burr: "You’ll notice that all of the land he plans to buy is in developing countries. This is just the latest instance of imperious Europeans colonizing the planet at the expense of indigenous peoples. History will be just as kind to Mr. Wyss as it has been to Columbus, Cortez, and Custer." 
Hansjörg Wyss was born in Switzerland, founded the medical device company Synthes and          now lives in Wyoming.

~~Wyss and Companies:  Bad to the Bone  2012 investigation 
"The company repeatedly ignored evidence of potential lethal consequences. Interviews with more than 20 former employees and surgeons involved in the Norian project, hundreds of pages of court transcripts, and company documents submitted in the case reveal that Synthes not only disregarded multiple warnings that it was flouting the rules, but also brushed off scientists’ cautions that the cement could cause fatal blood clots."

~~ Back Pack Grand Gulch with Conservation Lands Foundation $2600 in April 2019
"A portion of the trip costs goes to support the Conservation Lands Foundation's efforts to defend America's National Conservation Lands, including Bears Ears National Monument, while building and empowering the Friends Grassroots Network to protect them for the future. "



Friday, August 31, 2018

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: August 31, 2018~~


What is San Juan’s Vision Now for Bears Ears National Monument?

(Revisiting Jim Stiles Cartoon from 2016)

News in the West 

  
 ~~People who care about access and roads. This is where they'll decide which roads they're closing and what kind of travel will be allowed.
~~People who utilize the resources in the new monument boundaries or old monument boundaries. This includes gathering wood and plants, grazing, timber production, mining, surface mining and rockhounding, film production and professional photography, etc.
~~People who have private property inholdings or similar rights like water rights, grazing rights, mineral rights, etc.
~~People who recreate within new monument boundaries. This includes people who hunt or fish.
  • Send your letter to: Email: blm_ut_monticello_monuments@blm.gov
  • Mail: BLM, Canyon Country District Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532, Attention: Lance Porter  For further information concerning the land use planning process, please contact Lance Porter, District Manager at (435) 259-2100.













Response in the Petroglyph: “This smells a lot like the $500,000 dollars the Commission promised to the Discovery Center/Four Corners School. At the time it was said the Discovery center was going to bring in massive amounts tourists.
If the county wants to spend money how about picking up the bill for those who have spent years trying to keep access open to public lands. How about picking up the bill for the Recapture Protest, you could pay to fight the BLM over the 2009 raids, the fraudulent charges and $30,000 + thousand dollar fine two Blanding resident received for fixing part of a trail that was legal. How about supporting the citizens of San Juan County, instead of undermining everything they have worked for over the years.
This marketing campaign might be great for a private company but it is undermining everything the majority of citizens in the county have fought against with the monument.
The commission should have voted against it instead of endorsing. The full responsibility for this decision falls on the Commissioners.
But let's be honest this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone after the Four Corners School deal, the Nature Conservancy land sale, and many other backroom deals. Many that were addressed in the 2012 commission election and ever since but no one cared and now here we are again!”
Tim’s act of civil disobedience led to a legal battle. In the case of the U.S.A. vs. Tim DeChristopher, he faces penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.   While fighting the lawsuit, Tim co-founds a grass-roots group dedicated to defending a livable future through non-violent action and redefines patriotism for a new generation.”
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n Read Past Editions of Bear Essentials at: http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/
Documenting Bears Ears Controversy and Public Land Issues since July 2016
                                                                                                  

Monday, August 20, 2018

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: August 20, 2018


News in the West






One particular set of Forest Service regulations is commonly known as the “Roadless Rule.” Although the rule is intended to protect forests, Herbert said it has led to overgrown and unhealthy forests filled with dead trees.     Noting that neighboring states such as Idaho and Colorado have already enacted state-specific modifications to federal roadless rules, Herbert said it’s time for Utah to petition the U.S. Forest Service for a new Utah-specific roadless rule.”

The fear among environmentalists, then and now, is that the presence of oil and gas infrastructure will deter and divert tourists away from the Moab area, whose economy depends on an ever-expanding and insatiable recreation economy.    But has oil and gas development affected the numbers of tourists to visit nearby Dead Horse Point? According to park statistics, visitation has actually grown dramatically. Here are the numbers…           2003……………161,774
                                   2014……………333,488
                                   2017……………560,783

 

n  Remember 2016 Warning? Environmental Money Behind Bears Ears!

The policies of the new pro-Bears Ears county commission will align – to varying degrees – with the goals of a grand alliance: Utah Diné Bikéyah, Round River Conservation Studies, Friends of Cedar Mesa, the Conservation Lands Foundation, the Grand Canyon Trust, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Earth Justice, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Wyss Foundation, Wilburforce Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation and others. Several of the organizations are worth billions.

Other allies Maryboy’s and Grayeyes’ organization has counted on include some of the nation’s most prominent and politically aggressive outdoor recreation companies, specifically Patagonia, The North Face, REI, Black Diamond, Arc’teryx, Sage, OR, küat, Osprey, Yakima, Clif Bar and Mountain Hard Wear. The Conservation Alliance, whose membership includes 220 companies, also helps fund Utah Diné Bikéyah.”

….”MARYBOY BRINGS ALL THIS BAGGAGE to the San Juan County Commission. He’s been knee deep in muck for much of his political career, and now he’s deeply rooted in an alliance with multimillionaire “outsiders” whose multi-tiered goals might not align with the day-in, day-out needs of a cash-strapped, rural county.”

n  Greyeyes Back on SJC Ballot: Decision to Follow Election????

The ACLU of Utah provided printed flyers with details about how to identify district residencies, how to recognize ballot problems, and whom to call. They also published in-person polling locations and contact information for questions and concerns. The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, and the Rural Utah Project (RUP) launched voter registration drives to assist Native residents, who are now the demographic majority, as they grappled with identifying in the correct precincts and districts in which they live.
T.J. Ellerbeck, an RUP coordinator, organized a campaign in San Juan County that would assure voters that their registrations were correct. They also assisted with new voter registration. The group clarified any district changes that applied to a voter’s registration, what to expect of mail-in ballot procedures, how to vote by mail or in person, and how to recognize if ballots were not correct or tampered with.”
~~~~~~~
n Read Past Editions of Bear Essentials at: http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/
Documenting Bears Ears Controversy and Public Land Issues since July 2016