Honoring the River: How Hardrock Mining Impacts Tribal Communities

April 25- For more than a century, American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives have suffered the impacts of hardrock mining while enjoying few of its benefits.

A new National Wildlife Federation report, Honoring the River:  How Hardrock Mining Impacts Tribal Communities tells the story of hardrock mining and tribes, from the checkered history of federal legislation allowing mining companies to lease minerals on tribal lands—often without tribal consent—to the many new mines being proposed near tribal communities.

“Access to clean drinking water, clean air, and healthy fish and game are inherent human rights that no lawmaker can give away,” said Mike Wiggins, chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, whose land has been threatened by Gogebic Taconite’s proposed open-pit iron mine. “Some of the environmental impacts, like acid mine drainage, will last into perpetuity.”

Read the Wildlife Promise blog on the report!

Douglas County Schools Receive Eco-Schools Honor

April 25 -Copper Mesa and Flagstone elementary schools in Douglas County were awarded Green Flags Thursday from the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program for their exceptional achievement in conserving natural resources and integrating environmental education into the curriculum.

The schools are the first in Colorado to earn the Green Flag and just the 14^th and 15^th nationwide. The award is the highest in the Eco-Schools program, an international network of 41,000 K-12 schools in 53 countries. The National Wildlife Federation is the program’s US host.

“We in the regional office of the National Wildlife Federation are proud that these two Colorado schools are part of an elite group of students, faculty and staff members dedicated to ‘greening’ their schools and hands-on education,” said Ann Morgan, NWF’s regional executive director

Click here for more information on Eco-Schools USA.

National Wildlife Federation Donates $15,000 for San Francisco Bay Porpoises

April 20- In celebration of Earth Day, the National Wildlife Federation is making its first donation to Golden Gate Cetacean Research. The donation is in support of the organization’s work to help keep the porpoises in San Francisco Bay. It is the first step in a multi-year campaign to raise $500,000 for the animal’s conservation. The donation will be presented at a special Earth Day Fair hosted by Alcatraz Cruises, a supporter of the campaign.

After a 65-year absence, porpoises have made an amazing return to the San Francisco Bay. To celebrate this success and to ensure the marine mammal’s continued residence in the Bay, National Wildlife Federation and Golden Gate Cetacean Research have partnered on a “Return of the Porpoise to San Francisco Bay” campaign.

 To learn more about the campaign, visit  http://www.nwfcalifornia.org/sfporpoises/

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Washington Post: Home Design Certified Wildlife Habitats Bloom Throughout Fairfax County
• Today Show: NWF Celebrates Earth Day with Kathie Lee and Hoda
• CNN.com : 7 stunning U.S. spots for wildlife
• USA Today: Gulf Coast still waiting for funds after spill
• ABC News: Three years later: Oil spill cleanup, study carries on
• Politico: Green groups seeing red over Barbara Boxer’s water bill
• Los Angeles Times: EPA criticizes environmental review of Keystone XL pipeline
• NPR: Tar Sands Pipelines Should Be Held to Different Standards
• San Antonio Express News: Protect whooping cranes to protect Texas heritage
• Public News Service: Clean Water Act “Loopholes” for Mining Affect Montana Tribes
• PennLive: Brook trout is climate change loser; bobwhite quail could be winner
• 9News.com: Douglas County recognized as “greenest” school district in the state
• StarDem.com: National Wildlife Federation launches three contests for children
• InsideClimateNews.com : Arkansas Oil Spill Damage Assessment: If Not the Feds, Then Who?

 For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Flickr photo by Jerry Oldenettel.

The recent Jaguar sightings come at a time when a few local policy battles could determine the size and scope of the species US habitat. After years of lawsuits and controversey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued a plan to recover the endangered species to its historic US terrain. FWS proposed designating 838,232 acres as critical jaguar habitat—covering four stretches of mountains in southeastern Arizona, a section of the Peloncillo Mountains on the Arizona–New Mexico border, and a tiny piece of New Mexico’s San Luis Mountains.

In addition to this ongoing controversy over critical habitat there also exists a potentially frightening roadblock to the Jaguar recovery as well as other species such as the Chiricahua leopard frog. Not too far from where this recent photo was taken is a pending proposal to develop a large scale copper mine. Rosemont, the local subsidiary of a Canadian mining corporation, is requesting permits to dig a mile-wide, half-mile deep pit and dump waste rock and tailings on more than 3,000 acres of National Forest land.

The draft Environmental Impact Statement  lists 27 imperiled plants and animals that would be directly harmed by the mine, including the jaguar. It says that the proposed action would directly destroy more than 6,000 acres of wildlife habitat and negatively affect another 90,000 acres. It describes significantly elevated levels of air and water pollutants associated with the mine, including greenhouse gases, and it states that groundwater impacts would dry up 84 springs and diminish or eliminate the flow of important perennial streams.

In addition to these issues highlighted by the Forest Service draft EIS,  EPA and DEQ have also issued concerns including:  Serious impacts to drinking water to local residents, potential violations to Arizona aquifer water quality standards as well as issues with 11 Indian Tribes. The mine site is alleged to contain up to 80 cultural sites, including burial sites, that must be considered and mitigated according to the National Historic Preservation Act.

Utah mine similar to Rosemont Mine proposed in Arizona- photo Earthworks

In this dry arid environment where water is arguably more precious than any metal, Rosemont Copper is proposing to dump untreated mining waste on 10–15 miles of streams and desert springs.

If you care about clean water and responsible energy development, and if you care about helping the endangered species such as the jaguar recover, please speak up today and ask the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to prevent mining companies such as Rosemont Copper from endangering our fish, wildlife, and communities with industrial pollution.

Let’s give wildlife a fighting chance!

Speak up to protect jaguars, grizzlies, and many more wildlife from toxic mine pollution.

February 4, 2013 correction: This post was updated to better reflect the historic reasons for the decline of jaguars in North America, and to provide a broader view of the environmental and cultural impacts of the proposed mine. It was also changed to correctly attribute the recent jaguar photograph.

Crowd at the Way of Life Gathering in Lame Deer, MT listen to speakers.

The Northern Cheyenne Reservation, located in present day southeastern Montana, is in the heart of the Powder River Basin, the largest coal-producing region in the Nation.

The gathering focused on encouraging participants to reconnect with nature and on educating them about the importance of protecting natural resources and wildlife, the social and environmental impacts of mining, climate change, and economic alternatives to resource extraction. Yellow Bird and its supporters want tribal members to be fully informed before the upcoming vote that will determine whether coal development can proceed on the reservation.

The Tribe has an abundance of natural resources on its homeland in southeastern Montana and it has fought to keep these resources undeveloped for generations. Because the Tribe has invested countless hours and resources into protecting tribal lands, the Northern Cheyenne reservation maintains clean water, clean air and pristine wildlife habitat.

However, multinational coal companies are now asking the Tribe to open its lands to coal mining. And this isn’t the first time the Tribe has had to make this decision.

History of fighting coal development

A sign on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

According to an historical account of the Northern Cheyenne tribal opposition to coal development, compiled by Dull Knife College in Lame Deer, there was much community opposition to the Peabody coal leases. Ted Risingsun, a cultural leader and tribal council member, responded to the promises of jobs and economic development this way:

“I think I would rather be poor in my own country, with my own people, with our own way of life than be rich in a torn-up land where I am outnumbered ten to one by strangers.”

After months of listening to their constituents and doing their own investigations, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council voted 11–to–zero on March 5, 1973, to seek cancellation of all the coal permits and leases. The Tribe petitioned the Secretary of the Interior, explaining the permits and leases violated 36 federal regulations. Then Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton refused to cancel the leases outright. Instead, a year after the petition, on June 4, 1974, Morton placed the leases on indefinite hold, a de facto victory for the tribe.

Way of Life Gathering 2012

Wahleah Johns speaks to the Gathering

In addition, other speakers addressed economic development alternatives to fossil fuel development and how the Northern Cheyenne community could take advantage of renewable energy and the emerging green economy.

At a crossroads

Today,  the Northern Cheyenne are at a crossroads. Soon, possibly at end of September, Northern Cheyenne tribal citizens will be asked to decide whether to lease the billions of tons of coal that lie under the reservation to a large coal mining company.  This company will most likely offer the Tribe less than they were offered in the 1960s coal leases and probably less than the State of Montana was recently offerred for the Otter Creek coal tracts, which are adjacent to the Reservation. The people will have to decide whether the promises of economic development outweigh the threats to their land, air and water.

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Join me in standing up for Mountain Heroes–add your photo to the petition.

Stand in Solidarity with Mountain Heroes

Join me today in standing in solidarity with Mountain Heroes — add your photo and words of support to the online photo petition hosted by our friends at Earthjustice.

The heroes fighting for the mountains they know and love are asking us to stand with them against mountaintop removal mining and for a better way forward by joining the Mountain Heroes petition.

Mountains & Wildlife Destroyed

As I stood with local activists in the Coal River Mountain Valley, they pointed to the nearest mountain ridge and explained that hidden just beyond it were vast expanses of destruction.

The rich forests and streams where my new friends grew up exploring, searching for ginseng, and fishing were gone–replaced with rubble that resembled a moonscape.

The forests and streams of central Appalachia are abundant with diverse plants and wildlife–bears, coyotes, foxes, owls, Wild Turkeys, salamanders, trout and colorful darters. But, coal companies are blasting vast mountain ranges and dumping the rubble into huge valleys, destroying forests and communities. Coal processing plants are spreading coal dust and endangering the lives of everyone living in the valleys below the massive toxic slurry ponds, built with earthen dams that have collapsed with deadly consequences.

Join the Struggle Against Mountaintop Removal

Seeing the contrast from rich wildlife habitat to wasteland while visiting the struggling communities kept poor by “King Coal” is unlike anything I’ve seen before or since. Yet, people fighting for their homes and mountains are undaunted. They continue the struggle against wealthy coal companies and their massive tools of destruction.

Show your solidarity with Mountain Heroes against mountaintop removal and for clean energy.

Bristol Bay supports the largest runs of wild sockeye salmon in the world, a historic complement of other wildlife species, and more than two dozen Alaska Native communities that have maintained a salmon-based culture for at least 4,000 years. According to EPA, the watershed is exceptional because of its high-quality, diverse and free-flowing aquatic habitats.

Bristol Bay also contains large deposits of copper, gold and other minerals which have attracted the interest of mining corporations. The Pebble Partnership has proposed the controversial Pebble mine, but there are other potential mining sites in the region, including several adjacent to the Pebble development. The Pebble mine, the first of this new generation, would be the largest open pit mine in North America and would churn out over a billion tons of mining waste.

After reviewing the data, EPA concluded that large-scale mining would have significant impacts on salmon and salmon habitat in the vicinity of the mines. EPA’s finding was hardly a surprise to anyone familiar with the dismal environmental track record of the hardrock mining industry or the richness and fragility of the Bristol Bay watershed. What was unexpected was how deftly EPA framed the debate.

The arguments about Pebble and other large mines tend to revolve around “what ifs.” What if one of the massive tailings dams collapsed and sent a tidal wave of toxic waste down the watershed? What if industry applied state-of-the-art technologies and avoided the problems seen in older mines?

EPA addressed these “what ifs” but first reminded us that there is a more fundamental question: even if there is no human or engineering failure, is it worth developing Pebble and other large mines if it means losing extensive areas of important aquatic habitat? According to the risk assessment, the construction and routine operations of one Pebble-like mine would destroy between 55 and 87 miles of streams and between 2,512 and 4,386 acres of wetlands. These are huge numbers and essentially represent the inevitable cost of developing large mines in a region laced by a system of prolific wetlands, streams and rivers.

So, is it worth degrading the sustainable salmon fishery, rich wildlife, and Native cultures of Bristol Bay in order to develop mines that will play out in decades? Not to me or approximately 80% of the residents of the watershed. Even if I assume that mining companies could do things like build tailings reservoirs that last forever, the unavoidable destruction of aquatic ecosystems due to construction and routine operations–in this unique region–is too great to justify.

My hat’s off to EPA for conducting this rigorous assessment. Now I urge the agency to use its discretion under the Clean Water Act and take the steps needed to protect the public’s interest in the waters, fish, wildlife and communities of Bristol Bay.  At least in this instance, large-scale mining isn’t worth the tradeoff.

Urge the EPA to protect our nation’s waters and wildlife from toxic mine pollution.

Photo by Nic Callero

A few months ago I asked one of the most important questions I have asked to date, which was for my girlfriend Megan’s hand in marriage. Many important decisions were made and internal conversations resolved leading to the one simple question of “will you marry me?”

When should I ask? Where should I ask..?  Should I talk to her father first?…what if she says no?….How the hell do I even know what size ring to get?

Despite this seemingly unending stream of internal dialogue, there was one question I did know the answer to. The ring I purchased had to be special, and it had to be special in two ways. First, Megan had to love it plain and simple. Second, the ring had to be from a Jeweler that has pledged their opposition to Bristol Bay’s proposed Pebble mine.

Photo by Nic Callero

As lifelong Oregonians, avid backcountry campers and myself a bona fide salmon fishing addict, untouched places like Bristol Bay have a very special place in both of our hearts. Oregon has very few of these unspoiled treasures left, Alaska has many and Bristol Bay may be the crown jewel. I have had the pleasure of traveling to Alaska many times fishing throughout the state and exploring some of these untouched wonders. I have spoken with Alaskans and Oregonians whose jobs and livelihoods depend on the health of the Bristol Bay fishery, many of them are my friends. This is why supporting a jeweler who recognizes that Pebble mine is the wrong mine in the wrong place was so important- for both of us.

Photographer Michael Melford captures the essence of Bristol Bay

Over the past few years, dozens of jewelry companies have pledged to boycott any gold sourced from the pending Pebble mine. The pledge recognizes that Alaska’s Bristol Bay Watershed is an ecosystem of national and international significance, supporting the world’s largest wild salmon fishery. The Pledge also points out the Pebble Mine proposal would jeopardize the salmon fishery and the businesses and native communities it supports.  It is very hard to argue this point as Pebble mine would:

• Be the largest open pit mine in North America, up to two miles wide destroying over 60 miles of prime salmon spawning habitat.
• Require massive earthen dams 700 feet tall to contain 10 billion tons of toxic mine waste.
• Be located in an unstable seismic zone prone to frequent earthquakes.
• Require nearly 35 billion gallons of water a year, critically reducing flow to multiple salmon rivers.

The Jeweler I decided on was a local Ben Bridge store here in Portland, Oregon. When I purchased the ring I made a point to tell every single employee in the store that their opposition to the Pebble mine was the reason they were getting my business, I was even able to leave a note for the owner. A small but symbolic step to spread the word about the threat Pebble mine poses to Bristol Bay, one of the planet’s remaining untouched wonders.

Oh, and most important my now fiancé Megan said Yes. My next tough question will be trying to convince her to take our honeymoon to Bristol Bay’s Nushagak River to fish for salmon.

Urge federal agencies to protect the wildlife of Bristol Bay against toxic mining. You can also “like” Stop Mining Pollution on Facebook and follow @NWFSalmon on Twitter for important updates.

Yesterday Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced his decision to finalize a 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims on public lands surrounding this national treasure–a move that has drawn praise from water authorities, sportsmen, wildlife advocates, businesses, families looking to go on vacation, and more.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this thank-you video from local leaders across Arizona, including the Arizona Wildlife Federation.

Secretary Salazar signs the 20-year moratorium on new mining claims around the Grand Canyon

At an event at National Geographic to announce the decision, Secretary Salazar said

“Every generation of Americans faces moments when we must choose between the pressures of the now and the protection of the timeless.”

Secretary Salazar and the Obama administration was faced with such a scenario and made a bold decision: to leave the timeless Grand Canyon as it is.

Salazar also said at the event that “conservation is not always popular.”  At the National Wildlife Federation, conservation is always popular, and here are 3 reasons why Secretary Salazar is an early favorite for “Most Popular” in 2012 for his decision to ban new uranium mining around the Grand Canyon.

1. The decision is a win for the drinking water of 25 million Southwest residents

The Colorado River provides drinking water for over 25 million people in the arid southwest United States, including residents of Las Vegas and Los Angeles.  The river also irrigates over 2.5 million acres of farmland.  Increased drought and warmer temperatures from climate change combined with population growth puts the watershed in serious danger: water contamination from uranium ore would turn a serious situation into a crisis.

2.  The decision is a win for wildlife

Uranium mining often results in water contamination, which puts the Colorado River and its tributaries at risk. Wildlife depend on this clean water to drink, and the Colorado River is a unique fishery with world-class trout fishing opportunities.  Mining activities would also result in habitat fragmentation, a major threat to the unique biodiversity of the region.

3.  The decision is a win for jobs

Outdoor recreation and tourism bring in big dollars every year for Arizona.   For example, the Arizona State University recently found that hunting, fishing and wildlife-related recreation in Arizona generates an economic impact of $1.34 billion for the state annually.  In addition, Grand Canyon National Park receives almost 5 million visitors each year and these visitors spent more than $400 million in 2009 alone.  Protecting the area surrounding the Grand Canyon provides a positive economic benefit and supports sustainable long term jobs.

Secretary Salazar is quite fond of quoting President Theodore Roosevelt, and Salazar was definitely heeding TR’s words this time around:

“Leave it as it is.  You cannot improve on it.  The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.  What you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American if he can travel at all should see.”

-Theodore Roosevelt on the Grand Canyon

We tip our hat to Secretary Salazar for taking action to benefit families, residents of the Southwest, sportsmen and women, and wildlife.

Budget Deal Reflects Process Tilted Towards Special Interests

December 16 – Congressional leaders announced a budget deal today and are reportedly considering on a two-month extension of a payroll tax break.

“There’s no doubt this bill has come a long way since we started 2011 with the truly appalling House Appropriations Committee budget, reflecting outrage across the country over its attacks on wildlife, air, water and public health, including deep cuts in conservation investments,” Adam Kolton, executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s National Advocacy Center.

BP Moves From Cleanup to Restoration Phase

December 15 – One and a half years after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, BP is officially ending its cleanup operations on the Gulf Coast. Unless officials can prove that newly discovered oil came from the company’s well, they will no longer be responsible for cleaning it up. The plan was approved by the Coast Guard and while cleanup operations are coming to an end, BP has $1 billion set aside for the commencing restoration phase. Biologists and wildlife advocates say the end of the cleanup is an important milestone but the recovery and disaster is far from over.

December 14 – Raccoons are among the most adaptable of all animal species, and the National Wildlife Federation’s  raccoon mascot, Ranger Rick, is showing his adaptability as he enters the digital world. For over 40 years, Ranger Rick magazine has entertained and educated generations of children about the wonders of nature. Now, NWF is introducing game apps for kids so they can continue to have fun while learning about wildlife and wildlife habitat in a new delivery platform.

“National Wildlife Federation knows kids are into their electronic devices,” said Mary Dalheim, Editorial Director of Children’s Publications for NWF.

Groups Praise Quick Release of Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Plan

December 14 – Groups working on Gulf Coast restoration praised the quick release of a Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment today by the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees.

“The trustees rightly recognize the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy that puts BP’s $1 billion down payment on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment to work quickly restoring Gulf ecosystems and communities that were impacted by the oil disaster,” said a joint statement by Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy and Oxfam America.

Groups Appeal Decision Allowing Dangerous Mine to Move Forward

December 12 – A coalition of groups is appealing a court decision that has allowed a dangerous mine to proceed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—despite the threat the mine poses to water quality, the Great Lakes and one of the region’s last spawning grounds for the coaster brook trout.

The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve filed the motion with the Michigan Court of Appeals today. The groups are opposing the mine on the grounds that it poses unacceptable risks to water and air quality—and that it could collapse, endangering workers and the river it is underneath.

84% of Florida Voters Support Bill to Spend BP Fines on Gulf Restoration

December 12  – Eighty-four percent of Florida voters and 92 percent of Panhandle voters support a bill approved by a Senate committee that would ensure the BP oil spill fines are spent on Gulf restoration, according to a new poll released today at news conferences in Tallahassee and Pensacola. The poll also showed 75 percent of Florida voters and 82 percent of Panhandle voters are more likely to support candidates who back the legislation.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Associated Press: Colo., SD eyed for Yellowstone bison
• The Hill: Renewing America’s commitment to clean water (op-ed)
• The Hill: Lobbyists go to battle over Keystone pipeline
• Rolling Stone: Keystone XL: The Pipeline That Won’t Die
• The Hill: Top 10 lobbying victories of 2011
• Asian carp editorials:
  1. Erie Times-News: Our view: Pa. Senators: Remember the Asian carp
  2. Buffalo News: Asian carp must be blocked
  3. Cleveland Plain Dealer: Stop the carp, start the corps: editorial
  4. Battle Creek Enquirer: Army Corps of Engineers’ Asian carp study should be expedited

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Opponents claim the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should not have issued Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co. a permit to build and operate the mine because it could endanger workers, foul the air and poison pristine trout streams in Michigan’s scenic Upper Peninsula.

The Chicago Tribune published an Associated Press article on the issue Monday. Read it here.

Critics contend the mine, which will extract high grade nickel from an ore body located beneath the headwaters of the Salmon Trout River, could collapse because it was designed improperly. They also believe the project will pollute the air and nearby waters with toxic sulfides that are unleashed during the mining of nickel.

“The evidence related to the likely collapse of the roof is overwhelming and that really needs to be addressed,” said Michelle Halley, attorney for the National Wildlife Federation.

Other groups fighting the mine include the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Huron Mountain Club and the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

A sign in Michigan's Upper Peninsula warns of a metallic sulfide mine.

“We must ensure that the law’s protections of human health and the environment are honored and applied,” Halley told the Associated Press. “So far, they have not been and that is why we are seeking leave to appeal. Many more mines are in the queue and this is a precedent-setting case.”

At least three other companies hope to open metallic sulfide mines to probe for nickel, gold, platinum and other valuable metals in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Michigan officials claim the Kennecott mine is safe and that other metallic sulfide mines could be opened without threatening public health, polluting the environment or harming the region’s tourism economy .

More background on the dangers associated with sulfide mining can be found on the Web site of NWF’s Great Lakes Regional Center,  which can be found here. NWF also produced an award winning documentary on the Kennecott case. Watch it here.

The online magazine Bridge recently published an article which revealed that most mining operations in Michigan are exempt from severance taxes that other extractive industries pay. The loophole could cost the cash-strapped state tens of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue.

 Photo by Jeff Alexander

Hellbenders could go extinct within our lifetimes because of the challenges they face from pollution, habitat loss and capture. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently granted the salamanders protection under the Endangered Species Act. While these aquatic salamanders are getting help just in the nick of time, the clock ran out for some Florida wildlife waiting to get on the Endangered Species list.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What the Hellbender sounds better than where’s the Hellbender. You can speak up for wildlife and make sure more animals don’t become endangered in the first place.