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California tribes hail decision on sacred site
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

California tribes who use Medicine Lake for healing and vision quests say a recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is a victory for one of their most important sacred sites.

The court struck down lease extensions made by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The extensions would have allowed Calpine Corp. to develop a geothermal power plant near Medicine Lake.

Tribes say the plant will destroy the healing qualities of the lake and harm the environment. The court said the federal agencies failed to take a "hard look" at the impacts of geothermal development.

Get the Story:
Court pulls plug on power plant (The Redding Record Searchlight 11/14)
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9th Circuit Decision:
Pit River Tribe v. US (November 6, 2006)

Lower Court Decision:
Pit River Tribe v. BLM (February 13, 2004)

Relevant Documents:
Proposed Geothermal Development Project for Medicine Lake Highlands - Records of Decision (Bureau of Land Management [note: does not include reversal of decisions])

Relevant Links:
Medicine Lake Video - http://www.medicinelakevideo.org
Medicine Lake Information - http://www.sacredland.org/endangered_sites_pages/medicine_lake.html
Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center - http://www.mountshastaecology.org
Calpine Corporation - http://www.calpine.com

Related Stories:
California tribes win ruling on sacred site (11/7)
Geothermal project near sacred site put on hold (10/06)
Company confident on future for plant near sacred lake (06/04)
Company suspends projects affecting sacred sites (05/27)
Judge won't block drilling near sacred site in Calif. (03/11)
Bush judicial nominee blasted by Democrats (02/06)
Lawsuit seeks to stop drilling in sacred Mount Shasta (10/20)
Calif. tribes oppose power plant (07/17)
Protections for sacred sites called inadequate (06/19)
Norton reopens sacred site controversy (09/30)
Sacred site bill increases tribal voice (07/19)
Senate dives into sacred site debate (06/05)
Congress considering sacred sites (5/21)
Tribes push action on sacred sites (3/21)
Tribe prevails on sacred site case (3/19)
Norton denies politics played role in drilling (6/7)
Norton hit on exploration of sacred site (6/6)
Myers reversing sacred site opinion (10/25)
Bush nominee has no 'agenda' on Clinton decisions (6/21)

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