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FOIA Number: 2012-0769-F FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff. Collection/Record Group: Clinton Library Collection Subgroup/Office of Origin: Council on Environmental Quality Series/Staff Member: Kathleen (Katie) McGinty Subseries: [Correspondence] OA/ID Number: 2254 FolderID: Folder Title: [F - January 1994] [Loose] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: S 61 5 2 2 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 12, 1994 Hollis Fenn 786 Prospect Street Florence, AL 35630 Dear Hollis: Thank you for contacting me regarding your thoughts about chip mills located in the Tennessee River Valley. It was good hearing from you. As you know, I share President Clinton's and Vice President Gore's commitment to the preservation of our environment. I understand your concerns about the potential environmental impacts of chip mills on the adjacent rivers, as well as the impacts of timber harvesting in regions surrounding the mills. I have notified the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Acting Assistant Secretary of Civil Works of your thoughts in this matter. I am sure that your concerns will be given every consideration. Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Sincerely, McGinty Director, White House Office on Environmental Policy KAM/avl the IKA sentone comple of tree-free paper INTERNATIONAL KENAP ASSOCIATION 101 Depot Street-P\O. Box 7 Ladonia, Texas 75449 Phone 903/367-X216 FAX 903/367-7060 786 prospect st Florences al 35630 Jan 5,1994 Dear Das ms sinty Irose offers who live along the Jennessee Rever are deeply concerne d about clean water - there are multiple etreats to it including air pollution Rellarg trees in the watershed andpornto non poent pollution pouring into it We expect gaver governmental agencies to operate in a manuer to protect this environment. The l. s.army Corps of Engineers has recently stated a policy that they will no longer consider endirect impacts when essing a license license to clear cart an to alter loading facilities. TVA,EPA, Jesha wildlife and environmental groups have all taken a strong standagainst lte Corp. one J. Edward to Dickey abot. Se, y the army cevil worls as serator Heflins office gave me the nameg Dr. that contact. cls this the right person for ? told him d thought the corps policy reolated the d Environmental Policy act. N hatdo you think? can you us solve this problem? 1. is I Just read an article in the - soows in forests alabama. smokies and Blue Redge beautiful the it the in the chip mells are a threat to our journal about the effects of air pollution amicus on chase This paper is made from 100% KENAF fibers, farm grown and manufactured in the U.S.A. (ovex -2- trees, d am exclosing acopy of my letter-ti-lthe iditor about this. d continue to be amazed at the people (Reveral in Congress) whowant te weeken the clean an act- - what do they plan to breathe? d question president clintons rather modestplan to reduce emissions - we must move away from the carbon- based energy- qcourse much depend an congress and Please do what you can - chip mells is an issue we can do something about - note the Konaf paper - this is a partial answer buts the paper industry esn't interested. sincerely Hollis 2.20m HOLLIS CFENN THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 7, 1994 Mr. Marty Forman Poly-Anna Plastic Products, Inc. 6960 N. Teutonia Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53209 Dear Mr. Forman: Thank you for contacting my office regarding your continuing thoughts about the Executive Order on Recycled Goods, as well as your efforts at Poly-Anna Plastic Products, Inc. It was good to hear from you again, and I apologize for the delay in responding. I certainly appreciate the copy you enclosed of your Keynote address at the Nebraska State Recycling Association Convention, and learning about your work to encourage the use of recycled plastics. I share your enthusiasm for future progress in this very important arena. Again, thank you for letting me hear from you. Sincerely, Latie May Kathleen A. McGinty Director, White House Office on Environmental Policy KAM/avl POLY-ANNA PLASTIC PRODUCTS, INC. Office: Plant: 6960 N. Teutonia Avenue 4711 N. 32nd Street Milwaukee. WI 53209 Milwaukee. WI 53209 (414) 351-5990 (414) 447-6767 Fax: (414) 351-3443 MEMORANDUM November 17, 1993 TO: Katie McGinty FROM: Marty Forman I know-I know! You guys are buried under things to do and everybody wants his/her own stuff done right this minute. And I know that you just finished a truly big project on recycled content paper. But-and it is a very big BUT-plastic is still the big object blocking the road to recycling. I'm enclosing my latest blast at the plastic industry opposition to recycling that was the Keynote address at last month's Nebraska State Recycling Association Convention. It's an improved version of what I said the month before at Oregon's annual convention. Please let me know that you are aware of what is going on with this issue and I will feel a whole lot better. P.S. I keep complaining because I have to, but I am really grateful and proud that the White House is a place where recycling is now an honored guest. Regards Marty Printed on recycled paper THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 27, 1993 Mr. Roger Featherstone Mt. Graham Coalition 666 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20003 Dear Mr. Featherstone: Thank you for your recent letter updating me on the current status of the Mount Graham project. It was good to hear from you again. I certainly appreciate learning about your continuing efforts to protect the environment of the Mount Graham region. With regard to your specific concerns about possible site moves of the Columbus telescope, I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your letter to Assistant Secretary Lyon's office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for review and response. I am sure that your concerns will be given the appropriate consideration. Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Sincerely, Kathleen McGinty Director, White House Office on Environmental Policy KAM/avl MT. GRAHAM COALITION An international coalition working for cultural and ecological preservation of 0 sacred mountain Katie McGinty Special Assistant to the President for the Environment 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 December 14, 1993 Dear Katie, Thank you for your response to recent letter regarding Mount Graham. Since our last correspondence, new developments have occurred which I feel warrant your attention. I, and I hope most of the environmental community, appreciate the efforts that you and the President have made to make this present administration more open to the public and more accountable for decisions made. I am afraid this has not been the case regarding recent actions taken by the regional office (Region 2) of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service and the office of the Assis- tant Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment. As we spoke at the reception for Director Beattie of the Fish & Wildlife Service, Assistant secretary Jim Lyons was to make any decision involving possible site moves of the Columbus telescope slated for Mount Graham. We at the Mount Graham Coalition were very supportive of this move given the controversial nature of the Mount Graham telescope project. I was very eager to have a chance to brief Assistant Secretary Lyons about possible site moves. However, the Assistant Secretary and his staff have yet set up a meeting even though we have been persis- tent about meeting with Assistant Secretary Lyons. Recently, when I learned that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service regional office in Albuquer- que and the U.S. Forest Service had made a closed-door decision to do only informal consulta- tion and secretly cut trees on Mount Graham I was understandable alarmed. Alarm was deep- ened when I talked to an assistant to Mr. Lyons and learned that this assistant was unaware of any action regarding the site move. I have been trying to determine how tree cutting could happen on Mount Graham under such conditions. Yet, my calls to Assistant Secretary Lyon's office go unanswered. I am also most alarmed that the Regional office of the Fish & Wildlife Service would allow the Forest Service to grant a permit for cutting to the University of Arizona without consulting with the Fish & Wildlife office in Washington first, or consult their own lawyers. The US Fish & Wildlife Service determined on July 9, 1993 that if a move is made to East Emerald Peak (the Peak where cutting has occurred)formal consultation is warranted and possible. Secretary of WASHINGTON OFFICE: 666 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SE, SUITE 200, WASHINGTON, DC 20003 (202) 547-9009 fax: (202) 543-2980 Letter to Katie McGinty Mount Graham Coalition Page 2 Interior Babbitt is also on record supporting formal consultation. The US Forest Service Regional Supervisor and his staff and the Coronado National Forest Supervisor and his staff purposefully prevented members of the Mount Graham Coalition and the public from taking part in any decisions regarding this site move: In fact, as cutting was taking place on Mount graham, the Forest Service was telling the public that no cutting would take place until next spring. Ms. McGinty, how can this cut first ask later attitude still occur in our Federal Agencies? How can the Clinton Administration condone the total secrecy that shrouded this decision? This was not a case in which the public did not care or was not involved early on. We have been actively and aggressively asking for an open dialog with the office mentioned above. Yet, at every instance, the door has been slammed in our face! Ms. McGinty, the University of Arizona has admitted that the site they have now partially cleared is inferior to other locations for their telescope. Figures show that the University of Arizona does not have the necessary funding to complete the Columbus telescope either. A myriad of new information has been uncovered which casts doubt on this project. Questions are now being risen about the validity of the science of this project itself. The University of Arizona, through its actions, has given the astronomical community a bad name. The actions of the Forest Service and the Regional Fish & Wildlife Service are giving the Clinton Administration a bad name. How can the Clinton Administration ask us to have faith in your decisions when we can not even obtain basic information regarding places held in the public trust that we hold sacred? Please do what you can to get to the bottom of this situation. University of Arizona had no earthly reason to cut trees this fall except to bully their way through this. Thiskind of action cannot be condoned. Lwould.be mosteagertomeet with you to discuss what solutions can be found for this situation. National leaders from within the environmental and Native American communities are most eager to join us in any meetings as well. I look forward to your help and your response. I've enclosed additional information to help you understand our currant situation. Sincerely, Roger Featherstone Chairman of the Board, Mount Graham Coalition, Inc. MT. GRAHAM COALITION An international coalition working for cultural and ecological preservation of a sacred mountain Chronology of recent events related to siting of the Columbus telescope on Mt. Graham March 1, 1993 University of Arizona requests site move to Peak 10,298 March 26, 1993 University of Arizona prepares draft study which determines that Mt. Hopkins (south of Tucson) is better for astronomy than any site on Mt. Graham. The study shows that East Emerald Peak is inferior to at least two other sites on Mt. Graham. April 14, 1993 Coronado National Forest announces that they will not accept public input into their decision making process. July 9, 1993 US Fish & Wildlife Service determines that Peak 10,298 and East Emerald Peak are not precluded from Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and that if a decision to move to either of those peaks is made that formal consultation should occur. August 6, 1993 FOIA request made to obtain information from the Forest Service about the proposed site move of the Columbus telescope. To this date, the Forest Service has not responded to this FOIA request. April to December, Members of the Mount Graham Coalition make numerous requests for 1993 information about site moves. All are denied. Members of the Mount Graham Coalition make numerous requests to be kept informed of any decisions made. All are denied. September 2, 1993 Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Lyons, announces that he will be making the decision about siting of the Columbus telescope October, 1993 The University of Arizona spray-paints trees on Mt. Graham on several site to prepare for cutting. October 28, 1993 Agency officials hold secret meeting to discuss Columbus telescope site move. November 1, 1993 The Forest Service secretly releases a Biological Assessment and Evaluation for the site move. Contents of the Evaluation are unknown. November 3, 1993 The Forest Service Regional Supervisor announces that the University of Arizona has withdrawn their application for a site move to Peak 10,298. WASHINGTON OFFICE: 666 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SE, SUITE 200, WASHINGTON, DC 20003 (202) 547-9009, ext: 3245 fax: (202) 543-2980 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 27, 1994 Ms. Marilyn Frazier P.O. Box 938 Ketchum, ID 83340 Dear Ms. Frazier: Thank you for contacting my office regarding your thoughts about the U.S. Air Force's proposed bombing range in Owyhee County, Idaho. It was good to hear from you. As you know, the protection of our nation's valuable natural resources continues to be one of the Administration's highest priorities. I appreciate learning your views about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed bombing range. I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your letter to the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security for review of the specific issues that you raise. I am sure that your concerns will be given the appropriate consideration. Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Sincerely, Tether Kathleen a. A. McGinty Director, White House Office on Environmental Policy KAM/avl OH MILITARY MAN Sure, it is only a small part of our country Sure, not many will notice the new bombing range in SW Idaho the new holes in the earth the land scared, burnt and polluted. Will anyone notice the fear in the eyes of the big horn sheep the anger in the hearts of hikers the deceived Indians with burning ears the new dollar in the pocket of the car salesman or the smile on the face of the military man? Did you win your war against the land, the Indian and the buffalo? Did you win your war in Idaho? Did you see the hawk or the eagle fly Did you feel the quiet Did you see the sunrise on this land and know that God created this beauty? Have you heard of love or peace or freedom Have you thought? At what cost do you try to kill our state, our land Do you have a heart Do you have a soul Where is your brain Where is your conscience Where is your knowledge? I ask you, where is your courage to stand Where are your morals When will your values be true? page 2 Where is your courage to say Yes Yes to the earth, Yes to your home Yes to your mother, Yes to your God! When can you say No to the military devils who walk in masks, No to the war and No to the vice and murder and destruction? To whom do we give thanks To whom do we pray and how do I tell my children and how will you tell your children when the beauty is gone. Marilyn Frazier Box 938 Ketchum, Idaho January 1994