email : Webview : Hells Bells: 650+ acre mine, Forest Planning, Announcements, Potluck

Hells Bells, August 2018

Proposed Mine Will Damage Outstanding Resources

We need locals to show up to the County Planning meeting on Monday Aug 27, 7:00 PM, Chaplin Conference Room in the County offices at 1001 4th St.

Guest Post by David Moyal

The Observer recently published an article about a huge proposed quarry site immediately adjacent to Interstate 84, just east of Perry. The developer proposes to open 640+ acres to surface mining (250 acres in phase I); put in 3 tiered railroad spurs off the Union Pacific mainline, and have a crushing plant and huge material piles overlooking the Interstate and the river.

This high impact project has been flying under the radar; I first heard about it via planning sessions for a possible Hilgard to Riverside bike path. It will have a huge visual impact on this narrow section of the Grande Ronde Gorge, the gateway into the City of La Grande and the Grande Ronde Valley. Noise and dust will most definitely impact Perry Swimming Hole and Hilgard State Park, both prime local recreational retreats. While the proposal states that siltation in the river will be prevented, I see no evidence of soils or geological evaluation of the project, including potential issues of upslope instability . . . [learn more!]

Write a Letter, Save a Forest

We are in the thick of the objection period to the Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revisions. If you don't have standing to object, the single most important thing you can do is write a letter to the editor. Voices in the public sphere do influence decision makers. We need to show that conservation and wildlife are important to our community! Check out our handy guide, "6 Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor."

It's Time for the Summer Potluck!

Who: Open to all friends of GHCC!

What: Potluck dinner in a beautiful outdoor setting. Please bring something to share and your own plates and silverware. We'll provide the drinks and the music!

When: Wednesday, August 29th, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Avella Orchard, 2807 N. Fir Street, La Grande, OR

Announcements

1859 Oregon's Magazine recently featured GHCC and our 50 year history of conservation wins. Read it online or grab a copy of their July/August edition.
Our new website continues to grow. Check out the new "Our History" and "Legacy Giving" pages!
Our bank will soon stop accepting checks made out to our old name. Thank you for making sure your donations are written to "GHCC" or "Greater Hells Canyon Council!"
Calling all photographers! GHCC is seeking high quality photo donations for print and online use from professional or amateur photographers. We need pictures of the region we work for and its wild inhabitants. Please email Kirsten if you are interested; photo donations are tax deductible.

Free The Snake!

GHCC is sponsoring the annual Free The Snake Flotilla, an event that has grown to a 400 person recreation rally weekend! Come to laugh, learn, and advocate for native salmon and the removal of the lower four Snake River dams!

Give Now

GHCC works to connect, protect, and restore an extraordinarily diverse and beautiful wild area and its native inhabitants in the Northwest. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you!

~ Darilyn Parry Brown, Executive Director

Upcoming Events

Aug. 27: Union County Planning Meeting
Aug. 29: Summer Potluck
Sep. 7: Free the Snake Flotilla
Oct. 27: Fall Gala

We're Hiring!

GHCC is hiring for the position of Connections Coordinator! We are seeking candidates who:

Have a strong belief in the GHCC mission;
Are passionate about the Greater Hells Canyon Region;
Work well independently and as a member of a team;
Value a work culture based on respect, trust, and consensus; and
Are excited about launching our Wild Connections initiative.

Learn More

Interesting Bits

"Why is it that a young fisherman views his catch of a few scrawny sardines as natural, while an old-timer sees it as the sad scraps of an ocean once brimming with giant wildlife?" How do we know what's "natural" anymore? We don't, really. Shifting Baseline Syndrome describes the phenomenon in which each generation believes that conditions present in their youth represent a healthy environment, even when those environs were actually already degraded. The result? We think things are better than they actually are, and don't know how to get back to a "baseline," or even what that baseline for a pristine environment would be.
Meanwhile, climate change likely makes returning to a baseline impossible, even when can define one.

Sponsor of the Month:

Thank you to Patagonia for supporting our conservation work!

GHCC Wishlist

We're always looking for a few things. Your donation is tax deductible, and helps us save time and money. Thank you!

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Thank you EarthShare Oregon for supporting us through your workplace giving campaigns! Learn how to donate a portion of your wages to Oregon causes here.

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105 Fir St. Suite 327 PO Box 2768
La Grande, OR | 97850 US

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