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Support Our National Parks: Sat Rally

Support Our National Parks: Sat Rally
Rally here, Saturday, August 23 10-12.

Hello CRAGgys!

I hope everyone is enjoying these beautiful summer days. I'm sitting outside listening to lapping waves and a distant cicada, and watching a tomato ripen.

Please turn out on Saturday to support our amazing National Parks, Keweenaw Historic National Park, Isle Royale National Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

"There is nothing so American as our national parks.... The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us." President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Action for National Parks

  • Saturday, August 23, 10-12 am. Rally in Calumet at the corner of US 41 and Red Jacket Road, by the float copper. Bring signs to support our public lands and the people who steward them.
  • This is part of a nation-wide Day of Action. (I don't know how to get our local action added to the NPCA map; can anyone help?)

Threats to parks and public lands are numerous. The Coalition to Protect America's National Park has raised the alarm. Will and Jim Pattiz are also closely following developments (they publish park guides and photos, some paywalled). As they report, the threats are coming from the very top: "Yes, A Private Wealth Manager Now Runs the National Park Service."

Line 5: Comment by August 29th

The effort to fast-track approval of the line 5 tunnel under the Mackinac Straits is barreling ahead. Water Not Oil Don't Mix has been focused on this issue for many years and have debunked the claims that the propane in the pipeline is important for UP energy. Expanding a pipeline to transport Canadian tar sands oil through Michigan and back to Canada is a bad idea on every level. Building expensive fossil fuel infrastructure, that would be in place for 50 years is wasteful when the world is moving rapidly away from this kind of polluting and climate-damaging energy. The tunnel under the Straits threatens Lakes Michigan and Huron at a location with highly variable currents. The pipeline runs across the UP, just north of Lake Michigan and could rupture at any point, not just at the Straits.

Here's a video from Water Not Oil summarizing the proposal and discussing the concerns about the plan. Canadians are also opposing this project.

Comments are due before August 29th.

Anyone can comment–that's YOU!

Comment to the state here.

Submit a comment

ICE

ICE agents have been running rampant around the country. In Michigan they have detainedg people like Nael Shamma near Flint, who has lived legally in the US for 50 years. And Hmong and Laotian refugees, trans immigrants, and teenagers. People are being arrested when they show up to legally mandated hearings on their cases. One judge in New York has ruled that these courthouse arrests are illegal., saying "the government changed the rules by fiat, applied them retroactively, and pulled the rug out from under" a 19-year-old asylum-seeker.

An ICE SUV was spotted recently in Hancock.

Local actions against ICE

  • Tuesday, August 26, 12-1. Planning session to organize an Emergency ICE Know Your Rights training for students and community members. The goal is to organize a campus/community training for early September. Contact KATO, KMAC, or KI for details.
  • iPhone users can download the ICEBlock app to report any sightings of ICE. (This crowd source app will only work if lots of people have it.)
  • In Marquette: Tuesday, August 26, 7:00 - 9:00 PM:  LoveMarq Church, 728 W Kaye Ave, Marquette.At this meeting we'll be looking for interest in a new initiative: Signs of Solidarity A united effort to stand up and say "no" to ICE, while also stimulating conversation and creating awareness, the above link contains further information.

Ongoing

Michigan Statewide Petitions

At least SIX petitions are being circulated for proposals to go on the 2026 ballot. Bridge Michigan has a good summary; others may be added.

    • Decline to Sign. Watch out for the anti-voter rights petitions that seek to add repressive "proof of citizenship" language to the Michigan constitution:
      • Americans for Citizen Voting- DO NOT SIGN
      • Committee to Protect Voters Rights - DO NOT SIGN
      • AxMITax, The AxMITax proposal seeks to eliminate all property taxes in Michigan and make it harder to raise any other taxes in the future - DO NOT SIGN

Upcoming Actions

Labor Day Rally. September 1, 2025,

  • Rally: Workers over Billionaires
    • Monday, September 1, 12-2 pm, at the Houghton Waterfront Pier (by the library).
    • Non-violent action to celebrate the history of labor organizing and the resilience of working people in America.
    • With music, and speakers!
    • Poster-making at the KI general meeting, August 26th.
  • Easter UP and St. Ignace Indivisible are planning an awesome Labor Day Caravan. This looks like fun!
  • Indivisible (at mobilize.us) lists local, virtual, and national actions.
  • Videos of the No Kings One Million Rising sessions are posted—this is a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design.
  • 5-Calls provides tools and talking points on numerous issues. Support for our national parks is now an option on the topic list.

Many government actions threaten our local communities. Speak up!

When and Where to engage locally

An elected board meets somewhere every week. Check the calendar for details.

Local action groups convene regularly. Some public body meets somewhere every single week; take 30 minutes to show up and express your opinion.

And let me know if you go and what you learn. Remember, this is a long process. Showing up multiple times builds trust and demonstrates to people with diverse viewpoints that you don't have horns.

Not many meetings are scheduled for these last weeks of the summer. I plan to attend the Calumet Township board on August 29th, 1 pm. Check the calendar for when your local group meets.

Why and how to attend local meetings

Events and meetings

The CALENDAR has details on events. Please send your events.
I have started a list of Pro-democracy organizations in the UP with contact information. (Please share additions and corrections.)

Details are on the CALENDAR. (Please send updates, check to confirm.)

Houghton/Hancock

Baraga

  • Baraga County Democrats, 3rd Tuesdays at 6 pm, L'Anse Township Hall

Marquette

  • Every Tuesday evening at 7pm, Yoopers Unite, a gathering of local pro-democracy groups, at LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave, Marquette.
  • Marquette: Every Saturday morning from 11:30-12:30, between 40 - 80 people have been assembling at the Marquette Post Office, standing in support with long-established Citizens for Peace & Justice.
  • Join Lake Superior Region Indivisible

Ospreys in Montana

I expected most North American nests to be empty by the end of August, but opened this one to see an osprey swoop in to land. A guess they are sticking near the nest as they get ready to migrate.

Quick note on spam

I've heard that CRAG notes are labeled as spam for some people. I can't prevent that but you can help by (i) telling your mail program its "not spam); (ii) replying to this email; (iii) adding this address (sarah@waterandstone.net) to your address book.

Thanks for all your support

Stay Well

Sarah

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Jamie Larson
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