Action Alert! Environmental Justice/Badger AAP

[Laura Olah <olah@speagle.com>]

ACTION ALERT!!

Please join us in supporting the Ho-Chunk Nation's interest in lands now
occupied by Badger Army Ammunition Plant by SIGNING ON the following
letter.

Send your name, address, and group (if any) to olah@speagle.com
or call me at (608)643-3124. Deadline is October 1. Thank you!!
 -- Laura

TO: Bureau of Indian Affairs
 U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
 U.S. Senator Herb Kohl
 US Dept of the Interior - BIA

Dear Sir or Madam:

Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Ho-Chunk Nation has made a formal
request to GSA that approximately 3050 acres of property at the Badger
Army Ammunition Plant transferred in trust for the benefit of the
Nation. The BAAP land has very important historic and cultural
significance to the Ho-Chunk people. The land lies within the heart of
Ho-Chunk's aboriginal territory, including villages located within
present-day Sauk County, and in particular, along the Wisconsin River,
where the Badger Army Ammunition Plant is located.

The Nation's primary interests are: (1) the protection of the cultural,
historic, archeological and natural resources located on the property,
(2) the restoration of prairie, native plants and animals, (3) the
restoration, remediation and continued protection of the environment,
both the human environment and the natural ecological environment. The
preservation of the history of the Ho-Chunk Nation and successor
communities of the great Sauk Prairie Land is fundamentally important.
It preserves the past while preparing the future.

Land is permanent and stable, a source of spiritual origins and
sustaining belief. Land is an important social institution, one
intimately connected to the environment, resource management, heritage
preservation and economic development. Through community operation and
integrated land use planning, it is possible to preserve, conserve and
protect the Natural Resources of this State. It is possible through a
collaborative effort, joint support and mutual assistance to restore the
Sauk Prairie. The efforts of community, farmers, environmentalists,
sports-persons, conservation groups, historians and local and tribal
government, the restoration, remediation and protection of the
environment, history, and cultural resources can be achieved.

The Ho-Chunk Nation's goals and objectives are consistent with the uses
envisioned at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant. The goals of this
community are achieved with the involvement, cooperation and resources
of all interested parties. The land use is the key to this equation.
Ho-Chunk, like the voices of the public and WDNR, has stated that its
desired use and objectives are to aid in cleaning-up the environment,
ensuring a clean green space for people and wildlife. Eco-tourism,
restoration of prairie, habitat and wildlife, and the preservation and
protection of traditional cultural properties are invaluable to the
history of this land and its people. The protection of and preservation
of earthwork, mounds, cultural sites, including the re-establishing
native plant and animals like Bison, as a native species to the prairie,
are essential to the revitalization of Ho-Chunk traditional practices
and culture. These desired objectives are consistent with the prairie
restoration desired by the area people. It does not conflict with, but
compliments the land use practices of the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources and surrounding neighbors.

Our support is offered and in return, we receive support. This is what
being a good neighbor is all about. The Ho-Chunk Nation is committed to
protect and enhance natural resources. The Ho-Chunk Nation has
undertaken a prairie restoration and bison project to enhance the
traditional beliefs of the Tribe. The Nation operates resource
management programs to "acquire, manage, develop and enhance tribal
resources" including "land, water, fish and wildlife, range, forestry,
irrigation, and other programs designed to manage, develop and enhance
tribal resources." The BAAP facility is located on lands that
historically were prairie and woodlands. Since the 1960's, portions of
the BAAP lands have been the subjects of wildlife restoration projects.
The Nation wishes to expand its prairie and bison projects. The Nation's
proposed use of the property is consistent with the interests expressed
by many members of the local communities and environmental groups, and
would benefit those communities. For all of these reasons, we support
the Ho-Chunk Nation's request that the Department of the Interior seek
to acquire the BAAP in trust for the benefit of the Nation.

Sincerely,

NAME, ADDRESS, GROUP (if any)

Co-signators so far:

1. Laura Olah, Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger, 
2. John LaForge, Nukewatch,
3. Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network, 
4. Cathy Lemar, Military Toxics Project
5. Zoltan Grossman, Midwest Treaty Network Midwest Treaty Network
6. Madison Treaty Rights Support Group,
7. Anna Bennett, 
8. Ria Verjauw, FOR MOTHER EARTH BELGIUM - Working Group on Indigenous
Peoples issues,
9. Kevin Schriver (Tol Wah), 
10. Al Gedicks, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, 
11. Cristina Pratt, UW-Madison, Institute for Environmental Studies
12. Society for Threatened Peoples, Dr. Theodor Rathgeber, Dptm.
Indigenous Peoples
13. Mining Impact Coalition of WI, Inc., Contacts: Kira Henschel / Dave
Blouin
14. Eric Kurtz and Carmen Horst, Land Resources, Institute for
Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
15. Dave Lacey, 
16. Thomas SunHawk, Hokshichankiya Community, 
17. Beth Newberry, 
18. Lloyd Bald Eagle, chairman, KOLA, 
19. Elsie Herten, executive director, KOLA International Campaign
Office, 
20. Arthur J. Miller, Northwest Leonard Peltier Support Network
21. William S Winneshiek, Jr., Ho-Chunk Nation, Tribal ID#439A002747,
22. Madeline Ostrander, University of Wisconsin, 
23. Bruce Barrett MD PhD, Dept of Family Medicine,
24. Lilias Jones Jarding, Bison Land Resource Center,
25. Debbie Ortman, Coordinator, Regional Environmental Action League,
26. Benson Gardner, 
27. Robert A. Rose, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin -
Madison,
28. Norma Reynolds,
29. Walter Funmaker, PhD, Mansfield University, Native American
Institute, 
30. Erica Howard, 
31. Esty Dinur, Esty Dinur,
32. Alana Lord - Alpha Institute
33. Alexandria Lord, Alpha Institute
34. Alexa Lord-McCormick, C/O Alpha Institute 
35. Andrea Lord,  Alpha Institute
36. Athena Lord,  Alpha Institute
37. William E. Mcguire,- Alpha Communications Development Corp.
38. Circe M. Lord, C/O Alpha Institute - Alpha Institute
39. Cyril Lord, - Alpha Communications Development Corp.
40. Donald B. Christensen, - Alpha Communications Development Corp.
41. Eric H. C. Lord, - Alpha Institute
42. Phillippe D. Lord, Aurora, CO. - Alpha Institute
43. John McCormick, C/O Alpha Institute - Alpha Institute
44. Lauren G. Lord, - Alpha Institute
45. Kevin L. Lord,- Alpha Institute
46. Michal A. Lord-Blegen, C/O Alpha Institute - Alpha Institute
47. Richard A. Lord-Blegen, C/O Alpha Institute - Alpha Institute
48. Bernard C. Saulter, - Alpha Communications Development Corp.
49. David Shiffert, Institute for Environmental Studies, Land Resources
Program, UW-Madison, Environmental Justice/ Outreach, 
50. Steve Starkey, Executive Director, Wisconsin Community Fund, 
51. Erin E. Raether, 
52. Ben Manski, Midwest Headwaters Earth First!, 
53. Eugene S. Farley, MD, 
54. Linda Farley, MD, 
55. Veronique del-valle, ISCO, Germany
56. Elizabeth Crowe, President, Chemical Weapons Working Group, Inc.,
57. Peter Hille, Chair, Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Inc.,
58. Craig Williams, Secretary/Treasurer, Viet Nam Veterans of America
Foundation, Inc., 
59. Jimmie D. Oyler, Principal Chief, United Tribe of the Shawnee, 
60. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, Ph.D., c/o Dept of Architecture, University
of California,
61. Beverly Vaillancourt, 
62. Dan L. Alstott, Pres/CEO, The AuSable Manistee Action Council,
63. Marsha Cannon, President, Madison Audubon Society, Inc., 
64. Grace Potorti, Rural Alliance for Military Accountability, 
65. Jeff Peterson, Wisconsin Green Party, 
66. Desiree Mitchell, 
67. Matthew Dreis, 
68. Michael DiGregorio, 
69. Ellwood T. Bear, 
70. Jody Peiffer Willett 
71. Terry Sexton, Rochelle Upright-Sexton,
72. Deanna Brady, Prayer House Outreach 2000,
73. John D. Berry, Assist. Prof., Pres. Oklahoma State U. Native Faculty
and Staff Assoc.
74. Cara Cowan, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Long Hair,
75. Jeannette Allen, Indigena Discussion Group 
76. Eric Rossborough,
77. COL Virginia A. Metcalf, US Army Retired, 
78. COL Mary H. Yeakel, AUS Retired, 
79. Frank K. Koehn, Lake Superior Greens,
80. Jim "Twofeather" mills, 
81. Majid Allan, 
82. Dan Holzman, 
83. Catherine Holzman

Laura Olah, Executive Director
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger
E12629 Weigand's Bay South
Merrimac, Wisconsin 53561
olah@speagle.com
Phone (608)643-3124 Fax (608)643-0005
Website http://www.speagle.com/cswab