SPRING 2002

IS MOUNT SHASTA OFF LIMITS?…
by Michelle Berditschevsky,
Coordinator, SAVE MOUNT SHASTA Project

Can geothermal threats such as those menacing the Medicine Lake Highlands threaten Mount Shasta? Our readers may recall that Mount Shasta appeared on Vulcan Power Company's web site in the past year. We followed up with some inquiries and learned that Vulcan has applied to acquire geothermal leases on the Mountain. According to the Bureau of Land Management, which controls subsurface resources on public lands, Vulcan has not gone past filing the applications. However, Vulcan's web site continues to refer to Mount Shasta. See

• http://www.vulcanpower.com/slide8.htm
• http://www.vulcanpower.com/slide9.htm
  Military Pass" is an area on Mount Shasta

We are continuing to monitor the situation, even though we expect that the ten year battle in which the ski/condo proposal was defeated would be somewhat of a deterrent.

Nonetheless, given the current energy policy (see Energy Update in this issue), an administration favorable to corporate incursions on public lands, a policy favoring expedited review, and the lobbying activities of the geothermal industry, no place appears to be off limits. Add to that the fact that geothermal resources are often found in high and sacred places, it is clear that we cannot let down our vigilance.

Long-term protection efforts, such adding roadless areas of the Mountain to the Wilderness Bill (see California Wild Heritage Campaign article in this issue, below) are a positive step we can take at this stage. We are also continuing our efforts to develop a Cultural Management Plan for Mount Shasta together with the Native Coalition, and to convince the Forest Service to do the studies necessary to include additional areas into the Traditional Cultural District.