WRPC website address: http://www.wrpc.net/index.html

September 12, 2001

WRPC's attempt to overturn the Nashville local mining agreement that was negotiated through a process of illegal secret meetings was thrown out by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. The court did not address any of the substantive issues raised in the appeal (see MJS, 8/14/01 enclosed). In November 1999, Tom Ward and the Forest County chapter of WRPC won their lawsuit against the old Town of Nashville Board by proving 55 Open Meetings Law violations during the negotiation of the so-called Local Agreement. When Wisconsin Open Meetings Law violations are proven, citizens are entitled to have a decision voided if the trial court finds that public interest in enforcing the Open Meetings Law outweighs the public interest in sustaining the Board's actions. Forest County Circuit Judge Mark Mangerson never allowed us to present our argument for overturning the agreement (see our website www.wrpc.net for more background on this case). WRPC's attorney, Glenn Reynolds, has offered to appeal this to the Supreme Court on a pro bono basis, and we are going ahead with this appeal. 

The Town of Nashville, in a separate legal challenge, is asking the Wisconsin Court of Appeals to determine whether any local government can give up their zoning authority, as happened in the Nashville local mining agreement. These legal challenges are in addition to the serious technical problems that still surround the Crandon mine permit application.

As if these were not enough problems, the Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining has launched a Sept-Oct statewide speaking/organizing tour, to reach 25 communities before the October floor vote on Senate Bill 160. The purpose of the tour, like the three previous mining speaking tours, is to generate constitutent letters to both State Senators and Assembly Reps, to generate local media coverage of the issue, and to activate existing groups to take up the cyanide issue. For more information on the campaign, go to the WRPC website or to www.treatyland.com

It's hard to believe, but WRPC will be celebrating its 20th anniversay in 2002! The founding meeting of WRPC took place in Medford in 1982. We're still going strong and we still count on you to renew your annual membership. Glenn Reynolds has generously offered his time to work on WRPC's appeal to the Supreme Court but he still has expenses to meet. If you can add $5 or $10 to your regular membership renewal, that will go directly toward meeting those expenses. WRPC membership renewal is $15 regular, or $5 senior/low income. Please send send in your membership and contribution to the legal defense fund to the address below. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks
info@wrpc.net
www.wrpc.net