2017 was a busy year for groups working to stop Enbridge’s Line 66 pipeline in Wisconsin. While Sierra Club played a role in some of the following, the movement against pipelines is much larger than our one organization. Activities throughout the year demonstrated the growth of a robust, sustainable coalition determined to stand in the way of any further Enbridge expansion—and to make friends and have fun along the way. Some highlights from 2017 include:
Billboards Call for Eminent Domain Reform
80 Feet Is Enough! raised over $20,000 through a successful crowd-sourcing campaign to put up billboards across Wisconsin. Billboards went up in six locations during the spring, kicking off an eminent domain reform campaign that highlighted the “Top Six Reasons to Stop Eminent Domain Abuse by Enbridge” and urged citizens to sign a petition and contact their legislators.
Youth-Led March Against Pipeline Expansion
On March 4, the Wisconsin Youth Network (WiYN) led a March Against Pipeline Expansion through downtown Whitewater. Students and other youth demanded climate action and called on Enbridge to publicly commit not to build another pipeline—and to decommission its existing pipelines—in the state. Speakers included students and a local landowner.
Wisconsin Easement Action Team Tour
Also in early March, the Wisconsin Easement Action Team (WEAT) hosted a statewide tour for landowners along the Line 61 corridor. From Whitewater to Minong, landowners gathered to learn what’s involved in negotiating with Enbridge and what they can gain by joining WEAT to negotiate with Enbridge together.
Conservation Congress Hearings
The Wisconsin Safe Energy (WiSE) Alliance and others organized attendance at Conservation Congress hearings on April 10. The hearings are held in every county in Wisconsin each year and are attended primarily by hunters and fishermen, as the focus is on hunting and fishing guidelines. In 2017, groups used the hearings to educate attendees about Line 66 and demonstrate opposition throughout the state.
Coalition Building Along the Line
Throughout the year, groups and coalitions actively working against Line 66 were created, connected, and supported. Groups now exist in 11 of the 15 counties in the pipeline corridor.
Property Rights Lobby Day
On May 4, over 60 people attended the Property Rights and Pipelines Lobby Day at the Wisconsin State Capitol, hosted by the WiSE Alliance and 80 Feet Is Enough! Landowners and neighbors met with their legislators to discuss their experiences with Enbridge and to ask them to sponsor a bill that would prohibit eminent domain for private gain for oil pipelines. The group met with 21 legislators representing constituents living along the pipeline corridor.
First Annual People on the Pipeline
On June 24, Wisconsinites took a day to step back and celebrate the land they call home. In Janesville, a group marched along the Rock River. On the Glacial Drumline Trail, a second group cycled 15 miles from Cottage Grove to Korth Park, passing the pipeline crossing near the Lake Mills Wildlife Area. There, they learned about the sacred Ponca corn “seeds of resistance” that Bold Nebraska has planted in the path of the Keystone XL for four consecutive years. In Rio, a third group gathered for a picnic with kites, lawn games, and ice cream, observing mowed strips that demonstrated the size of the current and future pipeline corridors.
5th Annual Love Water, Not Oil Tour
Honor the Earth, a Native-led organization, held its 5th Annual Love Water Not Oil Spiritual Horseback Ride in July. The annual tour was expanded to include Wisconsin so as to fight both the proposed expansion of Enbridge’s Line 3 and new Line 66. Activists rode horses along the pipeline route, against the flow of oil, connecting to the land and each other while building power and resistance at concerts, potlucks, conferences, and ceremonies. Stops along the tour included a kickoff event in Madison, a prayer event in Nekoosa, a potluck and informational event at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshfield and Gilman, a press event in Ladysmith, and events in Hayward.
Getting the Word Out
Throughout the year, groups raised awareness about the Line 66 pipeline and its potential impacts by tabling and speaking at events and participating in parades and festivals. These included the Susie the Duck Day Rotary parade in Lodi in August; the Midwest Renewable Energy Association Annual Energy Fair in Custer in June; and a public forum about pipeline concerns hosted by Tri-County WiSE in Owen in September. Additionally, dozens of letters-to-the-editor were published through Wisconsin.
Challenging Enbridge at Its “Open Houses”
Enbridge held “open houses” in five Wisconsin locations (Hayward, Ladysmith, Nekoosa, Wisconsin Dells, and Jefferson) over the course of the year. Pipeline opponents attended every event in order to connect with attendees who might be unaware of pipeline concerns and to challenge Enbridge’s misleading statements.
Eminent Domain Reform Resolutions
In August, Wood County passed a resolution calling on the Legislature to reform Wisconsin’s eminent domain laws so as to prohibit the use of eminent domain for private gain for oil pipelines. This led the way for other counties to consider adopting something similar. Walworth County subsequently adopted the same resolution, and Jefferson and Rock Counties are working on reform resolutions as well. In December, Tri-County WiSE made a presentation at the Clark County Board about the pipeline and eminent domain concerns.
People Over Pipelines: Protecting Our Homes and Water
In October, dozens of groups hosted an event to raise awareness of the impacts a new Line 66 would have on people, property, and waterways (including the Namekagon, Wisconsin, and Rock Rivers) and to build a broad, sustainable coalition committed to stopping the pipeline. 180 people travelled to Marshfield for the event. Environmentalists, landowners, Indigenous people, youth activists, climate activists, and other concerned community members came together to learn from each other and from an outstanding roster of speakers, including Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska; Jon Greendeer of the Ho-Chunk Nation; Mark Borchardt, founder of 80 Feet Is Enough!; Paul DeMain, publisher and editor of News from Indian Country; and representatives of the Youth Climate Intervenors.
Line 66 Pipeline Summit
Following the Friday night People Over Pipelines event, about 70 people stayed for the rest of the weekend to continue the conversation and strategize how this new, broad coalition could stop Line 66. Together, they identified opportunities to collaborate on key campaigns and shared lessons learned from their own anti-pipeline work, whether focused on media, safety, education, eminent domain, or protection of waterways like the St. Croix River. The summit was enthusiastically received by the attendees, most of whom are on the frontlines of fighting the Line 66 pipeline.
Some representative comments from the Summit evaluations:
“After the summit, I felt empowered and more knowledgeable to be able to challenge Enbridge and the lies they keep telling me and my neighbors.”
“I now know we have the team we need to stop the pipeline.”
“I’m 72, and that is the best conference I’ve ever attended!”
Activities made possible by generous support from the Bold Alliance, Patagonia Foundation, Sierra Club, and many individuals.