Marcelo Betti

November 18, 2011

     Deer hunting season is currently underway in Vermont through Sunday, November 27. The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates this year's pre-hunt deer population at 123,000, or roughly ten percent fewer deer than last year. Although this number is within the target deer population goal set in Vermont's management plan, officials expect this fall's mild weather to negatively affect hunters' chances, as the animals will likely be more dispersed given the abundance of wild apples and beechnuts.

Deer Hunters Look Forward to November and December Seasons, Vermont Fish & Wildlife, http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com (last visited November 17, 2011).

Lawrence Pine, Outdoors: This may turn out to be the hunting season to forget, BurlingtonFreePress.com (6:39 AM, Nov. 13, 2011), http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20111113/COLUMNISTS01/111130339/1050/COLUMNISTS/Outdoors-may-turn-out-hunting-season-forget?odyssey=mod|homepromo|3.

     Police arrested two men protesting Green Mountain Power's wind farm in Lowell on Wednesday morning. The "mountain occupiers" were charged with criminal contempt of court for allegedly disregarding a preliminary injunction issued on November 1 to prevent activists from gathering on private property near the construction site. The owners of the nearby property in question, Don and Shirley Nelson, have filed for extraordinary relief from the Vermont Supreme Court, claiming the preliminary injunction violated their First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly. The case is now pending.

Press release, "Mountain Occupiers" say arrests on Lowell were unnecessary, VTDigger.org (November 17, 2011), http://vtdigger.org/2011/11/17/mountain-occupiers-say-arrests-on-lowell-were-unnecessary.

Alan Panebaker, Lowell wind: In filing to Supreme Court, Nelsons make First Amendment claim, VTDigger.org (November 13, 2011), http://vtdigger.org/2011/11/13/lowell-wind-in-filing-to-supreme-court-nelsons-make-first-amendment-claim.

     Vermont lawmakers heard extensive testimony from environmentalists and state officials last Tuesday on the impact of post-Irene riverbed repairs. According to David Mears, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont's expertise in river care was set side when the state relaxed environmental regulations in light of the Irene emergency. Although the precise impacts of the regulation lift remain unclear, concerns cited included damage to fish populations and worse flooding in future years due to gravel extractions from riverbeds.

Dave Gram, Vt. experts: Some post-Irene repairs harmful, Bloomberg.com (November 16, 2011, 8:26AM ET), http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9R1RJV80.htm.

     Environmental groups will hold a massive anti-fracking protest in Trenton, New Jersey this coming Monday, November 21. The rally will coincide with Delaware River Basin Commission's vote to approve draft regulations allowing for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Environmentalists argue that the Commission has failed to assess potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing techniques that involve injecting water, sand, and chemicals underground to break through shale and rock, and may contaminate sources of drinking water for millions of people in the region.

Bob Jordan, Fracking protest rally planned in Trenton ahead of Delaware River Basin Commission vote, myCentralJersey.com (11:25 PM, Nov. 10, 2011), http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20111110/NJNEWS10/311100068/fracking-protest-rally-Trenton.

Bob Jordan, Groups continue push for state fracking ban, Asbury Park Press (6:48 AM, Nov. 15, 2011), http://www.app.com/article/20111115/NJNEWS1002/311150017/Groups-continue-push-for-state-fracking-ban.

     The Brazilian Federal Police is currently investigating an offshore oil spill at a Chevron operation 230 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. According to the environmental group SkyTruth, satellite imagery indicates that the oil spill rate as of Tuesday was close to 4,000 barrels per day, compared to the National Petroleum Agency's 1,000 gallons per day estimate. A sobering note: while Brazil has made massive offshore oil discoveries in the past few years, discussion in Brazil about the environmental dangers of offshore drilling has been all but inexistent.

Bradley Brooks, Brazilian federal police investigate Chevron offshore oil spill, The Washington Post (Thursday, November 17, 3:59 PM), http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/brazilian-federal-police-investigate-chevron-oil-spill-off-coast-of-rio-de-janeiro/2011/11/17/gIQAOs8ZUN_story.html.