In Celebration of Earth Day, Save the Wild UP invites you to stop by our office for refreshments, door prizes and information! Learn how you can get involved in promoting sustainable environmental practices and protecting our beautiful UP from destructive mining proposals.
Tuesday April 17 & Thursday April 19
11:00am-4:00pm
OPEN ‘til 7:00pm on THURSDAY
MARQUETTE — The fourth annual Celebration of the U.P., sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), will be held on Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31, at the Landmark Inn, Peter White Public Library and the Federated Women’s Clubhouse (the corners of Front Street and Ridge Street) in Marquette. Continue reading
Kickoff Schedule:
CALL to RALLY: Drumming
Welcome and Introduction of the Campaign
SPEAKERS:
Rev. Jon Magnuson
Dr. Allan Olson
Laura Gauger, WI
Scott Rutherford
Sing-a-long with Circle of Friends and Cora Thiele
Drummers and Chanting
Art activity for children
Information Table
Pure WATER
Evening in Big Bay:
RALLY at the Mine Site Gate: Saturday, July 9, 4:30 pm
Food and Social in Big Bay
Fireworks, 10:30 pm, Squaw BeachOn Saturday, July 9, concerned citizens of Upper Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, and Lower Michigan will launch their ongoing, organized “U.P. Grassroots Campaign to Defend our Water and Stop the Eagle Mine.”
Led by WAVE (Water Action Vital Earth), the action partner of SWUP (Save the Wild U.P), the campaign kicks off with a rally on Saturday, July 9, on the steps of the Marquette County Courthouse at 1:00 pm.
Featured speaker will be Laura Gauger of Wisconsin, author of the book, The Buzzards have Landed. Other speakers include Dr. Alan Olson, addressing the importance of water, Jon Magnuson of the Cedar Tree Institute, and longtime activist Scott Rutherford of Hancock.
Speakers will make the case that the mine poses a clear and present danger to our watersheds of Lake Superior, and to the health of local citizens for generations to come.
WAVE holds that this mine is only the beginning of exploitation, and will lead to water contamination on a scale hitherto unknown in this area.
Following the rally, participants will travel to public lands near Eagle Rock for a time of meditation and reflection, before going to Big Bay for a picnic supper and Big Bay’s annual Fireworks.
The purpose of the campaign is to arouse, inspire, and mobilize our citizens to make a renewed effort to block the mine. Its specific objective is to convince Governor Snyder to issue an executive order to halt work on the mine and call for a complete third party environmental impact study (EIS) on every aspect of the Eagle Mine project.
WAVE, in March, had appealed to the governor do so because of the grave danger the mine posed to our water resources and our health. He refused, an action WAVE and SWUP found unconscionable.
Scott Rutherford, 77, a veteran and member of WAVE, is planning an extended, open-ended fast, beginning July 9.
Scott says, “The fast is, in part, an appeal to Governor Snyder to reflect on the moral implications of his refusal to call a halt to work on the mine.”
Campaign planners are working on several events during the summer and fall, including walks on the Yellow Dog Plains, special speakers and workshops, street theatre presentations, fund-raising socials, and an area-wide conference.
Everyone of good heart is welcome to participate in all events, say the members of WAVE and SWUP. Updated information will be continually provided on this website.
Recently the DNRE announced a public comment period for leasing over 4000 acres of mineral rights to Kennecott for further exploration. The exploration would take place in Southern Marquette County, Northern Dickinson County, and Southern Houghton County.
Tom Hoane
FMD DNRE
P.O. Box 30452
Lansing, MI
48909-7952
To help prepare yourself to attend the MDEQ’s public hearing for Kennecott’s proposed 22-mile haul ‘highway’ on Wednesday, February 10 at the Westwood High School, 7:00 pm, Please Read the Permit Analysis written by Cynthia Pryor.
Please Attend Public Hearing: February 10th, 7:00pm, at the Westwood Auditorium, the DEQ will hold a public hearing to decide if they will approve Kennecott’s "Woodland south road". The Application calls for the destruction of 31 acres of wetlands, and the cut of a 22.3 mile industrial haul road through the undeveloped Michigamme Highlands area.
The road will cross 100 year flood plains of a number of rivers, and there is no plan in place for dealing with fugitive dust. Not only will this road open up beautiful tracts of undeveloped land to commercial use, but will subject sensitive wetland areas and wildlife habitat to heavy metal pollution through fugitive dust.
Article on The Proposed South Road from The Ojibwe Mazina’igan
Click Here For Public Hearing Announcement
Click Here to Read the Permit Application submitted by John Cherry of Kennecott
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 22, 2009
CONTACT: Kerry Fitzpatrick 517-373-1263 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
The Department of Natural Resources will hold a public meeting in January to help wildlife officials identify species in need of special attention as the DNR develops habitat management plans across the state.
The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Comfort Inn & Suites, located at 2424 South Mission St. in Mt. Pleasant.
The DNR Wildlife Division recently has completed a management plan for bears and currently is writing a plan for white-tailed deer. In addition, wildlife officials have developed a list of featured species and are asking the public to help focus on the habitat needs of those and other species.
“Knowing which wildlife species Michigan citizens value most will help in the effective management of wildlife habitat,” said DNR wildlife habitat specialist Kerry Fitzpatrick. “These meetings are an important step in creating a wildlife habitat program.”
Featured species are those that are highly valued and have a habitat issue the DNR can address. They may include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or insects. The needs of these species will impact habitat management decisions.
“We’re asking the public: Did we miss any important species?” Fitzpatrick said. “How should we prioritize these species? These are questions we need to answer before we embark on major habitat management efforts.”
All interested parties are encouraged to attend and participate. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the meeting should contact Kerry Fitzpatrick at 517-3737-1263 or fitzpatrickk@michigan.gov, at least seven days prior to the meeting to request mobility, visual, hearing or other assistance.
Written comments may be sent to Kerry Fitzpatrick, DNR Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 30444, Lansing, MI 48909-7944 or fitzpatrickk@michigan.gov. Written comments will be accepted until Jan. 15, 2010.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future generations.
Marquette- The Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Downwind Sports, and Students Acting to Save Michigan Water will be hosting the national Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival this November. The festival will be a two night event, November 5th and 6th, in Jamrich 103 on the campus of Northern Michigan University.
The films address a range of environmental issues, from urban organic gardening to hydroelectricity to the impact of roads in wilderness areas. “I love the way each film focuses on issues that we all face, no matter what your beliefs are, but in a way that is visually exciting and very inspiring. All of the films have fantastic cinematography and lively soundtracks,” said Emily Whittaker, Executive Director of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. “It’s great that our community is going to be part of this national circuit of festivals.”
The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival is now the largest environmental film festival in the country, with over 100 venues nationwide. The main goal is to inspire activism in those who attend, and make a lasting impression on the environment. Marquette’s venue will show 10 films over two nights and feature local experts on the subject of each film.
For more info, Click Here
Contact:
Emily Whittaker
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
906-345-9223
Request More Information
(Based on findings from the Red Dog Mine in Alaska)
A study done by the National Park Service in Alaska illustrates the dangers of the Kennecott South Haul Road. The Red Dog Mine in Alaska has a 51 mile haul road, and heavy metal pollution from Fugitive Dust flying off mining trucks has severely polluted the frozen tundra over a mile away from the road. Despite damning evidence of the pollution, nothing has been done, and plans for a second mine are currently being approved.
Below are maps from the NPS study, indicating the extent of pollution at the Red Dog Mine, as well as a projected pollution map for the proposed south road. In Alaska they were dealing with Lead and Zinc, and the problem of sulfuric acid drainage was non-existent because of very little precipitation and permafrost; in the U.P. we will be looking at Uranium dust, Sulfuric Acid, Zinc, Nickel, etc.
“Anchorage, Alaska – Today, Alaska Community Action on Toxics released newly discovered information concerning high levels of lead and zinc contamination at the Red Dog Mine port site. A monitoring program conducted at the Red Dog mine’s port site in the mid-1990s found lead levels in soils as high as 36,000 parts per million (“ppm”) and zinc levels as high as 180,000 ppm, far in excess of state cleanup standards of 1,000 ppm for lead and 8,100 ppm for zinc. Although the monitoring program was conducted at the request of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), this information was never released to the public.”
Read More
Pb Pollution Corridor
Projected Pollution if the U.P. were covered by permafrost. In actuality, the corridor of pollution would likely be much larger because the U.P. is covered with flowing water.
Southroad Projected Pollution
“The Red Dog Mine Haul Road traverses 24 miles of National Park Service (NPS) lands in Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR), Alaska. Ore trucks use the road to transport 1.1 million dry tons of lead-zinc concentrate annually from the mine to a port site on the Chukchi Sea. In the summer of 2000, moss and soil samples were collected from six transects perpendicular to the haul road in CAKR. Laboratory analyses were performed on the moss Hylocomium splendens, soil parent material, road dust, and substrate from materials sites. Analysis revealed a strong road-related gradient in heavy metal deposition. H. splendens was highly enriched in lead (Pb > 400 mg/kg), zinc (Zn > 1800 mg/kg), and cadmium (Cd > 12 mg/kg) near the haul road. Concentrations decreased rapidly with distance from the road, but remained elevated at transect endpoints 1000 m – 1600 m from the road (Pb >30 mg/kg, Zn >165 mg/kg, Cd >0.6 mg/kg). Samples collected on the downwind (north) side of the road had generally higher concentrations of heavy metals than those collected on the upwind (south) side.”
Read More
Protect the Earth Agenda
Saturday August 1st
Workshops, Dance and Music: Northern MI University, Whitman Building, Whitman Commons (Rooms 122 and 124), and West Science Building, Mead Auditorium, Marquette, MI, 12-4 pm and 6-8 pm (See Details Below)
Workshop Speakers Include, Saturday 12-4 pm, Whitman Building, Whitman Commons, Rooms 122 and 124:
Lorraine Rekmans: Serpent River First Nation (Uranium Mining)
Al Gedicks: University of LaCrosse WI, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, Author and Filmmaker (WI Grassroots Multicultural Movements)
Laura Furtman: Author (Pollution at Kennecott’s Flambeau Mine, WI)
Stuart Kirsch: Anthropologist, University of MI (Indigenous Movements, Papua New Guinea)
Eric Hansen: Writer and Traveler (The Upper Peninsula, A Spiritual Homeland)
Lee Sprague: Sierra Club Clean Energy Campaign Manager and Former Ogemaw of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Mike Collins: Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition
Tim DeChristopher: University of Utah student, Oil and Gas Drilling
Music 12-4pm Throughout Workshops and 15 Minute Breaks, Whitman Building, Whitman Commons Room:
Victor McManemy: Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination, Musician
Skip Jones: Wisconsin Folksinger, Educator and Social Activist
Music and Dance:Whitman Commons, 6-7:30pm
Megan Tucker: Anishinaabe Fancy Shawl and Hoop Dancer
Bobby “Bullet” St. Germaine: Ojibwe Folksinger
Movie demo: Mead Auditorium, New Science Facility NMU: 7:40-8:00pm
“Yoopers vs. Giant Mining Corporation”, NMU Mead Auditorium, Right Across from the Whitman Building, 7:30-8 pm
Sunday August 2nd
Walk to Eagle Rock (2 miles): Meet and Park at the Clowry Trail, Follow the Signs from County Rd. 510, 10:30 am
Bring your blueberry pails! (Rides will be provided back to your vehicles, and if you cannot walk the two miles please meet at Eagle Rock for lunch and speakers at 12pm) (Also, see directions below)
Lunch,Speakers,Ceremony: Eagle Rock, 12-2pm
Fred Ackley, Fran Van Zile, Jerry Burnett: Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa
Jessica Koski: Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Sacred Sites)
Lee Sprague: Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Al Gedicks: WI Resources Protection Council
Eric Hansen: Traveler, Author
Lorraine Rekmans: Serpent River
Bobby “Bullet” St. Germaine: Lac du Flambeau
Kenn Pitawanakwat: Manitoulin Island
Tom Williams: Lac Vieux Desert
Visit yellowdogsummer.wordpress.com for more information or call 906.942.7325
