gordon p

The current Administrations stance on the environment is horrifying and seems hell bent on reversing decades of progress. Shameful.

I hear ya

Vote

There is a large elephant in the room................................................ don't ignore it.

There is no cure...........................nice video. Whats the soundtrack ?

anybody ever fish this creek ?

Lets hope that mine never happens.

Agree !!

Rob, while that may be true in Illinois I’m really concerned about national policy.

Oh, but then there is this: https://grist.org/article/scott-pruitt-suspends-obama-era-clean-water-rule-for-two-years/ Don't fool yourself, this is the most anti-environment Administration ever.

Seems to me that the ISA needs to focus on this kind of regressive policy both on a local and national level. You can't catch dead fish. The current lack of concern by our government(s) on the environment and the attempts to rollback regulations on pollutants is alarming, We all need to be involved one way or another.

Scott, I screwed up on days. I cannot do Friday but I could do Thursday evening 4-8. Let me know if that's ok.

Please write. https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/miwaters/#/external/publicnotice/info/3338938032851742207/comments https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/miwaters/#/external/publicnotice/info/3338938032851742207/documents http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,4669,7-192-47796-454935--,00.html If fully permitted, the Back Forty will be a large open-pit sulfide mine on the bank of the Menominee River, the largest watershed in Michigan’s wild Upper Peninsula. The wall of the mine pit will be only 100 feet from the river. Milling is also proposed to take place on the site, using cyanide and other chemicals, with mine waste stored at the mine site, and some tailings waste remaining permanently. Most of the rock will be "reactive" or capable of producing acid mine drainage (AMD) when exposed to air and water. AMD devastates watersheds: it is difficult and expensive to remediate, and may continue leaching from the tailings for hundreds or thousands of years. American Rivers named the Menominee River to their list of “America’s Most Endangered Rivers” in 2017. Aquila Resources seeks to destroy 28.4 acres of wetlands at the site in order to build the Back Forty sulfide mine: “Direct Impacts” (excavation and fill) of 11.2 acres, and 17.2 acres of “Indirect Impacts” (including loss of groundwater and surface water. It is an alarming proposal, given the proximity of wetlands to the Menominee River. Environmentalists are concerned about Aquila’s plan to follow the orebody deeper underground, and note that the Back Forty site is complex, hydrologically, with wetlands on all sides, flowing in different directions. Total wetland impacts may be significantly underestimated. Concerned? Read the Back Forty Wetland Permit application and be prepared to speak out!

Will do.

Scott the dates are wrong, it's 25, 26,27. I could do Friday basically any time.

Done.

Sad indeed.

https://www.americanrivers.org/2017/07/fishing-guides-perspective-mining-menominee/

I think the river at Rochester is pretty small.

I have fished the Zumbro several times but downstream (north ) of Rochester. It's a pretty river with really clear water. Good smallmouth fishing but perhaps not a large amount of Brutus class fish. Good wading access at Hammond and Millville but that's about 30 minutes from Rochester.

In the grand scheme of things Gordon, you are correct and unfortunately I think they have won this battle. It's already pretty much game over, maybe for a generation or two,. Money pretty much controls everything. Did you ever read "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayne Rand? she talks about the the dollar sign " $" being basically the letters "U.S" laid on top of each other. When I read it I thought it was whacky, but the older I get, when it comes to pretty much any issue in politics all you have to do is "follow the money". I have not read "Atlas Shrugged" but another scenario that seems possible is "The Handmaids Tale" by Margaret Atwood. That's a good, if frightening, read. Fiction, for now.

I'll drink to that.

Since the current Administration views the environment as just another commodity to monetize and wants to reverse 50 years of environmental progress by turning the EPA in to a shill for the oil and coal industries perhaps what we need here is more "political" discussion. We could call it "pro-environment" or "earth-friendly" as to not offend anyone.

I think this discussion has shown admirable restraint in not naming names. On the other hand if you want to engage our politicians you need to know those that wish to do the most harm. If you want to write these people here is a good start. http://www.ecowatch.com/privatize-public-lands-2317119748.html

Understood.