Issues and News 6 20 2013

Jennifer Tsun via npogroups.org

From the Eagle Watch
June 20, 2013

FYI - this is late and so requires immediate attention.
Kittoh

Hi Folks
This is certainly an insiteful article - great photos and illustrations by
Chris Mouland. We owe much to the many who dedicate so much time and
energy to save the Nor' Westers from this travesty. Thanks Chris for this
article. Much success in your efforts. Ruth and all of us out here in
BC who originated from Thunder Bay and support you in your efforts.

Environment vs Technology - Big Thunder Wind
Farm THUNDER BAY - The race is on with
just a few days left to comment about the
protecti

One can only hope that the beauty of the Nor'Westers is not headed into
the sunset

on of the Loch Lomond Watershed and Nor' Wester Mountains for a technology
that could be old by tomorrow.

Big Thunder Wind Farm - Deadline Looms

New technology for wind energy is coming. This design eliminates the
turbines, the noise and the risk to birds

The Nor' Wester Range located in the region of Thunder Bay, ON, Fort
William First Nation and Neebing Township has a wind farm slated for the
City of Thunder Bay owned property. The Nor' Wester Mountain range is
owned by Fort William First Nation, City of Thunder Bay, Neebing Township
and the Provincial and Federal Governments.

This is a picture from a wind turbine construction site at Backbone
Mountain, Tucker County, West Virgina. - Photo from FNMEP
The area of the wind farm is being sited to be built on city owned
property, partially on traditional land, in a watershed area and next to a
provincially protected Area of Natural Scientific Interest. A large
portion of the Nor' Wester Mountain is slated to be blasted and clear cut
to install wind turbines for the industrial wind farm.

People have three more days (midnight of June 22 but to be safe people are
submitting letters by June 21) to write letters to the Ontario Government
(Send submissions to: Submit online comments to www.ebr.gov.on.ca/
(project number 011-8937) Environmental Registry www.ebr.gov.on.ca) to
save the beautiful and sacred Nor' Wester mountains near Thunder Bay, ON.
The mountains are one of the world's oldest cultural history sites and
houses one of the most unique biodiversity's in the world.

No one is disputing the fact the consumer world needs to look at greener
initiatives to reduce climate change and environmental damage.
Conservations start on an individual level, then moves to a neighborhood,
community, city, region, provincial, federal and global level.

Maple Leaf - Canadian Icon

Sugar Maples on the Nor'Westers will be cut down - Thunder Bay Ontario -
Where the Maple Leaf comes to die?
Consumption and climate change reduction means better land management for
sustainable futures and appropriately sited industries and to stop urban
sprawl, build smaller and more energy efficient homes, drive and walk or
bike more, eat healthy and reduce excessive food buying, eating and
wasting, shop locally, consume less and spend less on stuff that will end
up in the dump anyway, recycle, exercise and keep healthy to reduce
medical problems and more industries needed to manage unhealthy people,
plant more trees, buy items that are made out of organic materials,
promote a vehicle and gas emission reductions in a community and stop
polluting and destroying pristine sites for human consumption. The answer
is never to build more energy to consume more; the answer is always to
build less energy to consume less. Here in Thunder Bay according to OPG
and Thunder Bay Hydro we already have green hydro initiatives in place.

While Toronto is "GETTING WITH THE TIMES" and protecting their Niagara
Escarpment from any industry because it's being deemed a world heritage
biosphere because people valued their natural assets; the City of Thunder
Bay's Escarpment and Watershed (equally unique to the Niagara Escarpment)
could be destroyed. Many local people are not rushing to protect the Nor'
Wester Mountains as a biosphere heritage site possibly because of
misinformation and a lack of understanding and appreciation of how rich
this land is with a unique biosphere. It's Thunder Bay's best and closet
natural and cultural asset.

To destroy natural sites vital to all inhabitants of earth is not a step
in the right direction towards a greener tomorrow. The wind farm will
power 9, 000 homes and electronics a day. The Loch Lomond Watershed can
feed 9, 0000 people a day plus hundreds of different species.

Nor'wester Wetlands
A greener tomorrow does not include destroying pristine natural sites like
the Loch Lomond Watershed with pure drinking water for 9, 000 (+) people a
day for future generations and an area that houses endangered species,
sacred sites and a unique ecosystem.

Water is essential for most plant and animal life. As humans water brings
us into the world and it's what keeps us living in this world. Water is
life and it has spirit and without spirit we have no life. The
relationship between healthy and nutritional water and healthy people is
direct and foundational. In many cultures womyn are known as water
carriers and protectors. Many people feel it is our continued duty to
protect water from a grassroots level but also according to most
government officials.

Water allows us to birth and sustain life. And in the springtime water is
flowing prominently from sources like trees and frozen water bodies and it
is associated with birth and renewal. This birth and renewal provides
earth inhabitants with a place to collect medicine, food and drink from
and provides inhabitants with an awaking, cleansing, strength and renewal.
Water heals us physically and emotionally and provides us with a place to
practice ceremonies, to be spiritual, to collect our thoughts, to teach us
and to recreate at. Water is a gift in constant flow and change and this
can often reflect our moods. Inhabitants have always lived near water
sources to sustain a rich and healthy life.

Nodding Trillium
Most large bodies of waters are surrounded by sustainable ecosystems.
When a large water source is situated in a special environment where high
cliffs, caves, valleys, cliffs, forest and wetlands occur then a variety
of micro-climates will add to the diversity and it becomes a rich
ecosystem for a vast variety and amount of different species to thrive in.

The Nor' Wester Mountains houses important ecological and cultural values
like the Loch Lomond Watershed, it is a major migratory flyway for
hundreds of bird species many of which are species at risk like the
warbler, Amerrican Bald Eagle, American white pelican, golden eagle and
unique nesting sites for peregrine falcons.

It houses large animals like bears, deer, moose, coyotes and species at
risk like the Eastern Cougar, unique and rare vascular plants grow here
like the Nodding Trillium and species at risk like the Rocky Mountain
Woodsia, Braun's hollyfern, northern oak fern and rare trees like sugar
maples, white pine and yellow birch, special and important beaver dams and
water bodies exists in the area is a short list of the hundreds of
different of species housed on the Nor' Wester Moutains.

The Nor' Wester Moutains has significant cultural values and has been a
historical sacred place for First Nations to gather medicines, food and
water from and a place to hold ceremonies and to traditionally hunt. The
Loch Lomond Watershed is the last bit of land left for Fort William First
Nations to traditionally hunt on. If FWFN peoples can no longer hunt
because their hunting area is affected then part of their traditions on
their very lands could become a cultural genocide.

Water and land resource managers should be looking for ways to collaborate
with First Nations people to ensure their values and interests are
included in water and land planning. Many unique land and water areas are
being polluted by over population, sewage, chemicals, air and gas
emissions, motorized vessels, landfills, over consumption, industrial
waste and use and farming pollution and our waters. The Loch Lomond
Watershed remains healthy water and the area be protected for future
generations.

Destroying Valuable Natural Assets?
Destroying such valuable natural assets for the world, Canada and locals
to enjoy forever; all for human consumption, for an industry that could be
old technology by tomorrow, for a wind farm that is inappropriately sited
for energy probably not needed in Thunder Bay because of green hydro
initiatives already in place is not a greener tomorrow according to many
people.

Progression is leaving our earth in a natural state to be able to live off
of water and food that is local and natural. Destroying a pure watershed
to fuel homes and electronics rather than fuel First Nations and the
Neebing township and beyond with life sustenance called water and natural
and traditional foods is not "GETTING WITH THE TIMES". In fact, Bolivia
gave Mother Earth rights this year to protect unique sites like the Nor'
Wester Mountains from industrial development. Protecting unique and
natural sites is "GETTING WITH THE TIMES".

Mountain ecosystems are a key and beautiful part of our environment.

Fort William First Nation and Neebing Township are water customers of
Thunder Bay and we all use Lake Superior but if climate change continues
according to scientists and it changes the lake levels, algae and
inhabitants in years to come and Lake Superior is no longer a good source
to drink from; then Fort William First Nation, Neebing and parts of
Thunder Bay will need to once again draw from the Loch Lomond Watershed.
Fort William First Nation and Neebing are their own municipalities who
have the right to decide where they choose to draw their water source
from.

Through modernization and environmental damage our relationships with
water is degrading. With boil water scarcity, advisories and rationing on
the rise in many communities, unhealthy water for all inhabitants
globally, with very little real and nutritional water left in the world
and with population, industrialization and climate change on the rise, in
the future (2030 and beyond) the water will need to be protected at all
costs.

People have an opportunity
People have an opportunity to ensure future generations have access to
clean water and enough water from a good source and to continue to make it
healthy and ultimately make ourselves and all inhabitants healthy.
Allowing environmental damage to a pristine watershed like Loch Lomond
could be reckless. People have a duty to make a conscious effort to take
care of water that provides sustainable life to all inhabitants.

Many have lived near the Nor' Wester Mountains and Loch Lomond Watershed
and have never fully appreciated what grows, lives and thrives there. Many
people have appreciated and protected the area in the past and they want
to continue protecting it. Humans need to be reflecting on our
relationship to water and the challenges around water in our communities.
If people are disrespectful and careless with our natural assets and
water, then people are putting us and future generations at risk of
environmental damages and unsustainable lands. Water is the blood veins
of earth and re-routing waters, cutting it off or damaging it could cause
unhealthy problems just like if people damaged their own blood veins.

A greener future for many people means applied stewardship by protecting
pristine, unique and sacred sites not destroying it to support present and
future generations. Green energy starts at home with our own consumption
reductions before having to produce more energy. To protect the Nor'
Wester Mountains and Loch Lomond Watershed by June 21, 2013 submit your
comments to the Ministry of Ontario.

Get Involved:
Send submissions to: Submit online comments tohttp://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/
(project number 011-8937)
Environmental Registry
www.ebr.gov.on.ca

- See more at:
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2013/06/19/environment-vs-technology-big-thunder-wind-farm/#sthash.e4jPenDr.dpuf

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On Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 3:30 PM, Southern Environmental Law Center <selc@selcva.org> wrote:

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On Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 7:00 PM, National Wildlife Federation <c+nwf@trusted-sender.convio.net> wrote:

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I'm thrilled to share with you that yesterday we achieved a significant victory in the fight to restore America's wild bison.

Over the past year, a group of ranchers and ranching organizations filed suit to prevent the movement of wild Yellowstone bison from the Fort Peck Reservation to the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana.

The suit also blocked the movement of any wild bison in the state, whether to public or tribal lands, as well as our efforts to move bison to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

Yesterday, we received a favorable decision from the Montana Supreme Court who turned down the suit against the movement of bison—allowing us to continue crucial work to restore wild bison in the West!

Over the past year, we've been able to report several key victories in advancing wild bison restoration—including returning wild bison to tribal lands for the first time in more than century, defeating 11 anti-bison bills in the Montana legislature, and advancing the planning for the restoration of bison to public lands, including the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

We couldn't have done any of this without the support and efforts of dedicated people like you.

Congratulations on this decisive victory, and thank you for all you did to help make it possible!

Sincerely,

Anne Senft
Vice President, Membership Programs
National Wildlife Federation

P.S. There's still important work to be done in the fight to restore wild bison to safe and suitable habitats in the West. Help continue crucial work to restore bison and many more wildlife by making a generous donation today.

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