Random Update On THAT Gravel Pit -- January 7, 2015; Lake Sakakawea Is Frozen Over

Updates

I track this story, as well as the story about a  Little Missouri River crossing near the south unit of the park, at this post.

November 8, 2015: The Dickinson Press is reporting that the owners of the gravel pit in/near the Elkhorn Ranch near the south unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are getting closer to begin mining operations. Stuff needs to be done first:

Shannon Boehm, a ranger with the U.S. Forest Service's Medora District, said Elkhorn Minerals LLC has valid authorization to move ahead with the project. While there is no definite timeframe, the pieces could fall into place regarding pre-work meetings within the next few weeks.

The first of those discussions will revolve around improving the road to the site, which the owner will need to complete before mining begins.

Boehm said the process of improving roads would be the "first step" and could take time due to the amount of work that needs to be completed before construction begins.

 

Original Post

The Dickinson Press is reporting:

A plan to dig a gravel pit on the Elkhorn Ranch that once belonged to Theodore Roosevelt will move forward.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday it has approved a plan to mine gravel from 25 acres on the ranch, which is part of the Medora Ranger District. Almost all of that is on National Forest Service land, with about 19 acres set to be mined and the rest to be used as a buffer zone.

“It’s more than a disappointment, it’s a tragedy to take gravel from that site and impact that viewshed,” said Joes Satrom, past president for the Friends of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The ranch, which is 25 miles north of Medora, was purchased in 2007 for $5.3 million by the Forest Service, which owns about 4,400 acres encompassing the ranch. The Elkhorn Ranch Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park sits on 218 acres.

The agency purchased the land from the Eberts family but failed to obtain mineral rights from the original landowners. Roger Lothspeich of Miles City, MT, and his partner, Peggy Braunberger, own the mineral rights. Braunberger first applied for the gravel mine permit in 2008, according to the Forest Service.

“When the Forest Service acquired that land, the mineral rights were not part of that,” said Babete Anderson, a public affairs officer for the Forest Service. “Those folks have a right to get to those minerals.”

I doubt the story is over.

But in the meantime, could sometime explain to me how unsightly windmills and solar farms are any different than a very, very tiny gravel pit that will be seen by maybe 100 people a year?

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For The Record: Global Warming Began In 1994 Or Before -- Algore
The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers declared Lake Sakakawea frozen at 3:30 p.m. January 5, 2015.
• The earliest freeze-up when the reservoir was full was Dec. 14, 2000.
• The latest date Lake Sakakawea froze over was Jan. 18, 2011.

The earliest freeze of the full reservoir right in the middle of global warming.