October 2022 Newsletter
October 12, 2022
Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,
On September 23 the Michigan Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to support the nomination of Anaem Omot (The Dog’s Belly), the Menominee Tribe’s cultural sites to the National Register of Historic Places. The nominated area is 50 miles upstream from the mouth of the Menominee River and includes the site of the proposed Back Forty mine. The location contains burial grounds, raised agricultural fields and ancient dance rings of cultural significance to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. The Menominee people occupied the Menominee River area for millennia, until an 1836 Treaty with the U.S. forced them to cede their original territory in Michigan.
Pro-mining Michigan legislators oppose Menominee Nation historic designation
Now some Upper Peninsula (U.P.) legislators want to erase the history of the Menominee Nation by ignoring the voice of the tribe in their application for historic recognition. The U.P. legislators falsely claim that the action comes in response to a request from “a Wisconsin-based anti-mining group.”
Michigan state Senator Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Township) said “Our state entities should not have even considered this non-Michigan group,” (Iron Mountain Daily News, September 27, 2022). And Rep. Beau La Fave, (R-Iron Mountain) said “It is clearly a blind capitulation to these out-of-state interests to grant this designation..” (Eagle Herald, Menominee/Marinette, September 27, 2022). Who exactly is the senator calling a “Wisconsin-based anti-mining group”?
The September 20, 2021 application was submitted by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, not some Wisconsin “anti-mining group.” While the tribe has actively opposed the Back Forty project, they insist that the nomination is about protecting cultural resources. “We’re trying to protect the resting places of our ancestors, said Menominee Tribal Chair Ron Corn Sr. “We’re trying to protect the stories that we have in that place.” (Danielle Kaeding, “Wisconsin tribe seeks to protect a historic site where company plans to mine for gold,” (Wisconsin Public Radio, October 7, 2022).
In contrast to the racist hysteria and false claims from U.P.legislators, the chief financial officer of Gold Resource Corp. (GORO), which owns the Back Forty project, does not see the designation as a death sentence for the project. “If the National Park Service does choose to put it on the registry we will absolutely follow suit and do whatever we need to do to make sure we continue to identify, disclose and mitigate anything that we’re doing on that property. So it doesn’t really change the way we’re doing things,”said CFO Kim Perry. (Mark Doremus, “Mining Company Not ‘Outraged’ by Historic Designation of Menominee Indian Cultural Sites,” September 30, 2022).
For an excellent analysis of the historic designation controversy, see Michele Bourdieu’s article at KeweenawNOW https://keweenawnow.blogspot.com/2022/09/michigan-board-votes-to-add-ancient.html
GORO’s Back Forty permitting behind schedule
GORO’s economic feasibility study for the Back Forty project was supposed to be released by the fall of 2022. This has not happened. GORO cannot proceed with mine permitting until this study has been completed. During GORO’s July conference call with investors, CEO Allen Palmiere spoke about inflationary pressures and lower commodity prices. According to costmine.com, a 54% rise in diesel prices could increase operating costs by 10%. “That means that feasibility studies based on higher commodity prices and lower operating costs are simply no longer valid. It is time to take a good look at costs and which projects are still economic under these conditions.” (Jennifer Leinart, director of Cost Estimating)
Opponents of metallic sulfide mining at the Reef gold deposit speak out in Marathon County
The Reef deposit is roughly 12 miles east of Wausau in Marathon County. On October 4, opponents of metallic sulfide exploration and mining presented a resolution to the Environmental Resources Committee (ERC). They asked the Marathon County Board to express its strong opposition to the current State permitting process for metallic sulfide mining in Wisconsin, including metallic mineral exploration. The resolution also calls upon the Wisconsin DNR, the Wisconsin State Legislature, and Governor to adopt new rules that would deny permits for any metallic sulfide mine within Marathon County. Several speakers reminded committee members about the county’s comprehensive plan that commits to protecting clean water.
Opponents submitted extensive documentation about the hazards of metallic sulfide mining along with resolutions from two Indian tribes, the Ho Chunk Nation and the Menominee Nation. Petitions with over 500 signatures also opposed Green Light Metals’ drilling request. GLM’s application for drilling is still pending with Marathon County’s Conservation, Planning and Zoning department.
The ERC expressed their reluctance to support the resolution saying that if Republicans in the state legislature found out that they passed a resolution that went contrary to the wishes of the legislature (including 2017 Wisconsin Act 134) that those legislators would retaliate by withholding state money and other favors. No action was taken on the resolution. Opponents withdrew the resolution and are evaluating their next steps. This anti-democratic power structure is precisely the problem documented by Wisconsin’s Green Fire in their recent (October 2022) report on “Imbalance of Power: How Wisconsin is Failing Citizens in Conserving Natural Resources and Protecting our Environment.”
“Since 2011, [the start of Governor Scott Walker’s administration], the collective effects of state legislative actions, court rulings, and political practices have undermined democratic processes and profoundly changed the way state government operates,” according to the report.
GLM submits plans to drill for copper and gold at the Bend deposit in Taylor County
On September 24, 2022 GLM filed a Notice of Intent to drill at six sites on public land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The deposit is located near Medford in Taylor County. The drill holes are as deep as 1350-feet each in an area that contains many wetlands and where the drilling will penetrate underground water aquifers. The Wisconsin DNR has only 30 days to approve or deny the plan.
Membership Renewal Reminder
If the date of your mailing label is anytime before 10/22, it means your annual membership is due ($ 15 for regular or $5 for senior/low income). Thank you for your support in our efforts to protect our precious waters.
Stay tuned, Al Gedicks, Executive Secretary
