Walker's DNR Pushes Tribe Out for Strip Mine

[hue]

http://www.progressive.org/Walker-dnr-pushes-tribe-out-for-strip-mine



On Tuesday morning the Iron County Forest Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the Iron County Board pursue criminal and civil charges against the Lac Courte Oreilles Treaty Harvest and Education camp for violating county ordinances and provisions of state County Forest Law. The vote took place with no discussion after the committee emerged from closed session with their corporate counsel.
The decision comes two months after the same committee voted unanimously to approve a request by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for a waiver to the county’s 14-day camping ordinance to allow the camp to remain established on Moore Park Road for one year.

On May 8, 2013 the Iron County Forestry department granted LCO Treaty Harvest and Education Camp host Melvin Gasper a Native American Gathering permit to gather plant materials and tap trees for syrup, and a firewood permit to collect down trees on Iron County forest lands. Both permits are valid through December 31, 2013...

...Before the meeting went into closed session, Dick Thiede asked the committee why they were going into closed session to discuss a policy decision that legally must be made in open session. Iron County corporate counsel Michael Pope said that they had grounds to close the session because the decision - that had yet to be made - was likely to result in litigation.

After the quick reading of the motion and vote, the meeting was opened up for public comment.

During this portion of the meeting, Joan Kemble said, “I’ve been in public service many years. I’ve never encountered a closed meeting followed by a vote and THEN the public comment. This is very strange to me. I’ve never heard of doing business this way.”