Friday, May 11, 2018

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: May 11, 2018~~


v Dr. Mike Kennedy, candidate for Utah senator will be in Monticello May 22,
   7 PM at the Hideout.  Get your questions ready.


v SL Tribune’s Take on Willie Greyeye’s Utah Residency

          Open house May 15 at Monticello Discovery Center 7 PM
“Approximately one-third of the acres removed from Bears Ears are wilderness or wilderness study areas and remain off-limits to claims. Finding a parcel that was previously part of Bears Ears, did not have an active claim and was not otherwise restricted to mining proved to be a bit of a challenge.” . . . In 2017, an estimated $75.2 billion worth of minerals were produced in the U.S. — up 6 percent from the previous year. And the Trump administration has prioritized boosting domestic production of minerals it has identified as “critical” to the economic and national security. A draft list of 35 minerals includes both uranium and vanadium, a malleable metal also found in the White Canyon area of southeastern Utah.”
“Despite the vital importance of minerals, the previous Administration took dozens of anti-mining actions which, if left in place, will stifle job creation, decimate local economies and disrupt public education funding streams. This overreach locked up millions of acres of Federal lands under false pretenses and harmed our nation’s domestic mineral supply…”

n  The Hammond Plot Thickens: Was Uranium on Malheur land the real reason for prosecution of ranchers?
Peter Thiel—the founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, is also an investor in carbon neutral nuclear production and the future of mining uranium. His new startup company is called Helion Energy.
“Through the years, Wenrich searched for uranium deposits in northern Arizona, which, says the U.S. Geological Survey, has “the highest uranium potential in the country.” After spending $100,000, she staked 71 mining claims with joint interest in another 94 claims. In fact, she had a $200,000 agreement to sell 61 of the claims. Yet, in 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar closed more than a million acres of federal lands from mining, blocking her from selling the 61 claims, developing her other claims, or exploring for more uranium resources.”
n  The Coup d’état Over Idaho Land -- Goal: Identifying species and habitat for corridors which can be used to place large tracts of land into conservation for connectivity to other protected areas, convincing private land owners to place their land into conservation easements, buying land through NGOs and the federal government, erasing jurisdictional boundaries between counties, states, and countries, and creating a regional environmental governance.  This CSP graphic gives a visual picture of just a few groups who are involved in controlling public land use. 

              (San Juan County is also impacted by many of these:)




             Other Articles/ Events of Local Interest             
            Documenting Bears Ears “No Monument” efforts since July 2016                                                                    

Monday, April 30, 2018

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: April 30, 2018~~

v   Type in Address to Find Your Commissioner Voting District

Attention citizens in San Juan County District 3--  Rebecca Benally and Kenneth Maryboy are the only two candidates running for commissioner in this district. Both are running as Democrats in the primaries, and there is no Republican candidate. If you’re registered as a Republican the ONLY viable way you can vote is to request a democratic ballot for the primaries.  Please contact Janet Wilcox 678-2851 or respond to this e-mail Before May 4 if you’re willing to do this!  Rebecca has gone out on a limb multiple times to help us in the Bears Ears fight.  She needs our support NOW in getting reelected! 
  
v SPEAR Meeting Tues. May 1 Monticello Court House 7 PM
Anyone who has an interest in maintaining their access to public lands is invited to attend. This includes not only ATV riders, but also jeepers, hikers, bikers, and others. Spear is an organization that not only builds and maintains trails, but fights to insure your public access rights are not denied 

v Dr. Mike Kennedy, candidate for Utah senator will be in Monticello May 22, 7 PM at the Hideout.  Get your questions ready.



The Antiquities Act does not give the federal government unlimited power to lock up millions of acres of land and water, and it is time we ended this abusive practice.  This executive order will end this egregious abuse of federal power, and give that power back to the states and to the people, where it belongs.

n  US President and Vice President Speak : Role of states and public lands/ accomplishments for this administration.








n  Free Range Report’s take on the case: Poor Me Defense
n  Arrow to the Heart: The Custer Battlefield Museum vs the Fed. Gov
                 Other Articles/ Events of Local Interest                                               
            Documenting Bears Ears “No Monument” efforts since July 2016                                                                    

Saturday, March 24, 2018

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: March 24, 2018~~

* Meet March 26 to give Input on Management of Bears Ears

          Write to the BLM by April 11 (follow link above)

* Utah DOGM Preserves Mining History


* Zinke Focused on Draining DOI Swamp

“Zinke proposed reorganizing his department giving more authority to regional offices. His reasoning was that managers with their feet on the ground have the most knowledge of their resources in order to foster multiple use management, the mission of the Department of Interior.”

v  Get Ready for the First Bar-B-Q of Spring  Vegan humor



“March 4, we heard Congressman Gosar’s response to several subjects that included Clean, Drain & Dry, the 2nd Amendment, Buffalo in the Grand Canyon, the quandary of Feral Burros and Horses, the destruction of the desert southwest because of illegal immigrants and much, much more.”



                Other Articles/ Events of Local Interest
v Pipe Line Is Not Worth the Cost  Opinion/Josh Warburton
v Contact for 3rd District Representative:  John Curtis https://curtis.house.gov/contact/email
                                                                 ~~~~~~    

v Strange but True San Juan Connections

v Bluff Founders Day Schedule Attached                 

 http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/          
                     Documenting Bears Ears “No Monument” efforts since July 2016                                                                     

Sunday, March 18, 2018

San Juan Hill is Sacred to Many San Juan Residents

                     “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture
is like a tree without roots.”        Marcus Garvey

                                                                                                                    
There have been many fear mongers who have tried to drive a wedge between stake- holders concerning Bears Ears National Monument.  I greatly appreciate that local agencies are giving all county residents this opportunity to respond and hope you will both listen and read carefully and respond accordingly.
Over 35 years ago, I helped to prepare several annual reports for Utah Navajo Development Council (UNDC).  As I worked with that agency, one philosophy that stood out dramatically, was their mantra: “Those most directly affected by decisions, should have a say in those decisions.”  I believe that is a wise and productive philosophy in managing families, businesses, and public lands.
I recognize that public lands should be available to the public, but I do believe that local residents living adjacent to the lands affected, should have a decidedly stronger influence on policies.  We live here; we are impacted regularly, (for some daily) by government decisions.  Ours is not a seasonal visit, or a well-funded campaign that entices tourists to come.  We love and care about San Juan County, every day in multiple ways.
 For this reason, policies that affect livelihood and landscape must protect the rights of citizens in those counties and states.  State sovereignty must be protected, or we become a colony to an overreaching federal government, which early patriots warned about over 240 years ago. Monuments should never be used as a tool by environmental special interests to prohibit traditional activities such as mining, grazing, farming, off-roading, hunting, water storage, or other forms of economic development within the counties.
One of my concerns is that “sacred lands” must be available to those who hold them sacred. This applies to both Native and Anglo people of San Juan County.  As these groups strive to preserve their culture and heritage, they need to have access to those sacred sites. I have helped to collect, write and publish San Juan County history for over 30 years (Blue Mountain Shadows), and I am particularly passionate about passing on the torch of understanding and appreciation of culture and history to the next generation – of both Anglo and Native alike.  We must give the current, and future generations “roots” if the valuable lessons of the past are to continue.

One such “sacred site” is San Juan Hill, the last, and almost insurmountable obstacle to the original Hole in the Rock caravan of 1880. In order to perpetuate and preserve the significance of that pioneering expedition, there is no better teacher than experiencing the difficulty and dedication of those long-suffering pioneers. For that reason, youth groups must be afforded those valuable experiences that cannot be replicated through books.  They must experience hardships, if they are ever to learn they can do hard things.   I urge you to treat all San Juan County cultures with equity and validation, and allow them opportunities to learn, understand, and perpetuate their valued history and culture in these national monuments.