Background: For decades, the Rocky Mountain East Front in southern Alberta and the northern United States has been a magnet for oil and gas development. Protection for this unique ecosystem has been inconsistent despite citizen efforts. Worse, little attention has been paid to the cumulative effects across the boundary; each country assumes the other is preserving enough of the ecosystem to retain biological diversity.

Now, each country faces a renewed energy related assault on ecosystems and landscapes of the Front. In the U.S., despite a ban on leasing on Forest Service lands in 1997, prior leasees are proposing drilling. Other federal and state lands are now being made available. Alberta faces increased energy development, much of it driven by U.S. energy policy, despite the disasters of past development. Many elected and appointed officials appear to cater only to industry demands. A clear voice from citizens, dedicated to intelligent energy and environmental sustainability can significantly influence energy policy towards responsible conservation and landscape protection.

Need: To participate effectively, citizens need reliable information from people, from both sides of the border, who have been on the front lines of protection of the Rocky Mountain Front. Citizens need sound science and lessons from history to understand the gravity of the situation. But they must also be inspired to take action. They need to hear personal experiences to gain a deep understanding of the relationship of humans to this landscape.

Action: We, Mike Judd, Gloria Flora and Brian Horejsi meet the criteria above and have a proven ability to speak to diverse groups. We will purposefully plan and execute a series of educational forums in key locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. As a team we can:

• Create a clearly articulated strategy for reaching, teaching and inspiring citizens to demand protection of ecosystem integrity on the Rocky Mountain Front.
  
  
• Reach hundreds of people in person with a multi-media story of the Rocky Mountain Front and energy developments: past, present and threatening.
  
  
• Provide informational materials for distribution, both electronically and in hard copy.
  
  
• Through writing articles, meeting with editorial boards and interviews with journalists, reach large audiences through print media.
  
  
• Manage advanced public relations work to facilitate access to key radio and television media.
  
  
• Meet with pivotal policy makers to expand their understanding of the Rocky Mountain Front and offer creative options to meeting energy demands.

What's at Stake?
The great chain of the Rocky Mountains are the heart and soul of North America. We need to work together to rescue them from industrialization. If you care, or if this is already an issue for you, let's work together to make some changes!

Now more than ever, the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the United States are endangered by continual assaults from the natural gas and oil industry. Citizens need to understand from history and real life examples the effects of indiscriminate energy development. Mistakes that have extirpated species and destroyed landscapes don't need to be repeated in our most precious lands.

There is overwhelming evidence that the current level of industrialization is not sustainable. Together we can champion the environmental and social benefits of these tremendous landscapes instead of capitulating to political maneuvering and short-lived corporate gain. Clean air, clean water and abundant wildlife are priceless.

We Want to Talk to You
Our deep connection to the Rocky Mountains is a result of living and working here for most of our lives. We want to share that first-hand knowledge with you and your community through visual and spoken imagery. We bring a unique combination of perspectives: small businessman, public land manager, environmental activist, natural resource scientist and next-door neighbor to development. The combination of which will captivate you and your audiences.

We know that a unified front is the key for making the necessary changes for the public to regain a strong influence on public land. If more people understand what is at stake, and see through industry and government's claims that the impacts are minimal, the better chance we have of sustaining wild ecosystems for ourselves and future generations.

Making Contact
Thanks to support from the Sierra Club, Rescue the Rockies can come to your community and give a presentation that will leave your audiences moved by the beauty of these outstanding landscapes and the tragedy of inappropriate development. For minimal investment, these presentations can help you with your energy campaign, reach your fund-raising objectives and add punch to your community outreach.

Please contact any of us for more information or to schedule a presentation:

Speak Up For Wildlife Box 84006: P.O. Market Calgary, Alberta T3A 5C4 403-246-9328 bhorejsi@sprint.ca Dr. Brian Horejsi Brian is founder and director of the Speak Up For Wildlife Foundation, located near Calgary, Alberta. He provided wildlife consulting services to the western Canadian oil and gas industry for over 15 years. He has worked for government as a research biologist and a range management forester. For over 30 years he has been an activist for ecologically sustainable land use practices, broad based public participation in democratic processes, defense of public lands and public ownership of wildlife, and particularly for the use of the best available science in conservation decision making. He has provided years of leadership to Alberta Wilderness Association and Alliance for the Wild Rockies , regularly provides science based advice and support to Non government organizations, makes frequent public presentations, and has been active in oil and gas regulatory issues. Diamond Hitch Outfitters Box 2316 Pincher Creek, Alberta TOK IWO 403-627-2949 elkchild@telusplanet.net Mike Judd Mike Judd is owner and operator of Diamond Hitch Outfitters and Crazy Dog Expeditions. A life time resident of the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky mountains, he works as a guide and outfitter, conducting horse pack trips and dog sledding excursions in the Rockies. For over two decades he has been a determined and outspoken environmental activist, seeking to maintain the biological diversity of the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. He's been a leader of the Alberta Wilderness Association and other local groups. He has conducted speaking tours in Wyoming and Montana, describing the effect oil and gas development has had in Alberta. Mike has led tours of the east slopes for major Canadian and U.S. media and led prominent media personalities on horse trips focusing on the destructive effects of unregulated industrial development. S.O.S. P.O. Box 1424 Helena, Montana 59624 406-495-9661 gflora@s-o-solutions.org Gloria Flora Gloria Flora directs Sustainable Obtainable Solutions, a nonprofit dedicated to sustainability of public lands. She focuses on the principles of conservation biology and on the value of people's relationship to landscapes. In 22-plus years of work with the U.S. Forest Service, she served in numerous leadership positions throughout the West. She made a landmark decision to prohibit oil and gas leasing on Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. She later resigned from the Forest Service to call attention to persistent anti-federalist activities in Nevada, which included harassment and destruction of aquatic and range habitats. Ms. Flora writes and lectures on natural resource topics, particularly on sustainability, public lands and the human dimensions of ecosystem management.