Yesterday we went to court to save wolves! & Eva Sargent: More Mexican gray wolves needed in the wild 24&22FEB16

EARTHJUSTICE has gone to court to save the last of the Mexican gray wolves. They take actions like this because people donate to +Earthjustice to protect those places and creatures of the planet that are tossed aside, abandoned, left to be killed off. Please consider donating to EarthJustice to support their work, for the wolves, the forest, ultimately for you. And check out this article on the Mexican gray wolves from +Arizona Daily Star .....

Yesterday, thanks to your generous support, we filed our opening brief in court to save the last remaining Mexican gray wolves. Despite all of our outcry and comments, the Fish and Wildlife Service continues to bow to political pressure and ignore the best available science, impeding the recovery of this rare species. But thanks to you, we’re fighting back. We have to! Just last week the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the number of Mexican gray wolves remaining in the wild has dropped to under 100. Last year alone, 13 of these magnificent wolves died, 11 simply disappeared and pup survival rates were only at 55 percent. Sadly, illegal killing is the leading cause of wolf mortality.

We should be doing everything we can to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to follow the law and ensure, not impede, the wolf’s recovery! Earthjustice can’t stand by while these wolves are so close to being wiped out completely—and with your help, we aren’t. Yesterday’s action is one step of many to come in our work to save this wolf, the most endangered mammal on the continent. Thank you for your support, which allows us to take on these difficult battles.I’ll keep you updated as the fight continues. Sincerely,

Heidi McIntosh Managing Attorney Rocky Mountain Office Eva Sargent: More Mexican gray wolves needed in the wild

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A survey last year found 97 Mexican gray wolves in the wild.

February 22, 2016 6:15 pm  •  By Eva Sargent Special to the Arizona Daily Star

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The Mexican gray wolf (also known as “lobo”) is the most-endangered gray wolf in the world. This smaller subspecies of the gray wolf once ruled as top dog throughout the American Southwest until humans drove it to the brink of extinction. And while the lobo population hit a record high last year, this year, the news isn’t so good.

On Feb. 18, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the 2015 count for Mexican gray wolves, which shows there are now just 97 Mexican gray wolves in the wild, a decrease from 110 lobos in 2014.

A drop in the Mexican gray wolf count is the last thing the lobos need as they continue to fight for their survival. The conservation and scientific communities already know — and have known for years — how to set lobos on the road to recovery.

While the service continues to give in to pressure from the governors of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, causing it to drag its feet on Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts, Defenders of Wildlife has already identified three significant steps that the service needs to take in order for the Mexican gray wolf to recover.

First, it needs to release more lobos from captivity as the first step in a science-based genetic rescue plan. Mexican wolves are facing a genetic crisis. All of the Mexican gray wolves in the world today are descended from only seven wolves that began the captive-breeding program. The captive population has been carefully managed to preserve its genetic diversity, but since the service failed to release enough wolves over the years, the wild population’s gene pool has become extremely limited.

This lack of genetic diversity affects lobos’ ability to raise healthy pups and adapt to changing conditions, keeping them on the brink of extinction. However, there are about 300 Mexican gray wolves in captivity in zoos and breeding centers. Many of these wolves have never bred.

By introducing new breeding pairs from captivity, the gene pool can be expanded in the wild and improve the chances for wolves to survive and thrive in the region.

Second, the service needs to complete and implement the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan. In 1982, the service drafted a so-called recovery plan, but it had no goals beyond a first step of captive breeding and wolf releases. The document did not meet any of the required elements of a bona fide recovery plan. Since then, the service has tried to develop a science-based recovery plan several times, but each time it has abandoned the effort. Now, 40 years after the lobo was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the wolves are still without the legally required plan.

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A scientifically sound recovery plan will provide key insights to keep the lobo safe into the future, such as how many wolves are needed (and in how many populations) and where these populations can find suitable habitat and prey. The agency is clearly violating its own policy that calls for recovery plans to be finalized within 2½ years of listing under the ESA. We are more than 37 years past that deadline.

Third, the service needs to establish additional lobo populations in the wild, ideally within dispersal distance of the established population in Arizona and New Mexico. Without additional populations, the wolves are at risk of extinction from disasters like wildfire or disease. A published, peer-reviewed study concluded that areas in southern Colorado and in the Grand Canyon region still contain some of the best suitable habitat for wolves. These areas have sufficient habitat and prey, low human and road densities and are within dispersal distance of the established populations in Arizona and New Mexico.

Bottom line: We need more wolves in the wild if this iconic species is going to have any chance at survival, let alone recovery. The service needs to assert its authority and recover the Mexican gray wolf now.

Eva Sargent is the senior Southwest representative of Defenders of Wildlife.

Earthjustice Secures Two Huge Clean Air Victories 30APR14

MORE proof on line activism and financial support of good environmental organizations works! From +Earthjustice .....

As an Earthjustice supporter, please join with us in celebrating two major, hard-fought victories that will cleanse America’s air and save tens of thousands of lives.

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Environmental Protection Agency standards that will force 28 states with coal-fired power plants to clean up lethal plant emissions that drift like secondhand smoke into neighboring states. Known as the ‘Cross-State Air Pollution Rule,’ this rule will prevent up to 34,000 premature deaths each year and provide as much as $280 billion in health and environmental benefits. Earthjustice attorney Howard Fox helped defend the rule on behalf of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Also yesterday, a federal district court judge ruled that the EPA must this year deal with our nation’s smog crisis by proposing long-overdue revisions to control ozone pollution. The ruling coincides with the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report showing a significant increase of this pollutant, which causes premature death, asthma attacks and other breathing problems. The EPA admits that more protective ozone standards could save 12,000 lives a year, yet it has put off updating them for years. The foot-dragging now will end.

But, while these significant victories—made possible by your support—are something to cheer about, we aren’t pausing in the fight for clean air. Nearly half of all Americans are forced to breathe unhealthy air and will continue to do so until the era of fossil fuels is ended. Our goal is to replace that era with a new one based on clean energy alternatives.

Thanks for standing with us,

Trip Van Noppen President, Earthjustice

CALLING ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND ALUMNI: Join Us for the Act on Climate Campus Tour 37MAR -24APR14

EARTHJUSTICE and HIP HOP CAUCUS presents......

“We are organizing this tour because we want a sustainable planet for our kids, grandkids, and future generations.” On behalf of the Hip Hop Caucus, Earthjustice invites you to participate in the Act on Climate Campus Tour, coming to a university near you. The Hip Hop Caucus, our 50 States United for Healthy Air partner, is taking their climate advocacy on the road in a series of free public events. Here is the lineup: ACT ON CLIMATE CAMPUS TOUR Hampton, VA – 3/27 Reserve Your Seat Wilberforce, OH – 4/2 Reserve Your Seat Detroit, MI – 4/3 Reserve Your Seat Washington, DC – 4/22 Reserve Your Seat Greensboro, NC – 4/23 Reserve Your Seat Atlanta, GA – 4/24 Reserve Your Seat The goal of these events is to make it clear that communities of color need our leaders to act on the issue of climate change, specifically by cutting carbon pollution from power plants—our nation’s largest source of this pollution. Carbon pollution threatens our health and is already responsible for destroying lives. It is time to act. All events are free and open to the public. For tickets, visit: http://climate.hiphopcaucus.org/tourdatesandtickets Sincerely, Sarah Saylor Senior Legislative Representative

©2014 Earthjustice | 50 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94111 | 415-217-2000 | action@earthjustice.org

Fantastic news -- Shell retreats in the Arctic 5FEB14

ACTIVISM has it's rewards, like sharing the news of victories after months, at times years of struggle. This from the NRDC & EarthJustice....

TWO VICTORIES FOR THE ARCTIC! Fantastic news: Shell has announced that it will NOT attempt to drill in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The oil giant’s stunning reversal came after a momentous court ruling two weeks ago. The federal court agreed with NRDC and our allies that the Bush Administration had wildly underestimated the risks of spills and other hazards when it opened the Arctic’s Chukchi Sea to oil leasing and exploration in 2008. Simply put: the entire Arctic leasing program was based on a fiction -- as we have long claimed -- and all the leases, including Shell’s, have now been thrown into limbo. The court victory and Shell’s retreat are huge steps forward in our campaign to close Alaska’s Polar Bear Seas -- the Beaufort and Chukchi -- to oil development and potential catastrophe. And we have you to thank! You have stood with us every step of the way, lending your generous financial support to a tough battle against two administrations and Big Oil that has raged in and out of the courtroom for five years. We never gave up because we know just how much is at stake. The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas are home to more than half of America’s polar bears. Their populations are already reeling from global warming. The last thing they need is a catastrophic oil spill. And if Shell’s Arctic venture has proven anything, it’s that this remote and rugged region is no place for drilling. In 2012, Shell’s rig had to flee from a 30-mile-long iceberg. Its emergency response equipment was “crushed like a beer can” during tests. And its drill rig ran aground during relatively routine winter weather. Other oil giants -- including ConocoPhilips and Statoil, the Norwegian multinational oil company -- have long since canceled or suspended their plans. Shell was the last holdout -- until this latest announcement. But make no mistake: While Shell has called off this summer’s operations, it is far from ruling out another attempt. That’s why it’s so crucially important for the Obama Administration to slam the door shut on Arctic drilling by putting it completely off-limits to Big Oil. This latest federal court decision hands President Obama a golden opportunity to move beyond a failed Bush Administration policy and to safeguard the Arctic for the sake of our spectacular natural heritage and our embattled climate. You can be sure that NRDC will be tirelessly advocating for the President and his Interior Secretary to do exactly that. I know you will stand with us. Thank you again for helping to make this historic victory possible. Sincerely, Frances Beinecke President Natural Resources Defense Council P.S. In the weeks and months ahead we will be building on the momentum of this victory and strongly advocating that the Obama Administration put the Polar Bear Seas totally off-limits. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift that will help us take the fight to Big Oil and win a ban on drilling in the Polar Bear Seas. The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Donations to this campaign will be used to Keep Shell Out of the Arctic and protect our environment in the most effective way possible. We appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you. We are committed to protecting your privacy and will never sell, exchange or rent your email address. If you would prefer not to receive these action alerts and updates, you can click here to remove yourself from this list. To update your contact information or manage your subscriptions, go to your profile editor. The CEO of Shell announced today that the oil company will forgo its plan to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean this year. After disastrous year attempting to drill in the Arctic Ocean for Shell in 2012—followed by civil and criminal investigations, huge fines and overall unpreparedness for the harsh Arctic weather and elements—a court ruling on our case last week confirmed what we all have known: Shell is not ready to drill in the Arctic Ocean. Shell’s decision today means America’s Arctic waters are safe from big oil for another summer. The Department of the Interior now needs to take a hard look at whether the Chukchi Sea should be open for oil drilling at all, beginning with a full and public environmental impact statement process that addresses the Ninth Circuit decision and does not minimize the risks of oil drilling in this vibrant but vulnerable sea. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of you whose donations and advocacy backed up our efforts in court. Together, we have done what many thought was impossible. Thank you for being there with us, Erik Grafe Staff Attorney Alaska Office ©2014 Earthjustice | 50 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94111 | 415-217-2000 | info@earthjustice.org  Alert Tools   Photo Credit:   A mother polar bear and cub jumping across ice floe. (Florida Stock / Shutterstock)  View online:   Having trouble viewing this email? View our press release online.

EMERGENCY: Stop the slaughter of Idaho wolves & When Big Carnivores Go Down, Even Vegetarians Take The Hit 10JAN14

EARTHJUSTICE is one of the premier environmental groups, basically an organization of lawyers representing the Earth, because the Earth needs a good lawyer. They are a 4 star (highest) rated charity on Charity Navigator. They have issued this emergency appeal for funding their court challenge to Idaho's plans to kill off two wolf packs in the Idaho Rockies. Wolves are vital for the ecological health of the Rockies ecosystem, the Idaho policy on wolves is misguided and not based on scientific fact. If you can please make a donation of whatever you can to help, click the link, and then check out the very timely report from NPR......

Unless we fight back, Idaho will soon eradicate two packs of wolves from one of the largest remaining wild areas in the lower 48 states. We’re fighting back in court, but we need your help to see this fight through. Make an emergency gift today to stop the slaughter and protect one of the nation’s premier wilderness areas.

We’re fighting in court to stop the eradication of Idaho wolves—but we need your help! Stop the slaughter with an emergency gift today. Dear Craig, We've learned of a terrible new threat to the wolves of the northern Rockies. The state of Idaho recently hired a hunter to exterminate the Golden and Monumental wolf packs in central Idaho’s Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness. Earthjustice is fighting to get a restraining order that would halt this wolf eradication program in its tracks—but we can’t fight back and win without you! Make an emergency gift today to help us fight back in court and stop the slaughter of wolves. When tough legal battles like this need to be fought for the wolves, groups such as Defenders of Wildlife and others turn to Earthjustice for our expert skills. We provide our legal services to them free of charge—so we rely on your support to ensure victory. Will you make an urgent gift now to help us fight back? The state of Idaho, with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service, is seeking to exterminate two packs of wolves in the Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness, the second largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states, to boost elk populations for the benefit of hunting outfitters and some recreational hunters. This program not only violates the letter and spirit of our laws, but will have significant effects on the region’s ecosystem. Wolves are among our country’s most iconic wild species and play a critical role in this ecosystem, which harbors abundant wildlife populations, including wolverines, elk, and bighorn sheep. A designated wilderness area is supposed to be a wild place governed by natural conditions, not an elk farm. But Idaho officials have prioritized elk production on these wild public lands over the natural balance of predator and prey, and the Forest Service is helping them. This program of wolf extermination defies the entire concept of a wilderness. Will you help us stop the killings and defend one of the nation’s premier wilderness areas? This fight in Idaho is just the latest battle in our efforts to protect wolves across the country. It comes on top of our work to stop the brutal wolf killings in Wyoming, oppose the elimination of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves across nearly the entire United States, and secure laws governing wolf management that will ensure real wolf recovery. For more than two decades, Earthjustice has fought for wolf protections in court—and won. We will continue to do everything we can, but as a nonprofit, we can’t win without you. Make an emergency gift today to help us fight back using the most powerful tool available—the law! Thank you for being a hero to wolves and other wildlife. Sincerely, Tim Preso Managing Attorney Northern Rockies Office P.S. My team and I are fighting in court to stop the slaughter of wolves—but we need your help! Make an emergency gift today to help us see this and other critical fights through. When Big Carnivores Go Down, Even Vegetarians Take The Hit by January 10, 2014 3:01 AM Ask not for whom the wolf stalks ... Holly Kuchera/iStockphoto Big, fierce animals — lions and tigers and bears, for example — are relatively scarce in nature. That's normal, because if you have too many, they'll eat themselves out of prey. But top predators are now so rare that many are in danger of disappearing. That's creating ripple effects throughout the natural world that scientists are still trying to figure out. What they're exploring is ecology — the interplay of animals and plants in nature. It's not rocket science. It's harder. “ We have trashed the large carnivores for sure. They are becoming more and more scarce, and we don't even have the science to tell us what we're losing. - Rolf Peterson, biologist "We're dealing with the most complicated systems in the universe, and we hardly even know what the moving parts are," says , a research ecologist at Michigan Tech. Peterson studies large carnivores, and is among the world's top wolf experts. He and scientists like him are finding that as the number of big predators dwindles, everything around the animals changes. It's like a "cascade" down the food chain. Ecologists call it a — trophic being a term to define any particular level in nature's food chain. Take cougars and wolves for example. When there are fewer of them, their prey — deer and elk, mostly — multiply. More plant eaters means more plants get eaten. And everything that depends on those plants, from birds to butterflies, is affected. Carnivore biologist , from Oregon State University, says even streams are affected. Armies of deer, grown out of control because of a lack of predators that eat them, can devour all the vegetation along stream banks, and that causes erosion along those banks. "The stream actually changes course," says Ripple. "So we're finding that the predator can actually affect the shape of the stream." Decaying leftovers from this Alaskan brown bear's meal add helpful nutrients to the soil. SteveClever/iStockphoto These cascade effects take all sorts of paths. Bears, for example, grab salmon out of rivers and eat them on the banks; the leftovers decay and add nutrients to the soil that help plants grow. "It's just a type of connecting-the-dots in nature," says Ripple. "And it shows the interconnectedness." Ripple and other "carnivorists" published a study in this week's issue of the journal Science that lists the benefits that predators provide. They note that in places where predators are reintroduced (such as in Yellowstone National Park), deer and elk — and vegetation — return to a more natural state. That may seem obvious. But Peterson says the chain of so-called "carnivore benefits" is not well-known, even as big carnivores disappear. "You know, we have trashed the large carnivores for sure," he says. "They are becoming more and more scarce, and we don't even have the science to tell us what we're losing." What remain are scientific questions such as, "How many wolves or cougars or grizzlies do you need in, say, a national park to keep the other animals and plants under control?" Peterson says the wolf has been an especially difficult case. It has made a comeback in the U.S. and Canada, but wolves sometimes prey on livestock. They compete with hunters for deer and elk. Many people have a deep-seated fear of them. Several states now allow the hunting of wolves in places where their numbers seem adequate. That has created enmity — with hunters and ranchers on one side and some environmentalists on the other. Peterson says people have always had a love-hate relationship with wolves, having bred them into "man's best friend," the dog, while at the same time demonizing them in myth, and hunting them to near extinction. "How do we live with these creatures, and how will we accommodate them?" Peterson asks. "And what will stop their increase when we put them back? We are in the driver's seat." Scientists are now calling for a global to organize research on carnivore ecology and, as Peterson points out, to illustrate just how predators have shaped our world. "It was the large carnivores to a great extent that maintained that fabric of life that formed us," he says. The world wouldn't be what it is without them. http://www.npr.org/2014/01/10/261120968/when-big-carnivores-go-down-even-vegetarians-take-the-hit#comment-1195225782

UPDATE ON DRYDEN, NY ; Victory in Fracking Ban Case 3MAI13

THIS is so cool! Congratulations to the people of Dryden, NY and thanks to all who took the time to send a message of support. The link to my earlier post on the amazing people of Dryden at the end of this post. From EarthJustice....

You remember Dryden, NY—the town that fought fracking? Well, they just keep on winning. Today, they did it again, in a big court victory against an oil and gas company that sued over the town’s fracking ban. You were an important part of this victory, sending a message of support to the people of Dryden while they awaited today’s decision. Two weeks ago, Dryden residents delivered your message—along with a map showing where each message came from—to their Town Board members. The Town Board members were incredibly grateful and have asked to keep your message, and 20,000 others, in an archive in the town library. Supervisors from the Town of Dryden receive your statement of solidarity. (Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition) “We love our town. We’re proud to be from a place that doesn’t back down from a tough fight. And we’re inspired by the outpouring of support we’ve received,” Dryden resident Deborah Cipolla-Dennis told reporters today. “Now it’s our turn to support communities across New York, and in Pennyslvania, Ohio, Colorado, and elsewhere that are standing up to the oil and gas industry.” We’ve got some tough battles ahead while communities across the country struggle to protect themselves from the consequences of the fracking-enabled oil and gas drilling boom. But today, take some time to celebrate your part in this victory. Thanks for standing with Dryden, Kathleen Sutcliffe Campaign Manager

©2013 Earthjustice | 50 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94111 | 415-217-2000 | action@earthjustice.org

ALERT TOOLS

PHOTO CREDIT:   Top: Supervisors from the Town of Dryden receive your statement of solidarity. (Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition)

VIEW ONLINE:   Having trouble viewing this email? View it in a browser. The Town That Fought Fracking (And Is Winning...) 21MAR13 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-town-that-fought-fracking-and-is.html

The Town That Fought Fracking (And Is Winning...) 21MAR13

FRACKING is being fought in many communities across the U.S. and too often the people loose because of the politicians who have been bought off by the big oil and gas companies. Here is a story of one community that is winning their fight against fracking, Dryden, New York, and the opportunity to send them a message of support as their case is argued in the New York State Supreme Court today, 21MAR13, from EarthJustice....

Action Completed!

Your solidarity letter has been received.
Thank you for speaking out in support of the Town of Dryden.

Discover the story behind the journey to successfully pass
Dryden's fracking ban in this special feature.
Please share with your friends and spread the word!

[ CLOSE THIS NOTIFICATION ]

The Story of Dryden:

The Town That Fought Fracking

(And Is Winning)

An upstate New York town is fighting to preserve its way of life in a lawsuit pitting a small town's rights against an out-of-state oil and gas company’s wishes.

More than a hundred towns in New York have enacted local bans or moratoriums on gas drilling, including the controversial process known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," in which drillers blast millions of gallons of chemically treated water into the ground to extract gas from hard-to-reach deposits deep in the earth.

Among those municipalities is the Town of Dryden—which is now being sued.

In September of 2011, the privately-held Anschutz Exploration Corporation, owned by Forbes-ranked Phillip Anshutz (net worth: $7.5 billion), sued the Town of Dryden (population: 14,500) in a bid to force the town to accept industrial gas drilling—including fracking—within town limits.

The company brought its lawsuit after the Dryden Town Board approved a change in its zoning ordinance, clarifying that oil and gas development activities, including fracking, were "prohibited uses" of land within the town. The Dryden Town Board's unanimous, bipartisan vote followed a petition drive and a series of public hearings, in which residents spoke out 3-to-1 in favor of the change.

This is how it all started. The Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC) was created in the spring of 2009 by Dryden residents concerned about the possible upcoming consequences that the hydraulic fracturing of gas wells drilled into the Marcellus Shale may bring not only to their own neighborhoods, but also to the state and region.

In 2010, DRAC members began collecting petition signatures from their fellow residents to ask the Town Board to develop an industrial noise ordinance and to make a firm statement against gas drilling. The journey to the successful passage of the ordinance involved the entire community, through information sessions, a listening project, collaborations with neighboring communities, and much more. DRAC members took their concerns and requests for protective action to the Dryden Town Board, using their citizens' privilege time at the beginning of each meeting. They attended each monthly meeting, reiterating their concerns and reporting on progress to the Dryden Town Board and Town Supervisor.

DRAC member Hilary Lambert recounts the story of how town residents worked together to ensure their concerns would be heard, and to, ultimately, bring about the historic vote:

In Celebration of Community: The festive scene in Montgomery Park during Dryden's 2012 Dairy Day, a community service project of the Dryden Grange. The annual gathering brings together local farmers, businesses, and organizations to celebrate the many contributions the dairy farmer makes to all of our lives.  (Austin Brecht)

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW

Norse Energy Corporation USA v. Town of Dryden is being appealed after a state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dryden. Earthjustice is representing the Town of Dryden in the appeal. Oral arguments will be heard on March 21, 2013, in Albany by the State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department.

[ More on this Case ]

VOICES OF DRYDEN

HILARY LAMBERT

A mother, grandmother and longtime science-based advocate for the environment, Dr. Hilary Lambert grew up in Dryden and remembers a childhood spent outdoors, in the woods and on the water. Today, Hilary is a member of DRAC and works to protect the ecological health of the Finger Lakes Region as executive director of a watershed protection organization.

SLIDE 15 OF 15

DRAC regularly holds and participates in various county-wide and out-of-county efforts to safeguard the region's water, air, and soil resources and, more generally, an environment in which people, animals, and plants can live and flourish.

Photos and captions are courtesy of Hilary Lambert.

SLIDE 1 OF 15

During the rough winter months in early 2011, members and supporters of the Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC) fanned out across Dryden's snowy, icy roads to collect signatures of residents opposed to gas drilling and fracking.

Flyers and ads were placed in local newspapers. Advice from Back to Democracy, an all-volunteer organization that promotes citizen empowerment, and local election experts ensured that signatures were authentic and correctly documented.

SLIDE 2 OF 15

By spring of 2011, DRAC had collected 1,600 signatures, which they presented to the Dryden Town Board at a packed-house monthly Town Board meeting.

The message to the Board was clear: Please develop and vote in favor of a gas drilling and fracking zoning ordinance, and please do it quickly.

The pressure was on!

SLIDE 3 OF 15

By August 2011, the zoning ordinance that would prohibit oil and gas activities in the town had been developed and the work had been done to muster Town Board action.

Dryden Town Board member David Makar and Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner walk to the meeting at which they would take a vote.

SLIDE 4 OF 15

Again in a packed meeting, following necessary preliminaries and reading of the beautifully-worded ordinance language by Dryden Town Attorney Mahlon Perkins, and after all the work that had gone before, the vote was quick:

"Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!"
It was a unanimous historic vote.

At front from right: Steve Stelick, Joe Solomon, Mary Ann Sumner, David Makar and Jason Leifer, recorded by Town Clerk Bambi Avery.

SLIDE 5 OF 15

Dryden Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner is congratulated by DRAC members and other Dryden community residents who supported the fracking ban.

A brief recess was then called to allow for a few minutes of uproarious celebration.

SLIDE 6 OF 15

Following the meeting, many stood outside to talk about the vote.

Attorney David Slottje, who had advised DRAC on how to develop a zoning ban for consideration by the Dryden Town Board, departs with a big smile.

But even in the midst of this great victory, the Town was put on notice by letters and statements from pro-frackers that someone would probably sue Dryden for taking this action.

SLIDE 7 OF 15

A year before the historic vote, DRAC members were already attending, organizing and co-sponsoring numerous Dryden and Tompkins County fracking and gas drilling information events, to better educate themselves and others.

This presentation in 2010 by the Community Science Institute was one of those events. DRAC members are clustered on the left side of the room, learning along with others about potential impacts to the region's water resources.

SLIDE 8 OF 15

In late 2009 and early 2010, communities across Tompkins County and beyond were organizing to repel fracking from their borders.

Here, DRAC and ROUSE (Residents Opposing Unsafe Shale-Gas Extraction) members at the Brooktondale Community Center in the Town of Caroline, listen to fracking expert, engineer and Cornell University professor Dr. Tony Ingraffea.

SLIDE 9 OF 15

DRAC members attended meetings and learned about their neighbors' concerns and found ways to work cooperatively with them.

DRAC member Judith Pierpont (left) and Shaleshockleader Sarah Hess (right), take notes as attorney Helen Slottje (center) explains that, while New York towns may not regulate gas drilling and fracking, they may pass land-use laws that exclude these activities.

SLIDE 10 OF 15

Meanwhile, across Cayuga Lake in the Town of Ulysses, the CCU (Concerned Citizens of Ulysses)were mounting a massive town-wide petition drive to demand that their town pass a ban on gas drilling and fracking, based on guidelines developed by attorneys Helen and David Slottje of CEDC Inc..

In the photo, DRAC members listen to Helen and David (left) explain the process of developing a zoning ban for consideration by the Dryden Town Board.

SLIDE 11 OF 15

At the close of 2010, community groups DRAC, CCU, ROUSE, ENSAW (Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water) and others met with Ulysses petition developers Michael Dineen and Jan Quarles of Back to Democracy, to learn how to mount major petition drives in their respective towns.

Attorney David Slottje (second from right) speaks to participants at a fundraising house party organized by DRAC on behalf of the Slottjes, whose pro bono work was helping towns across New York State develop gas drilling and fracking bans and moratoria.

SLIDE 12 OF 15

From the beginning, DRAC was all about informing and involving fellow Dryden residents, communicating our concerns and asking for action from our Town Board, and working with other groups in Tompkins County and beyond.

We began meeting regularly at Dryden Town Hall, and started a listserv for local residents and a blog for Dryden and the wider public. Our twice-monthly meetings were run in a non-hierarchical fashion, and we posted a brief report on the listserv after each meeting.

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Several DRAC members also took part in a Listening Project in 2010, to find out what folks in Dryden thought about fracking. More than a hundred interviews were conducted through the project.

In training sessions (left), they learned how to do door-to-door visits, which would help us in our petition drives.

See the results of the Listening Project results.

SLIDE 14 OF 15

DRAC continues to work to raise public awareness of issues related to gas drilling, including land leasing details and the methods and risks involved with fracking.

Left: DRAC members and friends plan their work for the coming year during a session led by 350.org co-founder Kelly Blynn in September of 2012.

SLIDE 15 OF 15

DRAC regularly holds and participates in various county-wide and out-of-county efforts to safeguard the region's water, air, and soil resources and, more generally, an environment in which people, animals, and plants can live and flourish.

Photos and captions are courtesy of Hilary Lambert.

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During the rough winter months in early 2011, members and supporters of the Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC) fanned out across Dryden's snowy, icy roads to collect signatures of residents opposed to gas drilling and fracking.

Flyers and ads were placed in local newspapers. Advice from Back to Democracy, an all-volunteer organization that promotes citizen empowerment, and local election experts ensured that signatures were authentic and correctly documented.

Fracking requires a heavy industrial buildup, complete with giant well pads containing multiple wells, miles of trucks rumbling down gravel roads, and noisy equipment that runs all night. Fracking sites, which are significant sources of volatile organic compounds, also taint local air quality by increasing ozone levels.

And then there's the issue of water. Each fracking job requires millions of gallons of water laced with sand and toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid. Some of the chemicals in fracking fluids are known carcinogens and the health effects of many additives are not fully understood, in large part because industry officials have refused to disclose precisely what they are using.

"The people of Dryden want to preserve the special character of our town and make sure it continues to be a healthy community for generations to come," said Dryden Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner.

"The oil and gas industry may wish it were otherwise, but municipalities have the right to determine what types of development are appropriate within their borders. We are firmly committed to defending that right."

A New York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dryden in February of 2012. The case is now being heard by an appellate court—though with a change in plaintiff. Norse Energy, the U.S. subsidiary of a Norwegian oil and gas company, has replaced Anschutz Exploration in the litigation—Norse then filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceedings the following month.

Earthjustice is representing the Town of Dryden in the appeal, a case that will determine whether localities can keep heavy industry like oil and gas development off the land within their borders.

The case is being watched closely as towns in other states like Colorado and Ohio pass fracking bans of their own and are threatened with lawsuits by the oil and gas industry. A victory in New York could provide encouragement and hope to communities around the country.

"The people of Dryden stood up to defend their way of life against the oil and gas industry. And, against stiff odds, they won," said Deborah Goldberg, managing attorney of Earthjustice's Northeast regional office and an expert on the environmental impacts of industrial gas development.

"The [lower court] ruling makes clear that local officials have the right to decide what industrial activities are appropriate within their communities."

"The Town of Dryden has a very strong case," said Deborah. "Two courts have ruled that localities retain their longstanding power to regulate land use, including by prohibiting industrial activities such as gas development in their communities. We'll do everything we can to ensure this victory stands."

Dryden celebrates Dairy Day. The annual event brings a home day atmosphere together with a dairy theme that is entertaining, fun, educational and affordable to families.  (All photos by Austin Brecht)

The Dryden High School Sustainability Club showcases its work.

Even a brief rain shower doesn't diminish cheers from the crowd, as the Dairy Princesses' float joins the parade.

VOICES OF DRYDEN

AUSTIN BRECHT

These scenes from the 2012 Dairy Day were captured by Austin Brecht, then a senior at Dryden High School.

Age

19 years old

Years Lived in Dryden

19

Occupation

Undergraduate Student;
Mentor at Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture

Favorite Part of Being from Dryden

Knowing that I come from
a small, close-knit town

Favorite Dryden Memories

The annual Dairy Day Parade;
walking along the rails of Dryden Lake and fishing in the lake;
going to Dryden Lake Park

Small ponies seek shelter from the rain during Dairy Day festivities.  (Austin Brecht)

Children from Dryden's Southworth Library march in the Dairy Day parade.  (Austin Brecht)

Fall colors at Dryden Lake Park.  (Enoch Ross)

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FEATURE

Fracking Runs Afoul of Hometown U.S.A.

The New York towns of Middlefield and Otsego, which together encompass the Village of Cooperstown, passed the first local fracking bans by limiting industrial activities within the town's borders.

VIDEO

Finding Their Way

Pennsylvania residents Jim and Jen Slotterback had only 11 days to save their favorite park from gas drilling—and they succeeded. Watch their story.

TAKE ACTION! The Town That Fought Fracking (And Is Winning…)

Dear Craig, Mary Ann Sumner is Town Supervisor for the Town of Dryden (population 14,500) in upstate New York. She loves Dryden, and she takes her job very seriously. That’s why she is in New York State Supreme Court today, fighting a lawsuit brought against her and Dryden by an oil and gas company trying to force citizens to accept fracking inside the town’s borders. Will you stand in solidarity with the people of Dryden on this historic day? In 2011, Supervisor Sumner and her colleagues on the Dryden Town Board voted to prohibit the use of land within the town for oil and gas development activities, including fracking. Six weeks later they were sued by an oil and gas company owned by a Forbes-ranked billionaire. When Dryden defeated the billionaire’s company in court, it made history, inspiring other towns across America to enact similar bans. But Dryden’s fight is not over—the US subsidiary of a foreign-owned oil company has now stepped in to challenge the town. Earthjustice attorney Deborah Goldberg is representing Dryden in this precedent-setting case. As this message is being sent, she is facing off against oil and gas industry lawyers in Albany, NY. The coming weeks will be tense ones in Dryden as the townspeople and their local elected officials await the court’s ruling. Will you sign on to this petition and send them a message of support? These messages will be read aloud at upcoming Town Board meetings, letting the leaders of Dryden know that thousands of people have their back in this fight. With great appreciation, Kathleen Sutcliffe Campaign Manager P.S. Your support sends an important signal to Town Board members that they’re doing the right thing by standing up to the oil and gas industry. Sign our solidarity petition today!