<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><center style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244); text-decoration: none;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%" id="bodyTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td class="bodyCell" align="center" valign="top" style="word-break: break-word; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; width: 1224px;"><table id="root" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody data-block-id="29" class="mceWrapper"><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" class="mceWrapperOuter" style="word-break: break-word;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; 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font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 51px;" class="">Legal Challenge Underway</span></strong></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">Dear Friends,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">As you may know, Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently issued a permit to Riverside Contracting to develop and operate a 157 acre gravel pit and asphalt plant near Arlee. Our lawyers advise us that the permit was issued in violation of DEQ’s own regulations and also in violation of Montana’s Environmental Protection Act (MEPA). Our lawyers feel optimistic that we might prevail in litigation against DEQ. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">However, litigation is very expensive and the outcome uncertain. DEQ received 9 times as many public comments on this project as they typically receive for open cut permits. Comments addressed noise, dust, air toxins, traffic, impacts on ground and surface water, impacts on wildlife, and impacts on cultural resources as Arlee is designated as culturally important area to the Salish people. MEPA requires that DEQ take a hard look at the issues raised. </span><em class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">Yet, DEQ ignored or dismissed these issues.</span></em><span style="font-size: 16px;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">Friends of the Jocko recently hosted a community meeting to update folks on the status of our efforts. Attendees were supportive of continuing our opposition to the gravel pit. </span><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">A decision was made to continue fundraising and file a legal challenge based on the inadequate environmental assessment conducted by DEQ. The financial commitment is daunting.</span></strong><span style="font-size: 16px;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">Please donate what you can. Please help us spread the word.</span></strong></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">Thank you for helping to protect the peace, beauty, and environmental quality of the Jocko Valley.</span></div></div></td></tr><tr class=""><td class="mceBlockContainer" valign="top" style="word-break: break-word; background-color: transparent; padding: 20px 24px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" data-block-id="45" style="border-collapse: collapse; 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border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://friendsofthejocko.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8cddae8c9d71cb372eedee7a1&id=863b93dda0&e=c64700c04a" target="_blank" style="word-break: break-word; background-color: rgb(51, 84, 36); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border: 2px solid rgb(51, 84, 36); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; padding: 16px 28px; text-decoration: none; min-width: 30px; text-align: center; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0px;" class="">Our Website</a></td></tr><tr class=""></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td class="mceBlockContainer" valign="top" style="word-break: break-word; background-color: transparent; padding: 20px 24px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" data-block-id="40" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: transparent;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" style="word-break: break-word; min-width: 100%; border-top-width: 2px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td class="mceBlockContainer" valign="top" style="word-break: break-word; padding: 12px 24px;"><div data-block-id="14" class="mceText" id="dataBlockId-14" style="white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; width: 612px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 20px;" class="">How can you join in?</span></strong></div><ol class="last-child"><li class=""><div style="padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; margin: 0px !important;" class=""><strong class="">Spread the word.</strong> We need everyone in our community, and beyond, to know about the damaging effects this project could bring to our lives. Please direct them to our website and social media.</div></li><li class=""><div style="padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; margin: 0px !important;" class=""><strong class="">Donate.</strong> We need resources to pay for the law firm we have hired, to pay for expert reports and to do outreach in the community.</div></li><li class=""><div style="padding: 0px; word-break: break-word; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; text-align: left; letter-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; margin: 0px !important;" class=""><strong class="">Share our posts</strong> on <a href="https://friendsofthejocko.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8cddae8c9d71cb372eedee7a1&id=cd28207c07&e=c64700c04a" target="_blank" style="word-break: break-word; font-style: normal; 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</div><div class="vcard"><span class="org fn">Friends of the Jocko</span><div class="adr"><div class="street-address">PO Box 712</div><span class="locality">Arlee</span>, <span class="region">MT</span> <span class="postal-code">59821-0712</span></div><br class=""><a href="https://friendsofthejocko.us8.list-manage.com/vcard?u=8cddae8c9d71cb372eedee7a1&id=2ee75c022b" class="hcard-download" style="word-break: break-word; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; direction: ltr;">Add us to your address book</a></div><br class=""></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></center></body></html>