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Part of Michigan’s economic development arm is considering a $50 million grant for a proposed copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Opponents voiced their concerns at a recent board meeting.
Interlochen Public Radio’s Ellie Katz has more.
The Copperwood mine would extract copper from a deposit at the edge of Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains State Park in the western U.P.
Critics are concerned about environmental risks.
Nichole Keway Biber is a tribal citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands.
“It’s just a bad strategy to double down on destruction and contamination at this time.”
The company, on the other hand, promises 380 new jobs, which proponents say would bring much-needed investment and development to a struggling rural economy.
Quentin Messer Jr., head of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, says the board will weigh comments from both sides – and other economic considerations.
“What’s the cost of inaction? What happens to a community if you decide not to invest?”
He says there’s no specific timeline for a decision.
Bearhat Mountain and Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park. (Photo: Andrew Parlette / Flickr)
Glacier National Park officials are studying the return of free-roaming bison.
The park received nearly $2 million in federal funding to advance projects including the reintroduction efforts started by the Blackfeet Nation.
Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton reports.
Glacier will study how deer and elk use the park for grazing before bison return to the landscape. The park will also try to estimate herd sizes. That information will help researchers understand the impact of reintroducing bison.
The Blackfeet Nation last year released about two dozen animals along the border of the park and the herd is expected to move into Glacier as it grows.
The federal funds will also support efforts to inventory cultural resources such as ancient camp sites impacted by climate change. Funding will go toward whitebark pine restoration as well.
Courtesy NM Indigenous Youth Council / Instagram
The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department on Wednesday announced efforts to address missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state.
The department is launching a public awareness campaign about MMIP, addressing behavioral health and suicide prevention – and highlighting the state’s Indigenous Youth Council.
Messages will appear on billboards, websites, video, radio, and social media.
The Kinship Pledge campaign was created through several years of community health work by the youth council.
IYC member Alysia Coriz says the campaign is authentic to Indigenous young people, and she says it’s received positive feedback.
The campaign includes 56 billboards with an emphasis in cities and locations with large Indigenous populations.
The web and digital promos will be featured on screens and available for mobile devices.
Courtesy Utah Food Bank
The Utah Food Bank is expanding in San Juan County and announced this week the opening of two new pantries to support residents on the Navajo Nation.
Alex Gonzalez reports.
President and CEO Ginette Bott says the new pantries are intended to help enhance food accessibility, as residents often have to drive to places off the Navajo Nation.
“While there are a couple of small pantries in the area of San Juan County in different locations, they still weren’t big enough or still couldn’t be opened every single day. People here will have to drive to Cortez or to Moab, it’s not like you can jump in your car and run a couple blocks and grab a gallon of milk.”
Bott adds the pantries learned more about Navajo diet and preferences, while also aiming to increase available fresh healthy foods.
One pantry is expected to open in the next few days, while the other one needs more time to tie up some loose ends.
According to Utah Food Bank, San Juan County residents face higher rates of hunger compared with the rest of the state, 17% of residents report food insecurity, compared with 10% statewide.
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