"It IS Sacred"

I sat through nearly nine of the twelve hours of testimony that was given yesterday to a subcommittee of Wisconsin State Legislators whose task is to pass mining legislation that has been written by, for the very first time in state history, the regulated industry. An entity that goes by the name of GTAC had a representative there to speak as well, but virtually nothing he had to say made any sense to those who know the history of mining in the state. I have participated in several rounds of public comments, working through the legislative process to help craft regulations and assisting in educating the public about the nature of trying to mine in sensitive areas and the headwaters of river systems that we all hold in common as citizens. What was just as stunning now as it was thirty years ago, when I began my own involvement in environmental issues, was the absolute disconnect between those who believe in their dominion over nature and those who realize that we are integral to the ecology of Mother Earth. The outright lies, about the nature of the geology, the proposed changes to wetlands protection, the air and water quality that mining would affect, the number of jobs that a mine would "create" and the impacts on local communities were bad enough. Serious questions arise about the validity of any position taken by the corporation, (GTAC) because they have already acted in ways that would normally be prosecuted.
It is an crime to tell someone that if they do what you want them to, something good will happen and if you do not do what they want, bad things will happen. When they ask for money, that is called extortion, organized crime is often prosecuted for engaging in this type of crime. Racketeering is enlisting enough people as to control a market. I see no reason why enlisting the government to help steal from the public should be any different from using any other group of organized criminals to do so. What will be stolen, in this case is two-fold. First off, by having a mining company re-write the laws, the company has already stolen our democratic process. The sham of only allowing twelve hours of testimony to be heard from the public, hundreds of miles from where the mine would operate, with only two business days warning has also stolen rights that belong to the public and have been well-established by time-honored practices that have served us well since Wisconsin has been organized as a state. The second thing that has been stolen from the people of Wisconsin are the laws that have sought to protect the environment from mining interests, who leave social distortion, cultural mayhem and environmental destruction in their wake. This assault on state law also renders useless, the hundreds of thousands of hours spent crafting the laws than now partially protect state resources like clean air and water.
I am writing in parlance that the average person might understand, but the deepest assault is a bit more esoteric. First, the history buffs and folks enamored by the "good old days" spoke about the need to recover the boom times that mining provided the north woods. What these people forget is that instead of prostrating themselves to set dynamite in warrens of tunnels, or shoveling the ore into carts, the way mining used to take place, modern mining allows a single guy in a truck to cart away more pulverized rock powder in a minute than a whole community used to be able to produce in a day. Forgetting the fact that the geology that led to mining certain parts of our state was the exact same geology that led to the end of mining, did not seem to be enough, the supporters also had to parrot back the same ignorant statements that they rest their arguments upon. One supporter hastened to say that the town of "Wakefield gets it's water from the (now-closed) Montreal mine". This may be true but has absolutely nothing to do with the proposed mine that lies under sulfide bearing rock that will be blasted to powder, creating acid mine drainage in the next watershed over.
The people who clung to the "jobs" issue failed to mention that the problems that they have always had with shrinking population is that the first extraction was the forest itself, then the mineral wealth under their feet. They do not understand that the low-grade ore that is left is just that. One person "in favor of the mine", bemoaned the "fact" that their children will all have to move away if they want to get jobs and another said that six homes on one lake alone had been foreclosed on and were now sitting empty. Hmmmm, sounds like a vacation retreat center about to happen, but that would require a bit of investment and commitment to finding creative ways of making a living. There are many flourishing vacation rental businesses across the north...One wondered if their children just wanted to get away from the land of not much to do. One fellow who, as I recall, was a school board chairman, said that if just six families would move into their school district it would help the school to hang on in spite of dwindling enrollment and plummeting state aid. Keep in mind that these same voices doubted the integrity of the science behind the opposition to the mine and the sentiment that most folks spoke out about that was we need to take our time and protect the environment, rather than bowing to corporate power and promises.
This is the second round for this law, even though it was reintroduced this session as AB 1 and SB 1, none of the prior testimony, which ran 348 against environmental destruction to 24 in favor of mine development, will be allowed to be considered in the new fight spear-headed by governor scott Walker, to reduce the effectiveness of Wisconsin state law.
Two particular interactions during the hearing yesterday were most telling, one was the question, late in the day by the committee chair. "Why is this issue more important in Ashland County than in Iron County?" Iron county is not even in the watershed that would be affected by acid mine drainage. 2/3 of the proposed mine and all of the acid mine drainage would be in Ashland County. To date, there has not been a single public hearing on this issue there. Secondly, and perhaps most sadly, was the representative who spoke against changing the current laws. You would think that someone who wants to protect the state would have a better grasp on the situation. They said that the wild rice which grows in the floodplain of the Bad River is "almost sacred" to native people. Luckily, there were folks close by who chimed in, "It IS Sacred!" Several times during the hearing, the relationship between the sanctity of the land and sacred rites and/or objects came out. Just the sheer amount of TNT that would be used to blast the rock to the consistency of talcum powder would unleash a toxic legacy that would last beyond seven generations. I am sorry if I misquote Mike Wiggins, but he said something like, Imagine wiping the Vatican from the face of the earth, that is what the headwaters of our reservation are to us.
Several times, it was brought to light that the rights of native populations were guaranteed by a government much older than that of the State of Wisconsin. The treaties entered into by their nations and the nation of the United States of America explicitly state that there is a responsibility of the federal government to assure protection of the resources upon which their culture, their nation, and their subsistence way of life depend. Because of these treaties, the relationship between the people and their land may not be taken for granted, cannot be infringed and certainly by this understanding, must not be ruined by releasing toxic substances into the air or water of one nation by negligence or design by the other. The air, the water, the earth, rock and the intact ecosystem upon which life thrives is sacred. This needs to be made clear to the temporary custodians of our state. Our interest is in protecting this land forever.

Twenty-five Years Ago Today

Twenty-five years ago today, I turned an important corner, not only in my life, but into a geographic realm beyond my imagination. My physical body crossed from Wisconsin, where I had spent many years of my life, into Minnesota along the shore of Lake Superior. It was a moment that stands apart from time. This change of course, from heading pretty much due West, swinging North, by Northeast along the North Shore of The Greatest Lake, made me aware of my anonymity as well as my infinite spirit. Leading off into the distant future was a path that was both undeniably my own and intimately entwined with each and every other organism that lives, has lived and will ever live around these inland seas. I was barely a week into my Great Lakes Bicycle Tour, but my young body had already turned from a tentative young man into a stoic and experienced traveler. I was shedding pounds and lightening my panniers with each meal. As I entered the North, the scars of extraction were all around me. Heavily silted waterways, deforested areas that stretched for miles, heaps of acid mine waste and open pits that might never again support life were all around me. The mining and milling industries that built the great fortunes of city dwellers far far away had left scars so deep that after one hundred years, the ugliness of them remained, spread out across the landscape. Plainly visible for anyone to see, but understood by few, if any, of those who were speeding by on the highways at breakneck speed.

I had rested up for an extra day in Superior, Wisconsin enjoying some down time after pushing though the pain of hundred mile days. In that first week, I had experienced snow, sleet, rain and one crisp night that froze my tires to the ground so thoroughly that leaves, dirt and pine needles stuck to them and created a funny sound as they swished past the frame on each revolution. I was happy and sad, tired and energized, but the overarching goal of making my way around all five Great Lakes just got that much closer. I was as far away from home as I had ever been, yet I felt as one with the earth as ever as well. I could feel the Living Earth, cheering me on, the wind, finally, at my back and the freshening breeze bringing the warmth of spring to the region. As I passed the Viking ship in Duluth, I felt the presence of my ancestors, buoying my energy reserves and keeping me aware of the deeper meanings behind any pilgrimage. Losing one relationship between who we thought we were and who we may find ourselves to be is part and parcel of any voyage. Rather than crossing the great water as my viking ancestors had, I was circumnavigating them, finding my way with a series of maps that were more or less handed down to me from wizened old travelers and mapmakers of high repute. rather than seeing images of maps and having to infer what must be there, i was seeing what was actually out there and condensing that knowledge into the lines and color fields that I had in my pocket.

The ultimate shift in my course was to switch from thinking that I had power to change the course of history to wanting to change myself. the only thing I have absolute responsibility for and dominion over is, in fact, my own self. how that shakes out amongst my fellow humans is for them to determine and amongst their own lives they must take responsibility for their own part in making the world better as they see fit. My own ego had been trying to stay in charge, but as I was finding, powers beyond my comprehension were at work in my days, my nights and even those beautiful moments in-between the two. I began to feel a deep connection to the waters, the rock and the thin soils of the area, working my own special magic wherever I stopped to honor and respect what I would find there, what I took away from them and what I left behind. At this point, making my way up the shore toward the border with Canada, any demons that had led me to question my ability were vanquished, any doubts about my convictions evaporated and the truth of my own message, which I shared with others each and every time I stopped , stopped being just words, but a reflection of the voices of the trees, the water and the very wind which I was becoming one with. I seriously questioned whether I would be able to be clear about my mission, adept at bringing salient information to communities that I had not lived amongst for very long and if it would be possible to capture the imagination of those I would meet along the way. What I was beginning to find is that more often than not, my message was not only received, but shared and welcomed by both individuals and the news outlets that I provided with interviews. As I skirted the shoulder of the Canadian Shield, riding near the border between land and the lake, every turn revealed a more beautiful sight. Except for the areas that had been poisoned by mining, each cascade was more wonderful than the previous one, each tiny hamlet and locality was more picturesque. Each settlement was more focused on the values and approaches that we would one day call sustainable.

What I was seeing reflected in both the people and their passions was an undying commitment to one another that is exemplified in nature. Just as the tree falling in the woods feeds the soils that will provide a footing for another generation of trees, the falling of the great extractive economies of the past has given rise to a new way of life that respects the Earth, cares about water, and has learned some of the lessons of taking without giving back, grabbing the money and running and the responsibility we all have to one another. I was turning onto a new road, into a new culture and finding my true self, free of the limitations that I had placed upon myself.

Taking the Long Way Home

How I have come to see my region. This is the part of the planet that I know best. What I do here affects the entire planet.

The Great Lakes are eutrophying, filling up with sediment, more than ten thousand times faster today than they did before the settlement by whites over two hundred years ago. The soils that took over ten thousand years to develop have been washed away in just the last hundred or so years. If we are to reclaim the planet, not only do we need to stop the abuse of the landscape, the watersheds and our soils, but we need to make positive change in the environment a priority. Living as if the Earth mattered is a sound first step to reclaiming the landscape for life, health and the well-being of the generations that will follow.

Years ago I found the value of the road less traveled. The routes we take through life are much like the paths and trails that we come across in the woods. As we accept the ease with which we can travel, we accept the perspectives shared by each and every other traveler along the way. Even the wayside rest areas begin to look alike as more and more of us stop, stand, hands in pockets, to "see" the unique overlooks and vistas. The routes less traveled can often be glimpsed from the main track, but cannot be understood or experienced in any other way. You have to go there, spend time there, live there for a while, then you begin to know them. ECO-Tours of Wisconsin has been devoted to finding unique ways through the landscapes of life, respecting that we are each in the process of finding our way. We are not in the business of taking everyone down the same road, rather we wish to bring a bit of light to areas that could not be seen otherwise. As we share our own perspectives and our own insights, we share information about routes that are just as valid, perhaps even more rich, and abundant with insight and awareness than would be unavailable on the well worn tracks that most institutions steer us toward. When I learned about deer trails, for a time I would follow them through the fields and forest. Over time I found that much could be understood about the deer themselves by following their traces across the landscape. Even their pace could be inferred by following their route, watching for their sign and hoof prints. When I began to understand just what I was seeing, it was exciting but over time I began to think differently about the process. As much as there was to learn from these trails, there was certainly something more out there beyond finding the easy ways through the brambles and bush.
I followed different routes and learned different things, for years growing up, I kept looking for paths less traveled. During my young teen years I became a huge fan of Louis L'amour, a Western writer who spent long hours researching the landscape and conveying what it had to say to him through words. A recurrent theme in his writing was the fact that far too many human beings, and wild creatures for that matter, follow a specified route day in and day out, not only for the sake of comfort and ease, but out of habit and a sense of efficiency. The dark side of this is that the organism puts itself at risk for being stalked by predators. As one might imagine, an impressionable young teen exposed to this sort of logic found over two dozen ways to get from home to school and back again. Although there were only three bridges across the highway between the two, I found not only a fourth one that was about a half-mile out of the way, but several tunnels that were just a fence hop out of the way leading under the highway as well. I imposed a strict randomized method for getting from one place to another, learning which back yards had dogs (to be avoided) and which back fences were easiest to jump. In my own way, I developed a great variety of paths which all led to the same place. This skill, once developed influences the way we live in other areas, especially if we remain open to it, not just moving about the environment, but tackling problems, riddles and puzzles that some cannot even fathom if they have always remained on the sidewalk.

Suspended particle plume at the mouth of the Mississippi River, courtesy of NASA

This photo shows the loss of topsoil that washes into the Gulf of Mexico day and night, year round. Deforestation, digging ditches and draining wetlands leads to impacts that are not intended but that combine to create massive changes on a global scale. Planting trees is one of the greatest acts of hope that we can participate in. Come, join us for a plant-in and we can begin to set things right between ourselves and the planet.

ECO-Tours of Wisconsin Inc. has led hundreds of individuals on what we call plant-ins. We have developed ecotours that appeal to all ages and as part of our tours we cover such often ignored aspects of the landscape as subsoil characteristics, depth to water table, climax forest species that were on site before human intervention started, native land management techniques, existing species at the time of the first survey, and we also share insight into the natural history of the site in recent times. Intimate knowledge of our place on the planet is both rewarding and costly. We cannot rush through the process of learning about our world, nor do we expect anyone to rely on the information we provide as the last word on any of the subjects we cover, but rather as a springboard to asking deeper questions.

As we circle around each subject, the heart of the matter slowly becomes more clear. We refrain from speaking as taskmasters in an attempt to fit people into a preexisting mold, but rather as taffy pullers, slowly allowing each person's unique perspectives to be defined in their own minds and elucidated for others to use as touchstones to help everyone find their way. This is the kind of knowledge that sticks. I have learned as much from a beaver lounging in a rain swollen creek, stretched out on a tiny island of grass as I have from the soaring eagle or the foraging mouse. Trying to put some of this information into forms that can be shared has been a life's work. Tree planting is a vehicle to get us into a deeper relationship with the planet. Watching people develop a relationship with the landscape is worth every minute of fundraising, planning and preparing the trails that lead to their individual experience.
ECO-Tours has been developed as a way to create positive change in the environment, but also in people. We take the long way home on purpose, not to keep from becoming prey, but on some level this too is part of the experience. We do it to enhance the relationship and understanding of places that we might otherwise zip past at sixty miles per hour, relegating our experience to a blink and you miss it kind of thing. Landscape as most of us know it, has much more relationship to paintings or pictures. The sort of images that are static and long lasting. What ecotours allow the traveler to experience are the changeable nature of the land, exploration of various levels, understanding of both ecotones and the ecosphere as a whole. Knowing that the trees we are planting will stand for hundreds of years through storm and strife, drought and deluge creates a relationship to time that is hard to get across in any other way. Knowing that our grandchildren will be assured the possibility of sitting in the shade of the trees we might plant today is both hopeful and rewarding in ways that are hard to put into words. Once experienced, it seems simple, but the complexity of integration often eludes our ability to describe in any other way.
Our organization started out as a relatively small group of friends who worked as fundraisers for the environmental group Citizens for a Better Environment by night and occasionally did guerrilla tree planting by day. In our first ten years we planted over sixteen thousand trees and hundreds of thousands of tree seeds. The only funding we had was the tax returns of yours truly, but the desire to make positive change with very little resources carried us along slowly but surely. We organized as a not-for-profit about twenty years ago and began to accept donations to help us increase our effectiveness and in the past over a half a dozen years or so, we more than tripled the number of trees that we planted, we have shared the experience with many dozens, eventually hundreds, more people and we have branched out into areas that we never dreamed of being able to plant in before. One early year for instance, we were able to secure access for teach-ins and planting on over 110 acres of city owned property that needed reforestation. The only requirement to put time in removing exotic species that are encroaching on the parkway. What this allows is for us to drastically slash the transportation budget and focus even more energy on transforming the landscape for the better.
Donations can be made to ECO-Tours of Wisconsin Inc. through Paypal at: tnsaladino42@hotmail.com

For those more comfortable with snail mail, send checks to ECO-Tours at 522 Acreview Drive, DePere, Wisconsin 54115. If you prefer to make arrangements for your own tour, let us know when you expect to be in Green Bay and a bit about what you hope to gain from the experience. We used to have two city lots that were being managed for permaculture and organic food production, energy efficiency and which used some solar energy for both heating and electrical production. Those recently sold and we are raising funds for our next property. Our tours include more than just diversion, they are designed to qualitatively change the areas around us in ways that will last several lifetimes, transform the culture for the next seven generations and perhaps lead us to expand the nature of what we call home. Some of the things that we have available for eco-tourists include bikes, canoes, snowshoes, tents, cook stoves and study guides. Our guides share the overarching goal of living lightly on the Earth as well as teaching our guests how to reap the benefits of a more rewarding and comfortable lifestyle while simultaneously leaving  behind both a smaller carbon footprint and making lasting positive change on our planet Earth. After all, as has been said, "On Spaceship Earth, there are no passengers, we are all crew.-Buckminster Fuller

We also welcome yo uto eithe rcome learn how to make and use biochar or invite us to transform your dry brush piles into sequesterable carbon! Help protect your ground and surface water, double crop production and provide massive habitat fo rthe soil microbiome! Reduce the need for irrigation and fertilization by 50%! For the Earth!