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December 21, 2005
Stop I-3 partners with SAFC
December 14, 2005
Stop I-3 Petition Drive Underway
September 7, 2005
Stop I-3 Coalition calls on Congress to redirect
highway money to Gulf reconstruction
August 24, 2005
Mountain residents raise common-sense questions
and concerns about Interstate
August 8, 2005
Norwood goes into "neutral" on I-3 for
constituents in Georgia mountains
August 4, 2005
White County Commissioners Take Strong Stand, Oppose
Interstate 3
July 27, 2005
Federal studies cast doubt on economic benefit of
Interstates
July 26, 2005
Mountain communities organize to fight new interstate
highway
July 9, 2005
Rabun commissioners declare unanimous opposition
to Interstate
July 4, 2005
Rabun residents form Stop I-3 chapter,
Urge large turn-out at board meet Thursday
Press Releases 2008
Press Releases 2007
Press Releases 2006
Press Releases 2005
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For immediate release, December 14, 2005
Stop I-3 Petition Drive Underway
The Stop I-3 Coalition today announced a major petition drive
aimed at convincing elected officials to drop plans for a
proposed, new interstate highway that would run from Knoxville
to Savannah, via Augusta.
"It's time to show state and federal officials that
their constituents in Southern Appalachia do not want or need
this ruinous road," said Elizabeth Wells, chair of the
coalition.
The mission of the broad-based coalition, with county chapters
and supporters in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee, is to protect the mountains, rivers,
lakes and forests for this and future generations. It is also
to prevent construction of "Interstate 3" or any
similar highway project in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains
or along a route approaching the mountains.
Such a huge new road would do irreparable harm to mountain
economies, forest, farms, and streams, and to rural qualities
of life rooted in a strong sense of place, according to the
coalition.
The petition builds on that mission statement and asks the
officials to reject any such interstate route through the
mountains as unacceptable.
(Click here for more
details and the full text of the petition.)
Photocopies of the petition also are available for signature
at many locations, including area restaurants, health food
stores, bookshops and other retail establishments.
The petition drive will continue, Wells said, until the coalition
secures signatures from more than 50 percent of the registered
voters in each affected locality.
"We are continuing our research in order to educate
ourselves, the public and our elected leaders about the details
of this proposed route," Wells said.
Contact:
Joe Gatins
(706) 782-9944
URGENT REQUEST TO ALL OPPOSED
TO INTERSTATE 3!
PETITION
TO
STOP INTERSTATE 3
United States Senators and Representatives
sponsoring the Interstate 3 proposal, state and local
officials, Department of Transportation personnel and
people across the region and nation are closely watching
local public responses to the outrage of an interstate
through the Southern Appalachian mountains, a highway
widely called “Interstate 3.” Representative
Norwood, sponsor of the I-3 bill, and many other officials
state that, as our representatives in this democratic
nation, they will “ Do the will of the people.”
If people who live near a proposed route are opposed
to the Interstate, then they will do all in their power
to prevent its construction. Really ? Proof is in their
ACTIONS !!!
OUR part is to let them HEAR OUR VOICES
OPPOSING I-3 or any interstate through the Southern
Appalachians!! Written documentation proving public
opposition to this interstate will strengthen our campaign!.
Let’s ACT by sending officials our signatures and
our message. Hold Representative Norwood and others
to their word. Collect as many petition signatures as
you can to STOP I-3 !!!
PETITION GOALS are to :
- MINIMALLY secure signatures from 52% of registered
voters in your county, and as many other residents
as possible. Example : Towns County, Ga. has 6550
registered voters, so Towns County minimal target
is 3406 voter signatures;
- Keep the petition going until we REACH the goal;
- Notify officials and provide them signed petition
copies as soon as we reach minimal signature levels.
The Plan :
- As soon as possible, print copies of the Stop
I-3 Petition for yourself and friends (choose
Web Page or MS
Word Document) or contact Bill Blumreich at 706-896-9776
(in Young Harris) for a copy if you don’t have
a computer/printer;
- Secure signatures from friends, relatives, nearby
neighbors and the public in general. Our success requires
YOUR LEGWORK! However, all of us working within our
home communities, counties and states will make this
task easier. Also PLEASE ASK LOCAL BUSINESSES if they
will place petitions in their place of business for
public signatures;
- Keep all of your signed petitions!
- Starting end January 2006, send a monthly compilation
of the number of signatures you and your team have
compiled to : Ginny Heckel, StopI-3 Steering Committee
(via email: gheckel@wt.net
or via US mail: G.Heckel, 1074 Arbor Drive, Lakemont,
Ga. 30552 ). Signature statistics will appear regularly
on the Website.
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The text of the
 STOP
I-3 – PETITION
We the undersigned are opposed to the construction
of any interstate through the historic and scenic
mountains of Georgia, North and South Carolina
and Tennessee. Construction of an interstate in
the Southern Appalachians would destroy critical
watersheds, pristine forests and wildlife habitat,
devastating protected wilderness areas, including
the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The extremely
high cost of such a highway would not result in
economic benefits for adjacent rural communities.
To the contrary, it would displace small towns,
businesses, farms, and historic homes, destroying
both the current quality of life and the recreational
tourism from which this area benefits. We
therefore request all elected U.S. and State Senators
and Congressmen and local officials to oppose
the construction of an interstate through this
region. We further request all responsible
for any congressionally funded study of what is
widely called “Interstate 3” to seriously
consider with regional public participation all
impacts and costs of any such interstate before
reaching a decision on its merits or potential
routing. We urge that, considering the above negative
impacts (see research on www.STOPI-3.org), any
interstate route through the mountains we love
be rejected as UNACCEPTABLE!
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For printable
copies of the petition select:
Web Page
(to print)
or MS Word Document
(to download & print)
WITH DETERMINATION
WE CAN STOP I-3 !
Join Us!
Become a Member of the
Stop I-3 Coalition
and Help Stop I-3 Before It Gets Started
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