Comment EI-19666
Received or sent (printed as 1/10/2013)
Ken Blodgett Surface Transportation Board 395 E Street SW Washington, D.C. 20423-0001 Attention: Environmental Filing, Docket No. FD 30186 January 9, 2012 Dear Mr. Blodgett: Our family owns and operates a cow/calf operation near Birney MT. In addition to this business, my husband and I have a separate business; we raise and sell grass-finished Wagyu beef directly to customers. Both of these businesses depend not only on healthy land and water, but also upon our neighbors and our community. We have opposed the building of the Tongue River Railroad (TRRC) since it was first proposed in the 1980s. Although our ranch would no longer be directly crossed by the TRR we are still opposed the building of this project. We find the recent maneuvers and the rapid changes in the TRRC’s application to the STB and the process alarming and completely unfair to landowners and community members affected by this project. How are people affected by the December 17th “Supplemental Application for Construction and Operation Authority” going to be included in this scoping process when this is an entirely new project that has come about at the end of the scoping process? There are so many changes and yet this December 17th application is still full of contradictory and misleading information. It is time to start over and fully and honestly assess the impacts of this project. It is time to do this assessment right. CUMMULTIVE IMPACTS Wherever this rail line is constructed it will have huge impacts on an entire region. There is no way to build a rail line in one part of this valley and not affect the entire river valley and surrounding communities. The ranches and business of the Tongue River Valley are economically connected. The diverse cultural communities are interconnected. When you look at the economic harm of this project on ranching and farming you have to look at the entire valley not simply the acres that will be crossed by the TRR. Our ranch and our small beef business cannot raise the feed we need for our cattle. We have to buy hay and feed. When you are looking at the harm to agricultural production by the TRR look at the entire region that will be affected. The Two biggest industries in Montana (AGRICULTURE & TOURISM) will be harmed by the building and operation of TRR. The STB has been tasked with looking at the cumulative impacts of the proposed Otter Creek coal development and the TRR and Coal Bed Methane development in this area. The further industrialization of this entire region from the Otter Creek Valley to the Tongue River Valley must be honestly and thoroughly assessed. Again, you cannot industrialize just a portion of the valley without having a huge impact on the businesses and lives of the entire region. Tourism- People come to this part of the state for its incredible natural beauty, for hunting and fishing, for its immense historic and cultural value. This entire region is a National Historic Treasure. There are important sites that have been listed as National Historic sites and Landmarks but there are also many places of equal value that have never been officially listed. Of course there is intrinsic value in beauty, the wildlife, culture, history of this valley, and we ask that you to consider this– but there is also economic value in to this rich and vibrant region just as it is. There are existing and potential opportunities for Conservation Tourism, Historic & Cultural Tourism, and Hunting and Fishing outfitting and recreation. Who wants to come visit and industrial zone? How will the TRR ensure that these existing and potential businesses will not be harmed? If the TRR cannot ensure that these vital and sustainable businesses and the potential for these businesses are not harmed in any way, you need to recommend the NO BUILD option. The value of tourism in this area is not speculative – we know these businesses thrive. My family has a ranch today (The Bones Brothers Ranch) because my granddad and great uncles added value to their cattle ranching operation- in the depression of the 20s and 30s they went into the guest ranching business. Lots of other ranches in this area did the same thing. We not only survived but we got through a depression – the most difficult economic times. I ask you to look at the long-term costs of building the TRR. Not simply the very short term and very limited gain. If, as you are asked to do, you look at the cumulative impacts of the TRR & Coal Development in this area you will see way more costs than benefits. We are asking you to fully assess what these combined projects will take from our lives, our businesses, our communities. The changes that this rail line will bring will cause irrevocable harm to a stable and sustainable industry. We are here for the long term- for generations. We look ahead to leaving our land in better shape than when it came to us. We look ahead to our children’s and grandchildren’s futures. We ask this board to do that as well. It is really about the future. A rancher from Wyoming who lives near a coalmine and coal-hauling railroad has told us about the hardships these industries has caused his ranching operation. He described the acres and acres of productive land that he has lost to these developments. As a fourth generation rancher, the part of his story that is most sobering is the reality that while his children love ranching and want to come home to take over the family business – they most likely cannot come back to live at their family’s ranch. They see the day-to-day fights that their parents have with the coal company just trying to keep their ranch going. They don’t want that. They also do not want to raise their babies in a polluted and unhealthy environment. I do not want this to be a story in my neighborhood and community. Projects like the Tongue River Railroad and the coal development this railroad will serve, will take our futures and our health and our land and water – Why would the country allow destruction of a productive area simply so it can send dirty coal to China? PLEASE look honestly and deeply into the true costs of building the Tongue River Railroad. I ask you to recommend the NO BUILD alternative. Sincerely, Jeanie Alderson PO BOX 505 Birney, MT 59012
Submitted by: Jeanie Alderson · Birney, Montana
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-30186/comment/EI-19666
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