Title: Dorothy Tyra Compiled Files on the Crandon Mine Controversy
Inclusive Dates: 1976-2001

Creator:

• Tyra, Dorothy, 1926-

Call Number: Stevens Point Mss BV

Quantity: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Nelis R. Kampenga University Archives & Area Research Center, Learning Resources Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections.

Archival Locations:

UW-Stevens Point Library / Stevens Point Area Research Ctr. (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers compiled by environmentalist Dorothy Tyra documenting the Crandon, Wisconsin mine controversy through her involvement with the Pickerel/Crane Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District, Wolf River Watershed Alliance, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, and Wolf Watershed Educational Project. The bulk of the collection consists of subject files and newsletters documenting the anti-mining publicity campaign and grassroots political organization of environmentalists, Native Americans, and sportsmen in opposition to the proposed mine at Crandon. Native American rights and issues are a key aspect of this collection, including material related to the Midwest Treaty Network and the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-stpt00bv

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In 1926 Dorothy A. (Bellows) Tyra was born in Oak Park, Illinois to Dr. Marion E. and Edna V. Bellows. In 1949 Dorothy accepted a job as a Registered Nurse for a Forest County physician, retiring in 1990. Tyra was a founding member of the Pickerel/Crane Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District in 1983 (the Bellows family had vacationed annually in the Pickerel, Wisconsin area), as well as the Nashville Chapter of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council during the same year and served as its secretary/treasurer. Tyra was also involved with the Wolf River Watershed Alliance. In 1995 Tyra signed on to the Wolf Watershed Educational Project, a coordinating body formed by the Midwest Treaty Network, and engaged in a very successful speaking tour. She was also heavily engaged in writing letters to the editor, circulating petitions, and corresponding with politicians on environmental and other issues.

Dorothy Tyra's husband, Warde Tyra (1919-1998), was involved with the Pickerel/Crane Protection and Rehabilitation District, as well as the Nashville Town Zoning Commission. Warde was a lifelong resident of Pickerel, Wisconsin. Tyra's Resort on Pickerel Lake was founded in 1912 by Ward's grandfather. Warde co-founded the Whitetail Sportsmen's Club with Dr. Marion E. Bellows during the 1950s. The club was noted for its active involvement in conservation issues. The next section will give more specific information on the Crandon Mine controversy and the important organizations and people mentioned in this collection.

Crandon Mine Overview

In 1975, Exxon Minerals discovered a zinc and copper ore mass near Crandon, Wisconsin and officially proposed construction of a mine in Crandon in 1978. The company withdrew from the project in 1986 citing a depressed global market; however opposition groups cite their activism as the real reason for the withdrawal. In 1988 the Wolf River was declared an Outstanding Resource Waterway by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which created more stringent pollution standards for the river. In 1993 Exxon Minerals, in conjunction with Rio Algom, formed a limited liability corporation known as Crandon Mining Company in another attempt to begin mining at Crandon. In 1995 Governor Tommy G. Thompson's budget cut the Public Intervenor's Office, the state's environmental watchdog, which resulted in a huge backlash among environmental groups. Local agreements to allow mining were passed by the Nashville town board and Forest County in 1996. Anti-mining activists then organized a successful campaign to elect a new Nashville town board the next year. In 1998 Exxon Mineral sold its shares to Rio Algom, which then proceeded forward under a subsidiary called Nicolet Minerals Company (NMC). On Earth Day of 1998, Governor Thompson signed the Sulfide Mining Moratorium Bill into law, which created another layer of difficulties for NMC. The struggle continued to be fought through local and state governments, as well as the press, until the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa and Forest County Potawatomi purchased the proposed mining site in 2003.

Organizations and Personalities

The Wolf River Watershed Alliance (WRWA) was founded in Green Bay, Wisconsin by Robert Schmitz in 1976. The organization was founded shortly after the discovery of an ore deposit in the upper area of the Wolf River watershed out of fear of the environmental damage mining could do to the region. The WRWA was active in raising awareness of environmental issues statewide through writing campaigns and speaking engagements. The organization persists to the present, now under the title Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance (FWWA).

The Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community figured heavily in the opposition to the mine. The proposed mine was located on land that had been promised by treaty to the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa in 1855. The tribe was also very concerned about pollution from the mine and potential water table drawdown on local waterways, including Skunk Creek, and Mole and Rice Lakes. Wild rice, which grows on these bodies of water, is vital to Chippewa culture. The tribe viewed a potential mine as a major threat to both their way of life and sovereignty. The struggle against the Crandon mine ended in 2003 when the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa combined with the Forest County Potawatomi to purchase the mine for the sum of $16 million.

The Midwest Treaty Network (MTN) was founded in 1989 to coordinate both Native American and non-Native groups in response to a crisis over spear fishing treaty rights in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Other key issues for this organization include mining, cultural respect, and sacred rights. The key figure in this organization is Zoltan Grossman. Under this organization's auspices the Wolf River Educational Project began in 1995, bringing together members of environmental groups, sportsmen, and Native American tribes in a speaking tour during April and May of 1996. Dorothy Tyra was a featured speaker during these programs.

The Wisconsin Resources Protection Council (WRPC) was founded by University of Wisconsin-La Crosse sociology Professor Al Gedicks in 1982. Gedicks is a prominent anti-mining activist and indigenous rights advocate. The primary goal of this organization is the dissemination of environmental information concerning mining. This statewide organization is comprised of local chapters, with the Pickerel chapter being founded in 1983. Al Gedicks also figures in the collection through his involvement in the Center for the Development of Alternative Mining Policy (CDAMP), although to a much lesser extent. Gedicks has written two books which contain chapters dealing with the Crandon mine struggle.

Roscoe and Evelyn Churchill were groundbreakers in the grassroots organization of anti-mining groups in Wisconsin. In the mid-1970s the Churchills formed the Rusk County Citizens Action Group (RCCAG) in response to a proposed mine in Ladysmith, Wisconsin owned by Kennecott Copper Company. The initial proposal was defeated. However in 1988 Kennecott was successful in opening the mine. By the time of the Crandon mine struggle, the Churchills were seen as elder statesmen of the anti-mining movement, and continued to interact with and influence anti-mining groups. When the Sulfide Mining Moratorium was signed in 1998, environmentalists began referring to it as the Churchill law. Roscoe Churchill authored a book on the Ladysmith mine entitled The Buzzards Have Landed.

The materials in this collection date roughly from 1976 to 2001. The vast majority of documentation occurs in two runs, one from 1982-1986, and the other from 1993-1997. The major subject of the collection is the Crandon mine controversy of 1975-2003. Other environmental issues, such as nuclear waste dumping, can also be found, but to a lesser extent. Tyra also took an interest in tribal affairs and this is documented to a significant extent. Native American rights and issues are a key aspect of this collection and material is included relating to the Midwest Treaty Network and the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa and, to a lesser extent, other tribes. Prominent environmentalists such as Professor Al Gedicks and Roscoe and Evelyn Churchill also figure in this collection. Politics in Nashville, Wisconsin, especially the Town Zoning Commission and Town Board, are documented as well, through board proceedings and memoranda. The collection covers key Wisconsin political issues such as the budget and Public Intervenor Office crisis of 1995, opposition to Governor Tommy G. Thompson, and the Mining Moratorium of 1998. Government bodies documented through reports, information sheets, memos, and correspondence include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The CORRESPONDENCE series contains Drafts of Letters by Dorothy Tyra during the years 1988, 1994-1997, and General Correspondence received by Dorothy Tyra during the years 1983-1998. This series documents Tyra's correspondence with several politicians including Roger Breske, Russ Decker, and Spencer Black as well as with other environmentally concerned citizens such as George and Marilyn Rock, and various organizations.

The NOTES AND MEETINGS series is split into several headings, which overlap in date. The Environmental Notes folders contain handwritten chronological notes on issues such as mining, waste disposal, and Native American rights. The information in the Environmental Notebooks is not limited to meetings, but also includes notes on telephone conversations, and summaries of media coverage of environmental issues. There is a run of Public Concern Meetings notes, which were typed and circulated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources following meetings held in several cities and towns during 1997 concerning the Crandon mine proposal. Address Lists and Sign-In Sheets are included in this section as well. These were taken at various meetings and circulated within the environmental groups.

The bulk of the PUBLICITY series is Articles and Letters to the Editor. The articles are predominantly from Wisconsin newspapers including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin State Journal, the Forest Republican, the Antigo Herald, and the Ladysmith Pioneer Express. Subjects include the Crandon mine controversy, nuclear waste dumping, groundwater contamination, local government, and Native American affairs. A significant run of Mining Company Newsletters illustrates the pro-mine counterpoint. There is one folder of Newsletters. These are newsletters that originated with organizations that do not have a subject file in the collection. The Petitions, Pledges, and Writing Campaigns materials relate predominantly to the Crandon mine controversy, but other environmental issues are present. These document the various petitions and writing campaigns in which Tyra participated. The Flyers section is primarily composed of meeting announcements that originated with unspecified organizations, multiple organizations, or organizations that do not have a subject file. The Pamphlets and Brochures folder contains materials originating with organizations that do not have a subject file in the collection or which were published by multiple affiliated organizations. There are also a few Press Releases, which are composed of releases by organizations that do not have a subject file in the collection. The Contacts file contains lists of press and political contacts. The Talking Points folder contains a small amount of talking points drawn up in support of the various speaking tours Tyra was involved with. This series provides an overview of the grassroots press campaign run by the environmental groups.

The REPORTS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION series contains documentation that was primarily used for informational purposes by the anti-mining activists. This series is divided into several headings. The Government Reports and Information consists of reports and information that originated with government agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Department of the Interior. The Third Party Reports and Information consists of documentation generated by independent contractors or concerned citizens or groups. The Mining Company Information is composed of documents produced by the Crandon Mining Company. This includes information sheets and some public financial documents. The government reports are annotated. This series illustrates both the information the environmentalists had access to and the information they chose to disseminate.

The SUBJECT FILES series contains documentation of organizations and groups, local government affairs, and selected topical issues. Organizations documented include the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, the Wolf Watershed Educational Project, and the Town of Nashville, Wisconsin Zoning Commission. The files are labeled by subject and in alphabetical order.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Robert Aderholdt, Pearson, Wisconsin, 2006. Accession Number: M2008-002

Processing Information

Processed by Tyler C. Kennedy (Practicum student), May 2008.

Stevens Point Mss BV	Series: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	Drafts of Letters, 1988, 1994-1997
Box   1 Folder   2-4	General Correspondence, 1983-1998
	Series: Notes and Meetings	⇧
Box   1 Folder   5-8	Environmental Notes, 1983-1998, undated
Box   1 Folder   9-11	Environmental Notebooks, 1992-1996
	Public Concerns Meetings
Box   1 Folder   12	Ainsworth, 1997 June 17
	Crandon
Box   1 Folder   13	1997 June 17
Box   1 Folder   14	1997 June 27
Box   1 Folder   15	Green Bay, 1997 September 8
Box   1 Folder   16	Rhinelander, 1997 October 6
Box   1 Folder   17	Tomahawk, 1997 September 22
Box   1 Folder   18	Wausau, 1997 July 21
Box   1 Folder   19	Sign-In Sheets/Member Lists, 1983, 1995, undated
	Series: Publicity	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1-15	Articles, 1978-1995
Box   3 Folder   1-5	Articles, 1996-2000, undated
Box   3 Folder   6	Contacts, 1992-1998, undated
	Flyers, Announcements, Pamphlets, and Brochures
Box   3 Folder   7	Flyers and announcements, 1989-1996, undated
Box   3 Folder   8	Pamphlets and brochures, 1976, 1983-1997, undated
	Letters to the Editor
Box   3 Folder   9	1983-1987
Box   3 Folder   10	1991-1994
Box   3 Folder   11-13	1995-1997
Box   3 Folder   14	Mining Company Newsletters, 1994-1998, undated
Box   4 Folder   1	Newsletters, 1983-1997, undated
Box   4 Folder   2	Petitions, Pledges, and Writing Campaigns, 1985-1997, undated
Box   4 Folder   3	Press Releases, 1984-1998
Box   4 Folder   4	Talking Points, circa 1995-1996
	Series: Reports and Background Information	⇧
	Government Reports and Information
Box   4 Folder   5	Army Corps of Engineers, memos and comments, 1995-1996
	Department of Agriculture-Forest Service
Box   4 Folder   6	Decision notice, undated
Box   4 Folder   7	Information, 1993-1995
	Department of the Interior
Box   4 Folder   8	Comments, 1986
Box   4 Folder   9	Memos, 1994
	Environmental Protection Agency memos
Box   4 Folder   10	1985
Box   4 Folder   11	1996
Box   4 Folder   12	Great Lakes Indian Fish and Game Commission memos, 1994-1996
Box   4 Folder   13	Legislative memos and information, 1981-1982, 1994-1995
Box   4 Folder   14	Office of the Public Intervenor comments, 1994-1995
Box   4 Folder   15	United States General Accounting Office report, 1982
	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Box   4 Folder   16	Final Environmental Impact Statement, 1986
Box   4 Folder   17	Information and status reports, 1985-1986, 1991-1998
Box   4 Folder   18	Memos, 1994-1997
Box   4 Folder   19	Publications
	Third Party Reports and Information
Box   5 Folder   1	Assorted environmental information sheets, 1983, 1991-1997, undated
Box   5 Folder   2	Andrews report, 1995
Box   5 Folder   3	Bell report, undated
Box   5 Folder   4	Blowes report, 1995
Box   5 Folder   5	Busby, Lisa et al. report to Spencer Black, undated
	Cherkauer report
Box   5 Folder   6	1994
Box   5 Folder   7	1995
	COACT Research, Inc. report
Box   5 Folder   8	Undated
Box   5 Folder   9	1982
Box   5 Folder   10	Hoffman report, 1984
Box   5 Folder   11	McHugh and Harkin report, 1981
Box   5 Folder   12	Ruble, Lyn et al. report to DuWayne Johnsrud, 1995
Box   5 Folder   13	Western Division of the American Fisheries Society policy statement, undated
Box   5 Folder   14	Wisconsin Review Commission report, 1995
Box   5 Folder   15	Zidick report, 1996
	Mining Company Reports and Information
Box   5 Folder   16	Foth and Van Dyke report, 1994
Box   5 Folder   17	Mining company information sheets 1-7, undated
Box   5 Folder   18	Mining company memos, reports, and information, 1994-1997, undated
	Series: Subject Files	⇧
Box   5 Folder   19	Buettner/Trout Unlimited/Wolf River Conservation Club, 1985, 1997, undated
Box   5 Folder   20	Churchill/Rusk County Citizens' Action Group, 1984, 1990-1997, undated
Box   5 Folder   21	Clean Water Action Coalition, 1994-1999
Box   6 Folder   1	Conservation Congress, 1995
Box   6 Folder   2	Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Lakeland Areas, 1995-1996, undated
Box   6 Folder   3	Gedicks/Center for Alternative Mining Policy Development, 1983-1984, 1995
Box   6 Folder   4	Gedicks/Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, 1983-1999
Box   6 Folder   5	Green Party, 1995-1997, undated
Box   6 Folder   6	Lake Association (University of Wisconsin Extension), 1986-1998
Box   6 Folder   7	Langlade County, 1988, 1995
	Local Agreements
Box   6 Folder   8	Forest County, 1995-1996
Box   6 Folder   9	Town of Nashville, 1996
Box   6 Folder   10	Local elections, 1983, 1997
Box   6 Folder   11	Midwest Treaty Network, 1998-2001, undated
Box   6 Folder   12	Outstanding Resource Waterways, 1995-1996, undated
Box   6 Folder   13	Pickerel/Crane Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District, 1985-1987, 1995-1997
Box   6 Folder   14	Public Intervenor, 1995
Box   6 Folder   15	Town of Ainsworth, 1995-1998
Box   6 Folder   16	Town of Nashville, 1983-1987, 1991-1996
Box   6 Folder   17	Zoning Commission, 1995-1996
Box   6 Folder   18	Tribes, 1983-1987, 1994-1997
Box   6 Folder   19	Watershed Alliance to End Environmental Racism (WATER), 1993-1996, undated
Box   7 Folder   1	Watershed Information and News Service (EarthWINS), 1995-1996, undated
Box   7 Folder   2	Wetlands, circa 1995
Box   7 Folder   3	Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, 1995-1997
Box   7 Folder   4	Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, Pickerel Chapter, 1983-1984, 1996-1997, undated
Box   7 Folder   5	Wolf River Watershed Alliance, 1987-1989, undated
Box   7 Folder   6	Wolf Watershed Educational Project, 1995-1999
Box   7 Folder   7	Wrezycki/Rollingstone Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District, 1986-1997