Farm Aid to take place on threatened farm land!

Help us out here, Willie Nelson.

"Farm Aid has deep roots in the Midwest that reach back to our first concert in Illinois in 1985," said Farm Aid president Willie Nelson. "I'm looking forward to bringing my friends together on the Farm Aid stage to celebrate family farmers and the crucial work they do. Farmers do so much more than bring us the good food we all want to eat. America needs family farmers to revitalize our economy and make our country healthy."

We're so struck with the irony of this year's Farm Aid being held on farm land that's being targeted for commercial development. The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre sits in the midst of some of the most fertile land in America, which St. Louis County plans to run a superhighway through, followed closely by the destruction of every farm there.

"Completing the Page to Olive Connector will improve access to the Howard Bend area. Various studies have indicated the economic benefit of construction, sales, wages and other elements could be as high as 20 billion dollars over twenty years. The economic benefit will extend throughout the region and the state." ~from St. Louis County's Page-Olive Connector website.

We'll be right there with you on October 4th, Mr. Nelson. Will you be with us?

Department of Natural Resources has serious concerns about Page-Olive Connector

In a 5/26/2009 letter to FHWA and MoDot, The D.N.R. states “Construction of a four-lane highway down the center line of Creve Coeur Creek and its riparian zones could have devastating impacts to the creek’s beneficial uses... Creve Coeur Creek has designated beneficial uses of protection of aquatic life, including human health protection for fish consumption, swimming and livestock and wildlife watering.”

It further adds "...there are a number of sinkholes located in the vicinity of the proposed project. These sinkholes are situated in Mississippian-age St. Louis Limestone at elevations ranging from 510 to 540 feet. The southern interchange and approximately 0.15 mile of the connection are underlain by the St. Louis Limestone. This portion of the project has the potential to be impacted by solution weathered limestone creating some collapse potential. Because of the varying nature of the solution weathering, a drilling program alone may not reveal all features - geophysical studies may be required as well."

Where is the geophysical study, St. Louis County? Where are the protectors of Creve Coeur Creek?

To read the DNR's concerns in their entirety, please click the link in the What You Need to Know section at right.

Goodbye, Lucky Girl

Local agriculture no longer welcome in St. Louis County.

Highway 141 Needs An Environmental Impact Study

Please sign the petition: Highway 141 Needs An Environmental Impact Study

More destruction in West County

Let's just save time and cover all of West County in concrete. Read on...

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/07/wiegand_foundation_in_chesterfield_valley_under_threat_of_demolition.php

Prestien Farm and Arminia Cemetery

Have a look at more pictures of Arminia Cemetery and Prestien Farm before MoDot destroys them all: http://picasaweb.google.com/ResponsibleProgress/PrestienFarmAndArminiaCemetery

St. Louis County issued a project RFQ yesterday, indicating that they anticipate receipt of a signed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in mid-July. Signing of the FONSI to be done by MoDOT and FHWA.

Thus far, our pleas for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) are going ignored.

Please send your concerns as soon as possible to FHWA: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/modiv/roster.htm and MoDOT's mailto:Karen.Yeomans@modot.mo.gov