Summer - Northern Plains Resource Council

council roundup
GNA members study
long-awaited report
After 10 years of work, the U.S.
Forest Service and Montana
DEQ finally released a final version of
a single document encompassing the
Stillwater Mining Company Revised
Water Management Plans and the
Environmental Impact Statement
for the Boe Ranch Land Application
Disposal project.
Northern Plains and affiliates
Stillwater Protective Association
and Cottonwood Resource
Council actively participated in the
development of the document, and
members are glad to see it completed.
Next steps include a 45-day appeal
period (no appeals are expected), the
issuance of a final Record of Decision,
and the release of an updated
reclamation bond amount for SMC.
The East Boulder Oversight
Committee continues to work
with SMC and the State toward
minimizing the potential impact of
nitrogen on the East Boulder River.
Stillwater Oversight Committee
members have been participating,
both on-the-ground and in various
meetings to ensure that Stillwater
Mining’s proposed exploratory
developments in the Benbow area
have the smallest possible impact on
water quality and on area residents.
– Caleb Lande
CCRC acts to protect
water, reduce waste
Carbon County Resource
Council conducted another
round of outreach with information
about gathering baseline water data
for landowners living downstream
from the proposed gravel pit on the
West Bench outside of Red Lodge.
This baseline data is essential for
individuals looking to protect their
water rights if they are affected by
future mining.
CCRC was also involved in an
E-Waste recycling event in Red Lodge,
helping provide an opportunity for
Carbon County residents to bring
hazardous electronic products in
for recycling, saving them from
potentially polluting land and water
in landfills.
– Svein Newman
YOUNG SPROUTS: Before summer vacation, students at Lockwood School
plant a square-foot garden they designed and made on the school grounds.
The project was inspired by Yellowstone Valley Citizen Council's Garden in the
Schools program.
YVCC moves forward
on local foods club
Along with the Yellowstone Valley
Citizens Council’s work on coal
export, members have remained
active on other fronts as well. YVCC’s
revamped Food Buying Club had
its first drop on June 16. With over
30 participating families, the drop
generated roughly $3,400 dollars
for a dozen participating Montana
producers.
On June 28, the new Parmly Billings
Library held its groundbreaking
ceremony. YVCC worked to ensure
that, when the building is completed,
it will be a LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design)
Gold high-performance green
building.
– Svein Newman
FoodCorps member
speaks at DRC event
Nearly 40 members attended
Dawson Resource Council’s
annual meeting at Dena and Alvin
Hoffs’ riverside cabin on the bank
of the Yellowstone near Glendive on
June 17.
Along with the traditional potluck
and pie contest, Anne McHale
(a FoodCorps member living in
Glendive) spoke of her work to
integrate local food production and
preparation into the curriculum of
farm-to-school program.
At the DRC meeting July 19,
members began making plans for the
fall fundraiser, the Lindsay Benefit.
Beartooth Alliance
get-together nears
With summer returning to
the high country, Beartooth
Alliance plans to host a series of events
to celebrate the unique mountain
communities of Cooke City and Silver
Gate.
Most notably, BA’s annual meeting
will be held on August 9, beginning
at 7 p.m. Once again, the event will
take place at the Range Rider Lodge
in Silver Gate and will feature a guest
speaker in addition to the regular
business meeting. Mary Beth Marks,
a geologist with the Gallatin National
Forest, will provide updates and
reports regarding the current status of
the New World District reclamation
projects. For more information about
BA’s summer events, email clayton@
northernplains.org.
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– Kelsey Miller
– Clayton Elliott
CRC picnic features
reading by author
Cottonwood Resource Council
will host its annual summer
picnic August 11 at 5 p.m. at Cindy
and Ed Webber’s place, 11.4 miles
south of Big Timber on the Boulder
Road.
Everyone is welcome! We will have a
silent auction, great food prepared by
member Susan Pauli, and a reading
from member William “Gatz”
Hjortsberg from his newest book,
Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times
of Richard Brautigan. Bring a friend
and a silent auction item, and we will
see you there.
– Becca Fischer
Bear Creek Council
eyes new campaigns
Bear Creek Council members
enjoyed each other’s company at
a potluck earlier this summer.
They then reconvened for some longterm
strategic planning, discussing
the value of a campaign on energy
efficiency in addition to BCC’s
traditional attention to wildlife work.
Bear Creek Council members look
forward to bringing in new members
and chalking up some victories!
– Olivia Stockman
SGCC turns focus on
internal structures
Sleeping Giant is moving forward
with plans to adopt a committee
structure this month, providing
additional leadership opportunities
for members and sharpening the
focus on each issue campaign. This
month, members will use the strategic
planning process to continue to refine
their new structure.
– Clayton Elliott
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yet, “Like” us! We promise not to flood you with
constant posts, but we will post useful information and
ways for you to make a difference. And maybe we’ll
pass along something just for fun once in a while.
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The Plains Truth Summer 2012 Page 15