The motion reads,
Whereas public input and democratic participation are crucial
to
running Ohio University and,
Whereas there has been massive student and community concern for
the future of Dysart Woods and
Whereas the university has an important, indirect role in
determining the future of Dysart Woods
Let it be resolved that Senate request that the administration of Ohio
University hold a public hearing to allow students and community members
to voice their concerns about Dysart Woods.
Several senators requested that Student Senate do more to enforce
past Senate resolutions requesting that OU oppose permit 7 because
of OU's
reversal of its 25 years of opposition to allowing mining under the
watershed of the ancient forest.
"OU has requested that the watershed buffer zone of Dysart Woods
be protected from mining for more than 25 years. Yet now at the
critical
hour OU has violated this committment, saying a smaller buffer zone
may be
used in the Lands Unsuitable for Mining Petition (LUMP). This
is purely
political and has nothing to do with science," said OU Graduate Student
Chad Kister, who spoke at the Senate meeting. "The full watershed
buffer
zone must be protected in OU's Lands Unsuitable for Mining Petition,
and
OU should commit to legal action should the Ohio Division of Mines
and
Reclamations approve permit 7."
"On October 20, OU President Robert Glidden told Faculty Senate
that he supported their resolution requesting that OU protect the
watershed buffer zone of Dysart Woods from mining, which means opposing
permit 7," Kister said. "Yet Glidden reversed his position then.
Clearly
a public hearing is necessary to shed light on this imperative decision
being made behind closed doors."
On its decision whether to develop The Ridges, OU held dozens
of
public meetings and hearings. Yet OU has not held one hearing
about
Dysart Woods, in spite of the massive local and state interest in this
issue.
In related news, Kister was voted the Best Leading Citizen of
Athens, the Best Local Media Figure and received second place in the
Best
Ignored News Story vote by the Athens News that was released this week.