Walker's DNR Pushes Tribe Out for Strip Mine

[hue]

http://www.progressive.org/Walker-dnr-pushes-tribe-out-for-strip-mine



On Tuesday morning the Iron County Forest Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the Iron County Board pursue criminal and civil charges against the Lac Courte Oreilles Treaty Harvest and Education camp for violating county ordinances and provisions of state County Forest Law. The vote took place with no discussion after the committee emerged from closed session with their corporate counsel.
The decision comes two months after the same committee voted unanimously to approve a request by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for a waiver to the county’s 14-day camping ordinance to allow the camp to remain established on Moore Park Road for one year.

On May 8, 2013 the Iron County Forestry department granted LCO Treaty Harvest and Education Camp host Melvin Gasper a Native American Gathering permit to gather plant materials and tap trees for syrup, and a firewood permit to collect down trees on Iron County forest lands. Both permits are valid through December 31, 2013...

...Before the meeting went into closed session, Dick Thiede asked the committee why they were going into closed session to discuss a policy decision that legally must be made in open session. Iron County corporate counsel Michael Pope said that they had grounds to close the session because the decision - that had yet to be made - was likely to result in litigation.

After the quick reading of the motion and vote, the meeting was opened up for public comment.

During this portion of the meeting, Joan Kemble said, “I’ve been in public service many years. I’ve never encountered a closed meeting followed by a vote and THEN the public comment. This is very strange to me. I’ve never heard of doing business this way.”

[Scuba]

1. Thanks hue!

[ewagner]

2. They are blinded by dollar signs...

they will do anything to cash in on the (counterfeit) riches promised by GTAC.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Maybe not counterfeit riches at all--

at least as far as the County Board payoffs go.

Only counterfeit as the county residents go. Local economic gains from mining are small, temporary, and followed by innumerable long-term problems.

[ewagner]

4. Yes...

to the residents of the county the benefits are counterfeit....and those supervisors are some of the residents who are chasing fools gold

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Ia that their sole motive?Are they tht stupid? Or

are they on the take?

I know you've seen politics up close & personal in that neck of the woods. How much does a County Supervisor cost up there? I bet they're pretty cheap; don't have the sense to hold out for more.

[ewagner]

6. They're pretty cheap down here too....

...we have a mega farm going in that will require something like 45 high-capacity wells...wells that the legislature says DNR MUST approve...the local commissioners are chanting the "jobs, jobs, jobs" mantra just like they are up north...

"all hail private enterprise"...