In the aftermath of the Trump election,
those of us who care deeply about the environment need a little good news.
Yesterday, we got a double dose of much-welcomed good news!
Good
News!
FERC
Upholds Denial of LNG Pipeline
Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) announced they will uphold their denial of the Pacific
Connector LNG Pipeline. In March, FERC denied permits for the Pacific Connector
LNG pipeline and Jordon Cove export terminal; however, the company appealed the
decision and the project was left with an uncertain fate. Yesterday's
announcement from FERC is very encouraging and sets a strong precedent for
future pipeline proposals.
The Pacific Connector LNG pipeline and Jordon
Cove export terminal is proposed to begin in Malin, Oregon in the Klamath
Basin, east of the Cascade Mountains, and travel 232 miles to Coos
Bay, Oregon. The pipeline would require a ninety-five foot clearcut. The three
foot wide natural gas pipeline would cross 157 miles of private land, requiring
the use of eminent domain. It would cross 400 streams, including the Rogue,
Klamath, Umpqua, Coquille and Coos Rivers, and transport 1.2 billion cubic feet
of fracked gas per day. The pipeline would also require a new 420 megawatt
power plant used solely to facilitate the export of fracked Canadian gas
shipped by massive tankers from the tsunami zone off the Oregon Coast on the
North Spit of Coos Bay. The proposal is potentially disastrous to nearly
everything in its path and has been strongly opposed by the citizens of Oregon
for many years.
Despite this very good news, we must keep in mind
that Jordon Cove and Pacific Connector Pipeline will likely take this decision
to the court of appeals, the US Secretary of Commerce, or simply refile the project
at a later date. It's not over yet and we may have to keep working to stop this
pipeline for a long time ahead.
The good news for the No LNG campaign follows on
the heels of the good news for water protectors fighting the Dakota Access Oil
Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, indigenous
activists, water protectors at the camps, and allies from around the world are
cautiously celebrating the news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced
it will not approve an easement needed to permit the Dakota Access Pipeline to
drill under Lake Oahe. The Army Corps said it would look for alternative
routes for the $3.7 billion pipeline, possibly leading to a full environmental
review through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Under the Trump administration we must
stay vigilant for all environmental, social justice and climate change
issues.
For now we celebrate these victories!
More
Good News!
The
Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) Protects Donomore Meadows!
A small portion of the expansive Donomore Meadows system as seen from
the PCT. The area is the headwaters of Donomore Creek, a tributary of Elliott
Creek.
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On the Siskiyou Crest, on the border of Oregon
and California, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) runs through a large, high
elevation meadow system called Donomore Meadows. The location of Donomore
Meadows on the PCT allows thousands of hikers a year to experience the beauty
and high habitat value of these meadows; however, up until now there have
always been private property signs marring the wilderness experience. The good
news: The PCTA has just announced it has bought the 160-acre Donomore Meadows
property through its land protection program!
The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
has money budgeted to buy this parcel from the PCTA in the next fiscal year
through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The agency has long identified
Donomore Meadows as a critical acquisition, but the landowner was not willing
to wait for the lengthy federal acquisition process to proceed.
As a non-profit partner, the PCTA
stepped in and acquired the property as an interim measure. It is expected that
the land will be transferred to federal ownership and added to the Rogue
River-Siskiyou National Forest in the near future.
Donomore Meadows provides critical habitat for many species that rely on high elevation meadows: from deer and elk, to black bear and cougar, to native bees and butterflies and other pollinators. The grassland and wildflowers of Donomore Meadows, the natural springs that feed Donomore Creek, as well as the surrounding forest, all add up to a wonderful place to walk through on the PCT, as well as a key place for land acquisition to add to the value of public land in the Klamath-Siskiyou.
I am proud to say that in my region public land is expanding rather
than being privatized and sold to the highest bidder as some propose. We need
to keep working to acquire important parcels on the Siskiyou Crest for
conservation interests, rewilding the incredible land bridge and expanding our
public land base, one parcel at a time.
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