Rocky Baker of the Idaho Statesman tells how our work is influencing Idaho's plan to protect sage-grouse.
Recent Media
02/14/2012
Rocky Baker of the Idaho Statesman tells how our work is influencing Idaho's plan to protect sage-grouse.
11/02/2011
Idaho Statesman writer, Rocky Barker, writes a great recap on staff attorney Kristin Ruether's argument yesterday to protect the treasured Boise River from Atlanta Gold's arsenic pollution.
05/23/2011
After Advocates for the West filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Idaho Conservation League, Atlanta Gold suddenly wants to abandon their responsibility to clean up after itself. Arsenic and heavy metals from the mine's adit are currently leaking into Montezuma Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork Boise River.
Atlanta Gold is now claiming that because the Forest Service permit for this particular adit has expired they are no longer responsible for the cleanup. Meanwhile the Candian mining company continues to explore other mines in the same area on hundreds of acres of our public lands.
Read the recent Idaho Statesman article and editorial below. Your comments are valued and appreciated.
03/09/2011
After being stalled for what was reported as "mechanical" difficulties, the second megaload finally united with the first after being stranded in the snow near Lolo Hot Springs. Crews were digging the megaload out of the snow all Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Crowds gathered to take pictures of the megaloads this morning, stunned at the massive size. See NBC Montana below for video of interviews with on-lookers. The loads are planned to go through Missoula tonight and will be met with protesters (and maybe some fans). See KPAX Missoula's YouTube Video below.
There is still no date set for Exxon to move its test module up Highway 12 but the Lewiston Tribune reported that room is being made at the port to accommodate megaloads. Eight acres of vegetation will be cleared and replaced by eight inches of gravel for Exxon/Imperial Oil megaload storage. Read more from iStock Analyst below.
03/08/2011
Idaho's megaload monitors can finally look forward to some well-deserved sleep. After over a month of timing, taking pictures and video, and logging every move the megaloads make, all within the law, the second megaload crossed the Montana/Idaho border.
In her email thanking the Idaho monitors, Borg Hendrickson of Fighting Goliath noted that monitors have endured intimidation and harassment from the Idaho State Police, entrusted to protect and serve taxpayers.
The next two coke drums aren't scheduled to travel Wild and Scenic Highway 12 for another month.
What was supposed to take eight days took wtih delays over a month. According to Idaho Transportation Department, the load stopped at the border to "prepare for entry into Montana" and crossed into Montana Monday at 12:24 a.m.
Tuesday morning, it was reported by KPAX news that the loads backed up traffic for two miles during the morning commute. Mechanical issues were blamed for the delay.
Read media links below.
Visit Fighting Goliath for the word on the street, to take action, and more.
02/22/2011
Monday night saw no movement of the second megaload heading to Montana. It is not expected that ExxonMobil will act on its permit and take a test load up Highway 12 tonight either.
Read Advocates for the West's Executive Director Laird Lucas' take on the goings-on at last night's Missoulian link below.
As Borg Hendrickson reported in her email yesterday, "As you know, in no more than 1-3 vehicles at unobstructive staggered times on assigned segments of the route, Idaho and Montana residents have been monitoring the first 2 shipments. Several monitors have had interactions with Idaho State Police shipment 'escorts.'" She also notes Northern Rockies Rising Tide weighing in on the subject of using state police for private companies. Visit FightinGoliath.org to sign up for Borg Hendrickson's informative emails.
02/21/2011
The second megaload left Lewiston last Thursday night, reportedly causing no violations in delays but scraped some lightpoles along the road. Seven trucking companies rearranged their schedules to allow easier passage for the second megaload which made it to Kooskia (mile post 73.7) at 4:15 am Saturday morning, ahead of schedule.
Winter weather got worse and the megaload stayed in position Saturday night for, as Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) claimed, "routine vehicle maintenance". It was expected to leave Sunday evening, weather permitting.
Sunday evening arrived with more winter conditions and Adam Rush, spokesperson for ITD, said the load would be delayed Sunday evening as well.
ExxonMobil is set to send their test megaload up Highway 12 on Tuesday.
First megaload photo (photoshopped) courtesy of Dave King.
02/14/2011
Over the weekend, the first megaload reached Montana and was met with protest. Read media coverage, including video of the protest, below.
If you have pictures of megalods or story, please email us at info@advocateswest.org.
02/10/2011
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) issued a press release late yesterday describing the megaload travel plan over the next couple of days. Travelling 30 miles per night, ITD estimates that the load will reach Montana Thursday night/Friday morning. Read the press release below.
In another story that broke today, Imperial Oil, the Canadian counterpart of ExxonMobil, tries to dispell the "rumor" that their 200+ shipments will be scaled down and tranported on the Interstate. Spokesperson for Imperial Oil said that they "remain committed" to using Highway 12. Read the Missoulian article below.
02/09/2011
Boise Weekly has been closely following the megaloads as the case unfolds. This article contains an admission from Idaho Transportation Department that they have approached by Korea's Harvest Energy, who is interested in shipping their megaloads on Wild and Scenic 12 as well.
02/08/2011
ConocoPhillips has run into some snags during their trek through the north.
Currently, General Winter is being blamed for stopping the megaloads in their tracks.
But after a weekend of side-swiping cliff walls, leaving a trail of debris in the road, and holding up traffic for up to 59 minutes, the Idaho Transportation Department has required the oil giant to revise their traffic plan before the loads can continue. It is unclear whether the plan has been revised.
See the links below for the latest news on the megaloads.
Watch the Friends of the Clearwater monitoring video from klew news link.
02/07/2011
The media coverage of ConocoPhillips' Megaloads reported several violations to the traffic plan Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) approved for the transport of over-legal loads through Idaho on Highway 12. ITD is now requiring a new traffic plan before the loads can roll, presumably this evening weather permitting.
See the weekend media links below.
02/04/2011
Although required to keep delays under 15 minutes, Idaho Transportation Department's spokesman Adam Rush reported today that there were 10 delays that violated the rule, one delay as long as 59 minutes. A sharp curve between Greer and Kamiah were to blame for the delay.
Read the AP story below
Photo by Ken Hagele.
10/04/2010
The New York Times editorial entitled: "The Public Trust" highlights two recent Advocates wins and reports that these "two decisions have now reasserted the public interest." "These lands do, after all, belong to the public," added the Times. The government's job is to make sure that all ranchers are good stewards of the land, "by ensuring transparency in its leasing operations, upholding environmental laws and reminding leaseholders that they hold their leases in trust for the rest of us." We couldn't have said it better ourselves!
06/10/2010
Check out Advocates for the West's Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Case Notes, our bi-annual newsletter. Read case updates and victories!
Table of Contents:
- Defending Wilderness and Wolves in Central Idaho (page 1)
- Sage Grouse Deserve ESA Protection - but Still Don't Get it (page 3)
- Victory Helps Protect Washington State Wildlife Areas From Grazing Damage (page 4)
- Soldier Meadows Settlement Protects Black Wilderness in Nevada (page 5)
- Preserving Open Space and Sage Grouse in Green Mountain Common, Wyoming (page 6)
- Keeping Idaho Water Clean and Pure (page 7)
- Staff Updates and Thanks to our volunteers (page 8)
- Our Supporters (page 9-10)
- Events (page 11)
- Board of Directors and Staff (page 11)
Please email us with corrections, questions, comments or concerns you may have so we may address them. Thank you for all your support!
06/01/2010
On June 1, 2010, Advocates for the West sued the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the threatened Chiricahua leopard frog, Lithobates [Rana] chiricahuensis, from livestock grazing in the Fossil Creek watershed of central Arizona. Advocates' Senior Attorney, Todd C. Tucci, is representing the Center for Biological Diversity in this lawsuit.
In April 2009, the Forest Service issued a permit to J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. - the financial giant, and recent recipient of $25 billion taxpayer bailout - authorizing J.P. Morgan to graze the public lands within Fossil Creek Range allotment. The Forest Service allowed J.P. Morgan to increase grazing in important habitat for the Chiricahua leopard frog and other sensitive wildlands, despite the Forest Service's own study showing that the forest lands could not support this level of use. The Forest Service study concluded that much of the area was already degraded due to past grazing and persistent drought.
07/30/2009
The July 30th edition of the Sheridan Press covers the Bighorn National Forest litigation quoting Advocates' attorney Natalie Havlina. You can find the article in the linked PDF. Look for the article on the first page in the upper left and continued onto the second page.
07/09/2009
The recently published article linked below aptly points out the hypocrisy of Western Senators 'self-reliant' talking points and subsidy based policy decisions.
