November 15, 2024
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The Honorable Joe Manchin The Honorable Bruce Westerman |
The Honorable John Barrasso The Honorable Raúl Grijalva |
Dear Chairman Manchin, Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Barrasso and Ranking Member Grijalva:
On behalf of our respective organizations, we write to express our strong support for the Minidoka National Historic Site (NHS) Study Bill (S.4936), which would delay the proposed Lava Ridge wind project in Idaho until the Government Accountability Office (GAO) completes a report on the project’s impacts on Minidoka, wildlife, cultural resources, transportation, hunting, wetlands, and connected surface water and groundwater.
We support Senator James Risch’s bill to protect the Minidoka NHS, a unit of the National Park System, from the Lava Ridge wind project proposed on over 100,000 acres of federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Minidoka is sacred ground to Japanese Americans, Alaska Natives, families of Nisei veterans and those who resisted the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
We strongly oppose the Lava Ridge wind project which would violate racial, environmental and reparative justice. As noted by the BLM in its Final Environmental Impact Statement, its preferred alternative would have “disproportionately high and adverse impacts on the Japanese American community and Indian Tribes.” In addition to the entire Idaho Congressional delegation, Governor Little, Lt. Governor Bedke, the Idaho Legislature, local elected officials from Idaho and Washington State, Tribal Nations, ranchers, farmers, hunters and many others oppose the project.
We appreciate the Committees’ long-standing, bipartisan commitment to preserve Minidoka and other Japanese American incarceration sites as places for learning, healing and remembrance.
In addition, we stand ready to support a bipartisan lands package which includes the Minidoka bill, which will help tell the whole story, advance racial justice and stop the erasure of AANHPI heritage. Thank you for considering our views.
Sincerely,
Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee
Friends of Minidoka
Japanese American Citizens League National
Japanese American Citizens League Boise Valley, ID Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Idaho Falls, ID Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Pocatello-Blackfoot, ID Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Snake River, ID Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Intermountain District Council
Japanese American Citizens League Alaska Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Florin-Sacramento Valley, CA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League San Francisco, CA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Selanoco/Orange County, CA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Sonoma County, CA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Washington, DC Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Twin Cities, MN Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League St. Louis, MO Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League New Mexico Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Dayton, OH Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Philadelphia, PA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Seattle, WA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Olympia, WA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Portland, WA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Puyallup Valley, WA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Spokane, WA Chapter
Japanese American Citizens League Wasatch Front North, UT Chapter
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
Densho
Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Preservation Idaho
Resisters.com
Star Lake Cattlemen’s Association
Stop Lava Ridge Inc.
Topaz Museum
Tule Lake Committee
Tunupa Grazing Association
Twin Falls County Historic Preservation Commission
cc: Senator James Risch
Senator Mike Crapo
Representative Mike Simpson
Representative Russ Fulcher
Chairman Lee Juan Tyler, Fort Hall Business Council, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Chairman Brian Mason, Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Business Council, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes