Middle Bald Mountain

We continue to fight Larimer County's attempts to degrade the alpine summit of Middle Bald Mountain with a multi-million dollar radio facility. Check out SaveTheBaldies.Org for updates.

A RESOLUTION calling for federal-level immigration reform and denouncing Arizona State Senate Bill 1070 (Arizona SB1070) as a step in the wrong direction,

WHEREAS: The Mummy Range Institute believes our nation is in need of immigration reform that restores due process for all and fully supports the following five meaningful and comprehensive immigration reform principles:

• Increase border security and enforcement;
• The protection of human and civil rights of both citizens and non-citizens being detained;
• More support for city and state governments which are disproportionately shouldering the costs of the current broken immigration system;
• The use of new technologies to match up foreign workers with jobs in this country that are going unfilled (guest worker program);
• The elimination of current obstacles to citizenship that have resulted in 10-12 million undocumented residents living in the shadows, would improve enforcement, and provide a path so people have the opportunity to become citizens, and;

Read Full Resolution (PDF)

PVREA Candidate Jan Peterson
Unveils 10 Proposals for Improvement

Jan Peterson, candidate for the board of directors of the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, has released a list of 10 proposals for improving the PVREA. The Mummy Range Institute endorses Jan Peterson for his dedication to sustainability.

View the Proposals (PDF)

Ballots for the PVREA election will be mailed to customers in early March and tabulated at the March 27th annual meeting. Historically, around 10% of mailed ballots are returned, and board members can be decided by fewer than a hundred votes. We encourage everyone in the community to get involved and return their ballots.

Summary of the 10 proposals:

1. Aggressively investigate the possibilities of developing a geothermal base load power plant as well as promoting ground-source heat pumps to reduce demand for individual users.
2. Switch PVREA's existing carbon-offsets program to the Colorado Carbon Fund [CCF]
3. Promote biomass co-firing for ranches/farms
4. Promote load-shifting and demand response to reduce peak demand.
5. Promote distributed generation by increasing the amount of funds devoted to subsidizing PV installations at residences, and investigate the possibilities of developing other renewable energy sources that are situated in our area.
6. Encourage the state legislature to develop Feed-In Tariffs (FITs), a legislative device that has been used by others to promote the fastest, cheapest, and widest growth of renewable energy.
7. Promote the development of Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) to establish a mechanism for financing PV systems, Solar Hydronic systems, and Anaerobic Digester systems at no up-front cost to the home-owner, rancher, farmer or other business.
8. Be pro-active in moving Tri-State Generation & Transmission (the main energy supplier to the REA) away from coal and into renewable sources of energy generation.
9. As the “smart grid” is built out, making it easier to accommodate ever-larger amounts of energy supplied by variable sources, promote wind generators on individual ranches/farms as a means of distributed generation for the grid, and a source of income for ranchers/farmers.
10. Eliminate the use of Country Life magazine as a mouthpiece for the pro-coal industry that does not allow dissenting points of view to be published.

New Website for Middle Bald Mountain and South Bald Mountain

The Mummy Range Institute has released a new website addressing development threats to these summits:

http://www.SaveTheBaldies.org

This website is intended as a resource for our community and the media, and contains basic history, cost summaries, and current updates on Larimer County's continued efforts to develop these unique and fragile areas as radio facility sites, which would open the way for exploitation by cell phone, tv, and radio providers.

Please check regularly for updates.

Additional Larimer County Radio Tower Installed on South Bald Mountain in Designated Roadless Area

As of September 30, a Larimer County contractor was installing a radio transmitter on the summit of South Bald Mountain. The tundra summit of South Bald Mountain is the highest point in the Laramie Mountains and lies within the boundaries of the Green Ridge - East Roadless Area.

Larimer County Radio Tower Installed on Middle Bald Mountain

The Mummy Range Institute documented a temporary radio transmitter directly on the summit of Middle Bald Mountain as of September 29, 2009.

Plan to attend the Sustainable Living Fair in Fort Collins!

When: September 19-20, 2009

More Information:
http://www.sustainablelivingassociation.org/thefair/

Local Group Monitors Mining Threats

Leave Our Valley Alone Forever, based in Livermore, Colorado, plays an active role in monitoring proposed mining activity in rural Larimer County and educating the community on mining-related threats to water quality and other environmental values. In their July newsletter, "LOVA4EVER" details the current status of various mining proposals in our area.

UPDATE: The LOVA August newsletter has been posted, including updates on DiamonEx and the North American Minerals Group Inc (NAMG) as well as the pending cleanup of the Copper King Uranium Mine outside of Red Feather Lakes.

http://www.lova4ever.org/Newsletter.php

Lobbying to Get the Results You Want by Margie Caswell

Your influence can guide legislation or affect regulations at a federal agency.

Comments on North I-25 EIS

Comments submitted to the Colorado Department of Transportation regarding the proposed expansion project for the north I-25 corridor.

What Risk?
Ignoring the Dangers of Global Warming and Nuclear Power

I have never been able to understand the ambivalence that so many people, including myself, have for the issues of global warming and nuclear power and the dangers both present to the very survival of mankind. Are these issues too complicated or too abstract? If they were a gun pointed at us or a knife held to our throat, would we be more concerned about the dangers they present?

Glade Reservoir Comments

Mummy Range Institute Comments Concerning The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Northern Integrated Supply Project

Why Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and Other Protected Areas is Not the Way Out of Our High Gas Prices

These days we frequently hear government officials argue that we must remove bans on oil drilling in areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in order to combat higher gas prices that Americans are presently confronting. Using this argument to promote drilling in protected areas is dishonest and is not relevant to long term solutions to our oil dependency and the climate change crisis.

Middle Bald Mountain Project Stopped

On July 29th, Larimer County commissioners voted unanimously to defund the Middle Bald Mountain radio tower.

Open Letter to Members
of the Mummy Range Institute

Book Reviews by Larry Caswell

	New! Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World by Brian Walker and David Salt There exists an important reality that is often ignored during discussions concerning our human economies. This reality involves the fact that all human economies are directly dependent on and in turn exert an influence upon earth’s living systems.... Read Review
	Life Place: Bioregional Thought And Practice by Robert L. Thayer, Jr. An important piece of the puzzle concerning how we can live sustainably in this world is the growing body of thought and practice of bioregionalism. Robert L. Thayer, Jr. is one of the leading proponents of bioregionalism... Read Review
	Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins, Little, Brown and Company If those interested in the development of a sustainable world economy had time to read only one book, then Natural Capitalism might likely be the book they should choose.... Read Review
	Nature's Operating Instructions: The True Biotechnologies edited by Kenny Ausubel with J.P. Harpignies World civilization is at a crossroads. We are now faced with the necessity of making the ways in which we do business compatible with these essential systems. This book includes essays from twenty-seven of the leaders in the growing field of sustainability and the use of biotechnologies... Read Review

Killing Phrase
The Reality of Powertech's Uranium Mining Plan for Northern Colorado

Following the earthquake in Japan last year that heavily damaged the Kashiwazaki nuclear site, officials were quick to point out that toxic radioactive wastes that accidentally leaked into the ocean or scattered into the atmosphere were “within acceptable levels”. Two days later when it was discovered that the amounts of waste materials released into the water and air were significantly higher than first reported, still we were told the amounts were “within acceptable levels”.

When ionizing radiation is involved, there is no acceptable level

Global Warming

Evidence shows atmospheric balance sustained over the past 2.5 billion years has altered to a rapid rise in earth's average temperature.

The same evidence also blames the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, melting of permafrost and tundra, and burning fuels for industry and transportation. Science, not hysteria, says Global Warming and its consequences are the Reality...

Community Supported Agriculture - in Red Feather Lakes!

CSA shares from Grant Family Farms will be available for pickup in Red Feather Lakes during the 2008 season. The farm is offering a 5% discount through March. Visit their website for more information on prices and descriptions of the shares.

Area pick times are as follows:

DISCUSSION: The 4th Amendment, FISA, and the 21st Century.

Join us at the Red Feather Lakes Community Library on Friday, March 21, at 2:00pm to discuss the state of our constitutional guarantee of privacy. The discussion will focus on the USA PATRIOT Act, the Protect America Act, and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists - three important factors in our 4th Amendment rights in the 21st Century.

You can download the Power Point presentation using the links below:

• 4th Amendment slideshow (PDF 400KB)
• 4th Amendment slideshow (PowerPoint 1.6MB)

Sustainability

Is our world trade-reliant industrial economy organized and operating in a manner that makes the long term viability of civilization likely? This question can be asked in a more personal way: what are the chances that our children, grandchildren, and their children will have the opportunity for peaceful, productive lives centered in a healthy natural environment? Full Article

Opposition to Uranium Mining in Nunn, Colorado

The Mummy Range Institute is studying with concern an attempt by a Canadian company, Powertech, to mine Uranium in the vicinity of Nunn, Colorado. We have been in contact with Nunnglow.com, an organization of local citizens opposed to the mining project. Their website states:

"We have one goal: to protect northern Colorado from the environmental, health, and economic impacts of uranium mining by Powertech or any other mining company. These local and regional resources are severely threatened by Powertech's proposed project:

• Water - Surface, and Sub-Surface
• Air Quality
• Residents (Health and Welfare)
• Property Values
• Livestock
• Wildlife"

Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP)

The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) has proposed this project to meet the water needs of the growing Front Range of northern Colorado. Core to the project is the construction of new reservoirs, including one, Glade Reservoir, that would occupy two valleys north of Fort Collins and flood the current route of state highway 287.

We oppose the NISP not only because it disregards the value of water conservation practices, but also because it will actually force an unsustainable growth rate in our region.

Savethepoudre.org is an organization leading opposition to the NISP.

Middle Bald Mountain

In December of 2006, the National Forest Service announced a Larimer County proposal to construct a communications facility on the summit of Middle Bald Mountain, just west of Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.

Under the auspices of an official radio tower for improved public safety, Larimer County has attempted to "fast track" this project without the knowledge or feedback of its citizens. County officials have acted in violation of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) in their attempt to withhold public information related to the proposal, and have failed to demonstrate with confidence any potential improvement in public safety. Third parties, such as AM/FM broadcasters and cell phone networks are being solicited by the Forest Service to defray the project costs by proposing additional construction on Middle Bald.

Middle Bald Mountain is a unique and irreplacable alpine environment that would be seriously and permanently degraded if this project is allowed to go forward. Please visit our Middle Bald Mountain page for more information.

Mummy Range Institute Position Statement on Health Care

The Mummy Range Institute supports a single-payer universal health care system for all U.S. citizens. We endorse the United States Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676) and Health Care for All Coloradoans single payer proposal.
Full Statement