•
"The Sulfide Mining Moratorium passed the Senate and Assembly after a huge grassroots campaign overcame a million-dollar lobbying blitz by mining company lobbyists."
•
At least 81 Wisconsin organizations have supported the Mining
Moratorium Bill, with many counties and over 70 local
communities passing resolutions or going on record in opposition
to the Crandon mine and/or pipeline; (for a list see: http://www.shopperstopper.com/shopper/crandon/
•
New local grassroots organizations have been formed along the
Wolf and Wisconsin rivers, and around the state. One new group,
Northwoods Alliance, now boasts over 18,000 members;
•
Mining opponents in the Town of Nashville (Forest County), were
elected with an overwhelming vote of support to the Town Board
after the former Board officials signed a local mining agreement
with Exxon;
•
Over 1000 people attended a Moratorium rally/hearing in Milwaukee--
two-thirds of those who attended support the bill;
•
The Committee of Labor Against Sulfide Pollution (CLASP) was
formed, and has gained resolutions from numerous union locals
around the state.
See http://treaty.indigenousnative.org/uswa.html
•
American Rivers listed the Wolf River as the
Fifth Most Endangered River in the U.S., due to the Crandon Mine;
•
A second WWEP Circle Tour reached 20 communities in southern
and western Wisconsin in the summer and fall;
•
The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., an organization made up
of the 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin, passed a resolution
supporting the Mining Moratorium;
•
Citizen petitions for the Moratorium bill (totalling over 20,000
signatures) were received by Rep. Spencer Black;
•
An additional 15,000 signatures were presented to the Natural
Resources Board, which governs the DNR;
•
Many new web sites and Internet networks were set up for
education and communication (see list at end of letter);
•
An extensive public relations campaign included many effective
editorials from citizens, and radio ads on the dangers of sulfide
mining. This provided some balance to Exxon's multi-million dollar
TV disinformation campaign;
•
Tens of thousands of new yard signs, bumperstickers,
and newspaper ads have helped promote education on the issue;
•
The Conservation Congress, a hunters' /fishers' assembly advising
the DNR , asked for much more stringent controls on sulfide mining
by a near unanimous vote at its annual spring county hearings;
•
Several mining opponents announced plans to run for political office,
including Ed Garvey running for Governor, with a platform
opposing sulfide mining;
•
Several tribes' efforts advanced to preserve their clean air or
water under federal laws, and a statewide poll showed majority
support for tough tribal environmental standards;
•
A rally at Chicago's Wisconsin Tourism Center alerted Illinois
tourists to the mining threat to Wisconsin's environment;
•
Canoe flotillas, and numerous other rallies, fundraisers, press
conferences, etc., were held to protest sulfide mining;
•
More Wisconsinites questioned Exxon's economic promises, by
pointing out that high-tech jobs would go to outsiders, mining has
an unstable boom-and-bust record, and mining would risk our
state's $6 billion tourism industry;
•
A statewide poll conducted by St. Norbert's College in De Pere
demonstrated that a significant margin of Wisconsin
citizens support the Mining Moratorium Bill;
•
A survey completed by the Shopper Stopper (Merrimac) for
citizens living around the southern section of the Wisconsin
River revealed an overwhelming majority objecting to the
Crandon mine and the proposed sewer pipeline.
ACTION STEPS: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP IN 1998
•
Call your Assembly Representative immediately
(even if you have called before), to support the Moratorium Bill,
SB 3/AB 70, which comes up for a vote in mid-January (If
you don't know your Rep, call the Legislative Hotline
toll-free at 800-362-9472); letters are also extremely effective.
Ask your Rep (toll-free numbers below) to vote for
the bill in its present state, without amendments that would
weaken the bill for Exxon;
•
Donate tax-deductible contributions to support our volunteer
efforts:
Wolf Watershed Educational Project (WWEP)
c/o Midwest Treaty Network
P.O. Box 14382
Madison, WI 53714-4382
Make checks out to "MTN/PC Foundation."
•
Stay abreast of events by calling the toll-free Hotline 800-445-8615; call toll-free 888-Sulfide to get yard signs;
•
Write letters to your local newspaper against the
environmental, economic and cultural effects of
sulfide mining;
•
Tell the Governor not to link gaming compact renewal
to the tribes' dropping federal environmental standards.
State Capitol, Madison WI 53702; 608-266-1212;
email: wisgov@mail.state.wi.us.
See http://treaty.indigenousnative.org/gaming.html
Also write letters to your local paper.
•
If you are a tribal member, you can get involved in
educating your community to support tribal sovereignty;
•
Use the Internet to post links to our web sites (see below)
and subscribe to StopExxonMine--an e-mail listserv.
(To subscribe, send e-mail: majordomo@earthwins.com
with message in body "subscribe stopexxonmine".)
•
Get involved in the WWEP--our next monthly statewide
meeting is at the U.W.-Stevens Point (west of Hwy 51 just off Hwy
10) on Saturday, January 31, 10 am-3 pm. Location to be announced.
•
Join a local group listed below to stay informed and involved on the
issue. Our movement is very decentralized and broad-based, making it
very difficult for Exxon to coopt or defeat. The Moratorium Bill is only
ONE OF MANY strategies to protect Northern Wisconsin!!!!
THANK YOU!
Let's make 1998 the year that Exxon withdraws from the
Crandon area, and we can begin to see a future for Northern
Wisconsin with its environment, economy, and cultures safe and flourishing.
EXAMPLES OF GROUPS YOU CAN JOIN OR HELP
|
•
Clean Water Action Council
2220 S. Decker
Green Bay, WI 54302, 414-468-4243
email: cwac@execpc.com http://www.wsn.org/lakemichigan.html
•
Committee of Labor Against Sulfide Mining (CLASP)
5019 W. Gillmore, Milwaukee, WI
53219, 414-542-8474
http://treaty.indigenousnative.org/clasp.html
•
EarthWINS web network:
email: earthwins@earthwins.com
http://www.earthwins.com/
•
Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Lakeland Areas (ECCOLA)
Box 537, Minocqua, WI 54548
715-453-3676/453-8769
email: ecowise@newnorth.net
http://www.wsn.org/northcentral.html
•
Midwest Treaty Network (and Wolf Watershed Education Project)
P.O. Box 14382
Madison, WI 53714-4382
Toll-Free Hotline 800-445-8615; Tel/Fax: 608-246-2256
email: mtn@igc.org http://treaty.indigneousnative.org
•
Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin Inc
|
•
Northern Thunder
312 East Madison
Eau Claire, WI 54703
715-839-7731
email: wfantle@execpc.com
•
Northwoods Alliance
Box 603
Rhinelander, WI 54703
Toll-free 888-Sulfide; 715-369-2130
•
Protect Our Wisconsin River (POW'R)
P.O. Box 505
Tomahawk, WI 54487
715-453-5639
http://www.wsn.org/western.html
•
Protect Our Wolf River- Shawano County (POW'R-SC)
N6725 Balsam Row Road
Shawano, WI 54166
Tel: 715-526-3426
email: powr@earthwins.com http://www.earthwins.com/powr.html
•
Wisconsin Resources Protection Council
210 Avon St. #4
La Crosse, WI 54603
Tel 608-784-4399
email: gedicks.albe@mail.uwlax.edu
•
Forest Co. Chapter
Box 795
Crandon WI 54520
715-478-2384
•
Wisconsin Stewardship Network web network:
http://www.wsn.org
•
Wolf River Watershed Alliance
2610 Log Cabin Dr.
White Lake, WI 54491
715-882-4800
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