Exxon Invading Idaho Wilderness with Tar Pit Sands Trucks
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
In addition to the issue below, I have learned that Governor Otter has pledged Idaho’s ‘help’ in regard to the transportation of Tar Pit Sands equipment by offering up use of Idaho’s largest campground and gateway into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness as a parking lot for the Canada-bound vehicles.
Wilderness Gateway Campground has over 90 units and is located just off highway 12, which is along the proposed route of the equipment. It is the trailhead for Stanley Hot Springs. Weir Creek and Jerry Johnson Hot Springs are both accessible from highway 12 as well.
From Friends of the Clearwater…
The Exxon Mobil Corporation has been developing a huge open pit mine in Alberta, Canada for a few years now. This project has been referred to in the media as the Tar Pit Sands project. This project effects the Clearwater Basin because the oil processing equipment is being shipped up the Columbia River Basin this summer, and then unloaded at the Port of Lewiston. The equipment is then being loaded onto trailers and driven up the Wild & Scenic Lochsa River corridor, up and over Lolo Pass into Montana, and eventually into Canada. Transporting of these mega rigs are to begin in early fall. The dimensions of the rigs are between 170′–210′ feet long, approximately 25′ feet wide, and up to 30 feet tall. Over 200 of these industrial processing rigs will weigh up to 550,000 pounds.
As you may be aware, the local and regional media has just begun to report on this critical issue and citizen awareness has just begun. Many citizens and environmental groups are outraged about the fact that there has been no public involvement or scoping done by public officials and there has also not been any environmental review. Public meetings in townships along Route 12 are supposed to be announced, but so far they have not taken place. For the most part, the public has been kept in the dark and the potential ecological consequences have been swept under the rug.
Therefore, Friends of the Clearwater is asking you to Take Action and write a letter or send an email to the Idaho Transportation Department, Governor Butch Otter, and the editors of our local papers. You can reach Alan Frew of the Idaho Transportation Department at: 3311 W. State Street, PO Box 7129, Boise, Idaho 83707-1129, Attention Alan Frew or email him at Alan.Frew@itd.idaho.gov. You can also call the department to voice your concerns at (208) 334-8000.
You can contact Governor Butch Otter by emailing him at governor@gov.idaho.gov or submitting comments via his web site at http://gov.idaho.gov/WebRespond/contact_form.html. You can call his office at (208) 334-2100.
If you wish to contact the editor’s of the Lewiston Tribune, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, or the Idaho Statesman they can be reached at letters@lmtribune.com, letters@dnews.com, and editorial@idahostatesman.com. Both the Tribune and the Daily News have 250 word limits and the Statesman has a 200 word limit.
Here are some important talking points you may wish to consider:
Rt. 12 is a federally designated Scenic Byway (Northwest Passage Scenic Byway) and All-American Road
Rt. 12 runs through the heart of the Nez Perce Reservation and historic Lewis & Clark country
Rt. 12 parallels 2 federally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers, the Middle Fork of the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers
Rt. 12 is already a dangerous, narrow, curve-hugging road to travel on
Travel/Tourism, Public Safety, Property Values, Recreation and Way of Life will all be negatively impacted. The Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers are an important fishery for both native and anadromous fish species. Numerous wildlife species cross in their pursuit of food and habitat.
Please continue to use this web site to get updates about this massive industrial transportation project threatening our lifestyles and precious resources. Another good source of information is http//:www.fightinggoliath.org and/or http://northernrockiesrisingtide.wordpress.com.
Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to get involved and make a difference!
Related: Visit Exxpose Exxon
| Posted in activism, clearwater national forest, friends of the clearwater, jerry johnson, stanley, weir creek | No Comments »
Soaking Zen in 2010 (expanded)
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Note: Originally posted 12.31.09, Updated 01.02.10
First, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the fallen…
In 2009, we lost the pools at Molly’s Tubs, Vulcan and Rocky Canyon (more). All 3 hot springs are located in Idaho, and all 3 were deconstructed by the Forest Service due to reasoning centered around public abuse and misuse.
Over the last decade Idaho has lost many public hot springs in addition to the 3 above. It’s going down in Idaho in almost the exact same way it occurred in Oregon and Washington in the past. Ever heard of Cougar Hot Springs? How about Scenic, Wind River, Bagby, McCredie, Olympic, Austin? These hot springs were all once incredible public soaks. Legendary, in their own right. Epic among hot springer circles. They all are either closed, or feature restricted access, expensive permits and/or excessive vandalism and vehicle break-ins (and of course unreal amounts of trash).
The good news is we can learn from their example, but we don’t have much time. Jerry Johnson and Kirkham Hot Springs in Idaho are now closed at night. Skinnydipper has a range of problems; vehicle break-ins, flat tire/vehicle damage, gang fights, excessive trash, drunken and lewd behavior (meaning swinger gatherings). Skinnydipper was actually under nighttime closure for two years ending in 2009. However, it was rarely enforced, and signage was destroyed as fast as it was enacted.
The Moral of the Story
If we can figure out how to keep these sacred places clean and safe, I think we can actually save them. If we let abuse and misuse run rampant, the powers that be will have no choice but to either restrict usage or enact strict access measures.
This brings me back to the post title – Soaking Zen in 2010. This year, clean-up the hot springs before you soak. If there are disreputable folks trashing it up – do something sensible. Say something. Maybe start picking up trash in front of them, or snap a pic of their license plate and report them to the nearest Ranger Station or public lands office.
Believe me, a sweet soak in a natural hot springs feels a lot better this way. Hot springs need protection if they are to be enjoyed by the public for years to come, as it should be.
With that said, I want to express my gratitude to all of the unsung HS heroes. All of the trash picker-uppers, conservation and preservation supporters, volunteers, eco-friendly public land workers, petition signers, bloggers, news anchors and directors and outspoken enviro do-gooders. I thank you, mother nature thanks you and a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts, thank you.
It is not enough to UNDERSTAND the natural world.
The point is to DEFEND and PRESERVE it.
Happy New Year!
| Posted in activism, commentary, idaho, mollys tubs, rocky canyon, vulcan | 5 Comments »