nk You
We won! The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) has denied Ambre Energy's removal-fill permit for their Morrow Pacific Project, which would have transported over eight million tons of coal every year on trains to Boardman, then down the Columbia on barges through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and overseas to Asia.
This marks the first time a state agency has formally rejected a permit for any coal terminal in the Northwest in a fight that has now been going on for close to four years. This is a landmark decision, and you helped make it happen!
This marks the first time a state agency has formally rejected a permit for any coal terminal in the Northwest in a fight that has now been going on for close to four years. This is a landmark decision, and you helped make it happen!
Friends of the Columbia Gorge and our allies with the Power Past Coal Coalition will continue to fight the three remaining terminals planned in Washington state and Canada: the Gateway Pacific terminal near Bellingham, Ambre Energy's Millennium Bulk terminal in Longview, and the expansion planned at the Texada Fraser Surrey Docks in Vancouver, British Columbia. All these projects would transport coal through the Columbia River Gorge. We will also remain diligent in case Ambre Energy tries to overturn this decision - they have less than a month to appeal the permit denial.
To continue this work we need your generous support, both in volunteer hours and financial contributions. These campaigns succeed on the growing awareness and support of grassroots organizing, so please consider a donation to Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Our work relies almost entirely upon our membership base and individual donations. You can donate here:
https://gorgefriends.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/ambre814Click here to read more about what this decision means.
You can also read a summary of the denial HERE.
You can view a timeline of the DSL process HERE.
And the press release from the DSL can be viewed HERE.
There is also a party in Portland on Tuesday, August 26 at 6:30 pm at Laurelhurst Park picnic area A (located just inside the park entrance at SE 35th Ave and SE Oak St.) - please come join us in celebration of this great victory! You can RSVP to the Facebook event by following this link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/773798315999954/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
https://gorgefriends.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/ambre814Click here to read more about what this decision means.
You can also read a summary of the denial HERE.
You can view a timeline of the DSL process HERE.
And the press release from the DSL can be viewed HERE.
There is also a party in Portland on Tuesday, August 26 at 6:30 pm at Laurelhurst Park picnic area A (located just inside the park entrance at SE 35th Ave and SE Oak St.) - please come join us in celebration of this great victory! You can RSVP to the Facebook event by following this link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/773798315999954/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
Thank the Governor and Mary Abrams
As part of this campaign many of you wrote letters and submitted comments to Governor Kitzhaber and Mary Abrams, Director of Oregon DSL. Governor Kitzhaber's public statements against coal export and this permit denial from the DSL shows they listened to us and did as the people of Oregon asked.
Please take a moment to call or write Governor Kitzhaber and Director Mary Abrams and thank them for denying this permit.
Sample Statement:
Dear Governor Kitzhaber & DSL Director Mary Abrams,
Thank you! You've stood up for Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest. Ambre Energy's proposed Morrow Pacific coal export proposal doesn't meet Oregon's environmental standards and threatens our values and our way of life.
Putting our communities, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and our climate ahead of Ambre Energy's dirty coal export terminal was the right thing to do and I applaud you!
This decision means a lot to me and it demonstrates that Oregon is, once again, a national leader in sound and sustainable decision making.
Thank you,
Putting our communities, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and our climate ahead of Ambre Energy's dirty coal export terminal was the right thing to do and I applaud you!
This decision means a lot to me and it demonstrates that Oregon is, once again, a national leader in sound and sustainable decision making.
Thank you,
You can contact Governor Kitzhaber by submitting an online comment through his website:
http://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/ShareYourOpinion.aspx
http://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/ShareYourOpinion.aspx
You can also call:
(503) 378-4582
Or write to:
Governor Kitzhaber
Attn: Citizens' Representative
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
You can email Directory Mary Abrams at:
mary.m.abrams@state.or.us
Or call her office at:
(503) 986-5224
Or write to:
Governor Kitzhaber
Attn: Citizens' Representative
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
You can email Directory Mary Abrams at:
mary.m.abrams@state.or.us
Or call her office at:
(503) 986-5224
Please email Ryan@GorgeFriends.org after you send your thank yous so we can track how many they are getting. Also please let me know in that email if you are able to write a Letter to the Editor to your local paper talking about this issue, why it is good, and thanking the DSL and Governor Kitzhaber for the decision. It isn't hard and I can help you with writing one if you haven't done it before.
We need to show these leaders that they have our support when making the decisions we want them to. Thank you all again for your hard work. I look forward to defeating the rest of these terminals with you!
We need to show these leaders that they have our support when making the decisions we want them to. Thank you all again for your hard work. I look forward to defeating the rest of these terminals with you!
Ryan Rittenhouse
Conservation Organizer
Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Ryan@GorgeFriends.org
971-634-2034
