Monthly Archives: February 2013

IRU Lawsuit: Federal Judge Rules Forest Service Has Megaload Jurisdiction on U.S. Highway 12

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Advocates for the West executive director and attorney for client Idaho Rivers United (IRU), Laird Lucas, discusses the ramifications of federal judge B. Lynn Winmill’s February 8 ruling and judgment that the U.S. Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration hold the authority to regulate megaload uses and accommodations within the Highway 12 easement to the state of Idaho through the federally designated and Forest Service managed wild and scenic Clearwater/Lochsa river corridor.  Listen to the KRFP Radio Free Moscow story and interview IRU Lawsuit: Federal Judge Rules Forest Service has Megaload Jurisdiction on U.S. Highway 12 between 28:36 and 20:24 of the February 8, 2013, Evening Report, USFS Has U.S. Highway 12 Jurisdiction.

More ITD Testimony on U.S. Highway 95

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This special Friday addition to regular news coverage features testimony at the January 23 public hearing hosted by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to examine its draft environmental impact statement for U.S. Highway 95 re-routing south of Moscow.  Susan Flack, Jim Anderson, Al Poplawsky, and Tim Hatten address their concerns and commendations of various ITD alternatives of this proposal.  Listen to the KRFP Radio Free Moscow story More ITD Testimony on U.S. Highway 95 between 14:46 and 1:14 of the February 8, 2013, Evening Report, USFS Has U.S. Highway 12 Jurisdiction.

U.S. Highway 95 Realignment Effect on Environment to be Discussed

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The Palouse Prairie Foundation and the White Pine Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society will hold a discussion of the proposed realignment of U.S. Highway 95 between Moscow and Thorncreek Road, and how it might affect native flora and fauna.

The presentation is 7 p.m. Thursday at the 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St.

WIRT Newsletter: Upcoming Early February Events

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Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-Day OutlawsCompassionately contrary compatriots,

Before we send to you a more comprehensive newsletter with reports and photos about our recent actions and related dirty energy developments and resistance, we invite your participation in these upcoming grassroots-led initiatives.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

February 4: IRAGE Activists on the Climate Justice Forum (website excerpted)

February 6: Anti-Fracking Strategy Session in Boise

From 1 until 3 pm this Wednesday, activists of Idaho Residents Against Gas Extraction, United Vision for Idaho, Wild Idaho Rising Tide, and other invited groups, such as Occupy Boise and the Sierra Club, are meeting at the Solid Grill and Bar, 405 South 8th Street in Boise.  The reserved space for five to twenty people will accommodate a group lunch and privacy, as participants discuss strategies to oppose natural gas development in Idaho and plan a mid-March weekend direct action workshop and petition signature presentation action.  IRAGE and WIRT are currently working with CREDO Action to launch and circulate an online/print petition demanding a legislative ban on fracking in Idaho until further study criteria are met.  While we doubt our lawmakers will grant our requests, the petition serves to bring awareness and education to Idaho voters.  Petitioners will explain the circumstances, rules, and laws surrounding recent and upcoming natural gas and injection well drilling, while collecting signatures at public events and information booths like those at Farmers Markets.  We intend to pressure and document the stances of our state officials, to assert their accountability if (when) fracking problems arise, before stronger citizen initiatives during the next election cycle.

February 7: Highway 95 Realignment Possible Impacts on Palouse Prairie and Native Plants

The Palouse Prairie Foundation and the White Pine Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society are co-sponsoring a public presentation and discussion about the potential effects on native flora and fauna of the proposed re-routing of U.S. Highway 95 between Moscow and Thorn Creek Road.  Please converge at 7 pm this Thursday in the 1912 Center Fiske Room, 412 East Third Street in Moscow, to learn more about this critical local situation. Continue reading →

Activists Told to Work Outside the Box

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Activists should move beyond specific issues and focus on the big picture if they hope to retain the ability to shape the nature of their own communities, a Spokane-based community organizer said on Saturday in Moscow.

“In a very real way, we don’t have a fracking problem, we don’t have a (genetically modified organism) problem, and we don’t have a local economy problem – we have a democracy problem,” Kai Huschke said.

Huschke, an organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), said communities can’t necessarily expect the existing regulatory system to work in their favor when it comes to corporate interests.

The Palouse Environmental Sustainability Coalition, Wild Idaho Rising Tide, and other community organizations sponsored his appearances on Friday and Saturday in Moscow. Continue reading →

Climate Justice Forum: Alma Hasse & Tina Fisher 2-4-13

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On the Monday, February 4, Climate Justice Forum radio program, Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) again welcomes Alma Hasse and Tina Fisher of Idaho Residents Against Gas Extraction, talking about natural gas developments and resistance in southwest Idaho.  As the legislature approves state oil and gas commission appointments by the governor and industry-compromised injection well regulations, citizens are crafting a statewide petition to ban toxic drilling practices and are voicing their concerns about private and state land leases (even UNDER the Payette River), flaring and seismic testing impacts, and impending fracking, waste wells, and pipelines.  WIRT invites listeners to share their insights during the show broadcast on KRFP Radio Free Moscow between 7:30 and 9:30 pm PST live at 92.5 FM and online, by calling the station studio at 208-892-9200.  Thanks to the generous, anonymous supporter who adopted program host Helen Yost as his KRFP DJ, the show also covers continent-wide dirty energy schemes and climate activism news.

Megaloads Making Progress on Journey

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A megaload that started from the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley on Wednesday and had been parked nine miles east of Lowell was expected to scale Lolo Pass late Friday night or early this morning.

A second super-sized rig could have also made progress toward Montana early this morning on U.S. Highway 12 in Idaho.  Its departure from six miles east of Lowell, where it arrived late Thursday night or early Friday morning, was dependent on how well the trip went for the rig ahead of it.  The second load left Lewiston on Thursday night. Continue reading →

Megaload Past Lowell, May Have Resumed Trip Overnight

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A megaload was parked nine miles east of here on Thursday, awaiting the second leg of a journey on U.S. Highway 12 that started Wednesday.

Another extra-large rig was expected to enter Idaho after 10 pm on Thursday and travel an unspecified distance on U.S. Highway 12, said Adam Rush, a spokesman for the Idaho Transportation Department in Boise.

The load that left on Wednesday was likely not going to travel again on Thursday night, Rush said, weather conditions permitting. Continue reading →