a n n ual rep ort - Rock the Earth

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Environmental Accomplishments • January 2005 Rock the Earth filed formal comments with the National Park Service to a draft an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Colorado River Management Plan. The draft EIS evaluates several options as to how the Colorado River will be managed as it flows through Grand Canyon National Park. • March 2005 RtE opposed new regulations by the National Forest Service protesting the roll-back of logging regulations on public lands, under the mis-named guise known as “Healthy Forests.” Among other reasons, RtE formally objected to the new regulations on the grounds that critical decisions regarding our National Forest will be withheld from public review and comment, and will result in adverse impacts to both our nationally-held forests and the environment overall. • April 2005 RtE again fought attempts by the EPA to exempt the application of pesticides to waterways from Congressionally-mandated, Clean Water Act permitting requirements. • April 2005 RtE filed formal comments to the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS); the BLM plan would allow drilling on Colorado’s Roan Plateau. In our comments, RtE opposed the currently proposed plan on the grounds that the BLM failed to evaluate reasonable alternatives, such as considering viable and applicable drilling technologies currently available that would allow for the extraction of all natural gas beneath the Plateau, without needing to impact wilderness areas on top of the Plateau. In the process, over twenty other environmental groups pointed to our expertise in this critical area. In addition, RtE also joined in the broader comments submitted by a coalition of groups under the umbrella organizational name, “Save Roan Plateau.” • August 2005 Rock the Earth submitted scoping comments to the Bureau of Reclamation calling for an expanded, comprehensive, coordinated and forward-looking study and action plan for water management in the Colorado Basin. In its comments, Rock the Earth urged the Bureau to seriously consider the idea of decommissioning Lake Powell in an Environmental Impact Statement, in order to restore natural flows to the Colorado and allow, among other things, for the recovery of several threatened and endangered fish species. • October 2005 Rock the Earth kicked off an on-line campaign to petition the US Department of Agriculture to reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, to protect nearly 60 million acres of America’s last wild National Forests from logging, road construction, mining, oil exploration, and other forms of development. Over a period of three months, Rock the Earth collected nearly 200 names to add to the petition. • October-December 2005 Rock the Earth was fully engaged in negotiations with River Runners for Wilderness, Living Rivers and other environmental groups, to form an alliance to challenge the National Park Service’s forthcoming Record of Decision for the Colorado River Management Plan (due January 2006).
In addition to the formal comment letters that we submitted in 2005, our legal and technical staff members reviewed or monitored the following issues: • A proposed marine sanctuary off the northwest Hawaiian Islands, an issue for which RtE received financial support from Jack Johnson; • The declining water levels in the Great Lakes, an issue suggested to us by Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies; annual report • The construction of the Sevier Power Company’s coal-fired electric generation facility in southern Utah, an issue suggested to us by the San Francisco band, ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra); • Identification of large emitters of pollution in the San Joquin Valley in California, an issue also suggested to us by ALO; • The disposal of nuclear waste on Native American lands, an issue suggested to us by Peter Rowan; • Environmental Justice issues impacting the community of Hunter’s Point in the San Francisco Bay, an issue suggested to us by the San Francisco bands, New Monsoon and Aphrodesia; • Various issues concerning development in the headwaters of, and wetlands tied to, the St. Johns River in northern Florida, as well as large water diversions from the river, issues suggested by Susan Trucks, mother to Derek Trucks and mother-inlaw to Susan Tedeschi; • Restoration of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, outside of Yosemite in Northern California, an issue suggested to us by Hot Buttered Rum String Band; • Wetland development issues in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, an issue suggested to us by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. As we look to 2006, the transformation of Rock the Earth into a full-fledged environmental advocacy group continues. The majority of our collective focus in early 2006 will be on our first litigation matter: challenging the National Park Service’s 2006 Colorado River Management Plan – an issue that will have far-ranging implications as to how all wilderness areas in the United States will be managed. In addition, we will continue to investigate several of the issues listed above as well as continue to solicit new issues from the music community. As we begin campaigns on various issues, we will seek to elevate their importance to the public by reaching out to members of the music industry to assist us in publicity and fundraising efforts.
Page 1 and 2: annual report
Page 3: • As 2005 drew to a close, Rock t
Page 7 and 8: Rock the Earth’s Summer Tour 2005
Page 9 and 10: Financial Report Rock the Earth mad
Page 11 and 12: Tracy Farris Glenn Fee Greg Fellman

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