After we sued the Bureau of Land Management for failing to consult with Native tribes before permitting the destruction of sacred Peehee mu’huh (Thacker Pass), BLM has found Max Wilbert and I in trespass for bathrooms that were constructed in Peehee mu’huh so that Native elders and people with disabilities could use the bathroom while praying and engaging in ceremony.
BLM is fining Max Wilbert and I $49,890.13. We need to ask whether our government takes better care of corporations or human beings and the natural world. Of course, when Lithium Nevada Corporation is permitted to destroy nearly 6000 acres in Peehee mu’huh, including digging an 1100 acre open pit, 400 feet deep, all while making millions of dollars, but Native people and their supporters can’t build an outhouse in the same exact location without being fined nearly $50,000, we must conclude that our government takes better care of corporations.
Please donate if you can: Max and Will are going to need a lot of legal help to fight this fine. Thank you!!
Art by Travis London, Deep Green Arts.
Did you go through the proper permitting processes for the BLM to be allowed to build structures on the land at Thacker Pass? Unpermitted activity isn’t allowed on public land, which is why there are permitting and environmental processes to be able to construct these types of structures without a fine such as this. The sand dunes outside Winnemucca just recently went through the permitting process to allow bathrooms to be constructed in that recreation area for people to use, it took grants and some manpower but they’re not getting fined because they followed the proper channels to be permitted to carry out their activity. I don’t think anyone is against people being able to use the land as prayer and have proper facilities, but there are laws regarding public lands and structures do have to be permitted, which I’m sure you are aware of as an attorney. Is paying BLM fines due to not following proper permitting procedures really the best channel for donated funds to go into?
Yes, of course we went through the proper permitting process. We asked BLM over and over again how to secure a permit for temporary latrines to be built in Thacker Pass and they never responded. They didn’t want to give us a permit because they don’t want us protesting in Thacker Pass. You have to recognize, too, that BLM’s normal justifications for requiring permits which include protecting the land are undermined, here, by the fact that BLM has already issued a permit to build a massive open pit mine on exactly the same land where the small outhouses were located. It’s absurd of BLM to claim they’re protecting the land from small outhouse when they’re going to allow Lithium Nevada to dig an 1100 acre, 400 foot deep pit on the same spot. We are currently litigating this very issue with the Interior Board of Land Appeals. We believe we have a strong case against BLM’s fines. Regardless, we risked these fines in consultation with our Native allies so that Native elders could use the bathroom when visiting Thacker Pass for ceremony.
500,000 gallons of fresh water needed to provide 1 ton of lithium. what about the aquifer? what about the ranchers and people on the reservation?? Bureau of Land Management is on OUR land. Ralph Nader keeps telling us this is our land, how can we allow an international company stationed in Canada to turn our beautiful land into a sacrifice zone??
Will, I think you called it right… you’re not allowed to shit small, but you can shit big. You can’t dig small holes, but BLM welcomes big holes. Glad you to hear you’re going to take it through their appellate process.
Would it be possible to share that complaint they gave you guys, maybe put it on documentcloud.org?
BTW, I love the illustration, it’s spot-on. And where’s that donation link?
You can donate here: https://givebutter.com/protectthackerpass thank you!!