SACRED SITES AT RISK!!!!!!!
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
FROM: MEDICINE WHEEL ALLIANCE
NICOL PRICE, COORDINATOR
RE: TWO ISSUES: (1) THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR
THE MEDICINE WHEEL NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK AND VICINITY; AND
(2) THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC
PRESERVATION.
MEDICINE WHEEL/MEDICINE MOUNTAIN
The seven signatory parties have finally put together a management plan
that will encompass 20,000 acres of medicine mountain and this document is
now out for review and there is a 30 day comment period under the NEPA
process. People need to request there copies of the HPP and Draft EA from
the Big Horn Forest Service, 1969 S. Sheridan Ave., Sheridan, WY 28201 or
Call (307)672-0751. We are being told the comment period will end
September 9th.
Basically the document is sound and it will allow us to walk hand in hand
into the future with the forest service on management of this very
important sacred site an area. It's a working document and will need a lot
of refining to make it a better one. If you or anyone else has questions
on the document they could also call the Alliance for more in-depth
information. There are only two areas of concern in the document now; one
is under recreation and the mention of a new fence. We oppose any new
fence which would encompass more area than what is already behind barbwire
and believe this should be a separate EA process and want the Alliance's
submitted version of forest service to do business as usual after
consultation.
RESTRUCTURING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL HISTORIC PRESERVATION STAFF
AND EASTERN AND WESTERN OFFICES.
Anyone who deals with the Historic Preservation Act and the Section 108
process needs to be concerned about what is happening to the Ad Council
since the budget cuts. A very ugly plan to consolidate the power of the Ad
Council with one man in DC and to leave it up to him to make ALL DECISIONS
IN WASHINGTON DC THAT EFFECT CULTURAL RESOURCES OR TRADITIONAL CULTURAL
PROPERTIES IS NOW BEING DISCUSSED.
The western office of Review in Denver would be taken out of the decision-
making process and we feel probably done away with in the near future and
so all decisions on cultural resources and the Section 106 process would
be made by a handful of men in Washington DC. Voice your concerns over
this and the West losing our decision-making power to Belt Way staff
personnel. Voice your support for the Western Office of Review. The
Western Office remaining the decision maker for cultural resources in the
west and for stronger support of budget monies and authority in the West.
I cannot stress enough what this restructuring would do to the important
issues that people in the West must address. There would be no voice for
the people in the west.
You need to, before August 26, call or write one of these people and voice
your concerns about losing your voice in the west and decisions being made
outside of our area. The Western Office of Review should be supported both
in personnel and budget at a higher degree then the Eastern or DC office.
Ask for this support. Make the phone calls! It will have an affect.
Call:
James Huhta, Board Member of Ad Council Major Emanuel Cleaver II
Middle Tennessee State University Mayor of Kansas City
P.O. Box 80 Kansas City, MO 64106-2778
Murfreesboro, TN 37132 (816) 274-2595
(615) 898-2947
Kathy Slater, Chairperson Ad Council Governor Roy Romer
Arkansas Historic Preservation Program 136 State Capitol
323 Center St. Suite 1500 Denver, CO 80203
Little Rock, AR 72201 (303) 866-2471
(501) 324-9880
For more information, please contact Nicol Price, Coordinator of the Medicine
Wheel Alliance at 406-348-2079 or Mike Thee at Honor Our Neighbors Origins
and Rights (HONOR) at 414-963-1324 or by e-mail at mthee@earth.execpc.com .