Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra...
-
Upload
trinity-martinez -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
1
Transcript of Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra...
![Page 1: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Welcome
![Page 2: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Community Meeting
Co-Sponsored by:
Buckeye Forest Council
Ohio Environmental Council
Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter
![Page 3: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
A little about your Meeting Co-sponsors
Buckeye
![Page 4: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Buckeye Forest Council
Protecting Ohio's native forests and their inhabitants
![Page 5: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Buckeye Forest Council Who We Are
Statewide Nonprofit Member Based (200+
members) Advocacy Education Organizing
![Page 6: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Advocacy
Meeting with State Legislators and Bureaucrats at the Division of Forestry – Open Houses and Strategic Plan…
HB 357 –Stopping Oil and Gas Drilling on public lands
SB Sub 221 Governor’s Energy Bill – Bio-Mass - opposing State Forest trees for bio-mass
Fighting Columbia Gas Expansions at Mohican and Hocking State Forest
Educating the Public about NiSource Columbia Gas
![Page 7: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Education
Community Meetings just like this one!
Traveling, Tabling, Talking
Quarterly Hikes
![Page 8: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Organizing
Building Grassroots Community Commitment to Preserving our Forest Treasures
Training Forest Watch Monitors
![Page 9: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The OEC – who we are
The Ohio Environmental Council advocates for healthy air, land, and water to make Ohio a better place in which
to live, work, and play.
![Page 10: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
The OEC – who we are
collaborationsupporting & leading environmental/ conservation groups
educationtraining member groups and fostering environmental awareness
observationkeeping watch for opportunities to protect Ohio’s environment
![Page 11: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
The OEC – who we are
launching legislative agendas & proposing reform
litigation
fighting for better legal protection of Ohio’s environment
legislation
![Page 12: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Sierra Club – Who We Are
As the world’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization, the Club’s 1.4 million members and supporters in 65 chapters and over 400 local groups nationwide possess the unique ability to empower people and influence public policy through community activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation.
![Page 13: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Sierra Club – Who We Are
Sierra Club’s statement of purpose is: “To explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the
Earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the
Earth’s ecosystem and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and
human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry
out these objectives.”
![Page 14: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Sierra Club – Who We Are
The Ohio Chapter has: over 17,000 members throughout the state, which
includes seven local groups working on local and regional
conservation issues. Members and volunteers of the Sierra Club Ohio
Chapter:– work to protect public forests and endangered species, – fight for clean air and water, and – reduce global warming pollution.
![Page 15: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
What’s NiSource up to?
NiSource the parent company of Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. is requesting unprecedented relief from triggering Endangered Species reviews for 50 years.
The permit would cover approximately15,500 miles of its natural gas pipelines and storage units from the Atlantic seaboard running southwest to Louisiana.
![Page 16: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Some Specifics
Over 3,000 miles are located in Ohio, the most heavily impacted of all affected states
. Further, the request calls for a mile wide corridor or a half mile on either side of the pipeline
![Page 17: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Some Specifics
This means that the request would allow NiSource access free from triggering Endangered Species Reviews to over 3,000 square miles of Ohio or a little more than 7% of our land mass.
Roughly equal to the amount of Ohio covered by Water…
The request covers 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties
![Page 18: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
NiSource HCP InitiativeNiSource HCP Initiative
![Page 19: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
NiSource Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Initiative
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 (a) (2) – requires that federal agencies consult
with USFWS to ensure that actions they undertake, fund, permit, or authorize are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat.
![Page 20: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
NiSource HCP Initiative
ESA Section 10 – HCP/ITP (a)(1)(B) permits non-Federal entity to “take” federally listed
species while ensuring their long-term survival and enhancement.
Promotes the long-term conservation of federally listed species.
Reduces conflict between species and economic activities. Develops partnership between public and private sectors.
![Page 21: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
NiSource HCP Initiative
“Why Do This?”
Good for Conservation/Good for Business More efficient and effective use of resources
(FWS and NiSource) Pipeline infrastructure in the US is expanding.
![Page 22: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
NEPA/EIS Process Overview
Notice of IntentPublished 10/11/2007
Public Scoping PeriodConcluded 12/8/2007
Draft EnvironmentalImpact Statement (EIS)
(Summer/Fall 2008)
Final EIS(2009)
Record of Decision(2009)
( ) – Dates subject to change
Applicant’s HCP Submittal(May/June 2008)
Comment Period
![Page 23: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Public Scoping Summary
•Federal Register - Notice of Intent Published 10/11/2007
•Media Announcements• Legal notices & scoping meeting notifications were published
in 22 different newspapers across the Applicant’s operating territory.
•Public Scoping Letters• Public scoping notice letters were mailed to approximately
1,300 known interested parties.• Letters included project info, scoping meeting date/location
info, instructions on how to comment, and various contact options.
•Public Information Website• http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/permits/hcp/
hcp_nisource.html
![Page 24: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
• Open Houses / Public Scoping Meetings• Conducted 13 open houses / public scoping meetings
across Applicant’s operating territory in November 2007.• Consisted of 6 information stations, each providing
various take-home information pamphlets (including contact and how-to-comment info):1. Welcome & Registration2. HCP/ITP & NEPA Process Overview3. NiSource Corporate/HCP Information (operated by
Applicant)4. NEPA and EIS5. Proposed Covered Lands, Species, & Activities6. Comment Station
• A comprehensive Public Scoping Summary will be prepared and made available as an Appendix to the EIS.
Public Scoping Summary (con’t)
![Page 25: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
What is Currently Happening?
•Applicant continuing to prepare their HCP• Service continues to consult with and assist Applicant with
the preparation of their HCP.• HCP currently expected to be received May/June 2008*.
•The Service and their Environmental Contractor have initiated preliminary analyses of various EIS components including:
• Affected EnvironmentPhysicalBiologicalSocial
•DEIS available for comment Summer/Fall 2008*
*Dates subject to change
![Page 26: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Most Current Information
Bob Kyle
Sierra Club Ohio Chapter Forest Committee
will provide an update.
![Page 27: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Steps to assure broadest possible public input in the process:
Learn as much as you can about this request. Note that USFWS has acknowledged that there has never been a request comparable in size and scope.
Demand that any public comment opportunity include a town meeting style gathering as opposed to “Open House” .
Watch for our notices of fall public input opportunities and be prepared to attend and provide comments. Attend these events with friends and neighbors.
![Page 28: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Steps to assure broadest possible public input in the process:
Write to your Congress Person and let them know about your opposition to this request and call for a stop to this unprecedented request.
This sets a bad precedent for future permit requests. Remind your elected officials that there are many other utilities, gas and oil drillers, coal companies and logging/paper producers who also have to comply with The ESA who will take advantage of this opportunity.
![Page 29: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Steps to assure broadest possible public input in the process:
Please also send a copy of this letter to USFWS officials.Write to Mary Knapp, Ph. D, Field SupervisorU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service6950 Americana Parkway, Suite HReynoldsburg, OH 43068orT.J. MillerU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service1 Federal DriveFort Snelling, MN 55111
![Page 30: Welcome. Community Meeting Co-Sponsored by: Buckeye Forest Council Ohio Environmental Council Sierra Club – Ohio Chapter.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022021319/55150656550346a87d8b45e8/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
E-mails for more information