The USFS Permit Regs Standoff ~
50 Years of Fights for the Right to Gather
Videos recorded on “Workshop Wednesdays”, Everybody’s Zoom
Host: PCU //\ Free Assembly Project
WATCH THE VIDEOS on YouTube:::
Part I: “Hipstories from the Hills & Courts”
Wed. January 19, 2022
~ a collaborative Seminar on this historic 1st Amendment Mission.
Part II: “The Regs Petition Strategy & Rainbow’s 50-Year Win”
Wed. February 23, 2022
~ perspectives on the plan to Amend the Regs, mobilizing the Campaign.
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PROGRAM:
0:00:00 ~ Introduction
{ Moderator: Dana X Facilitator: scottie addison }
0:03:40 ~ The Early Gatherings & Permit Fights, 1972-88:
Struggles from the start, cops-&-hippies, inception of Operating Plans… the 1st & 2nd USFS permit rules, winning legal battles from Cochise Stronghold to the Texas Showdown.
{ Garrick Beck, Feather Sherman*, Water Singing-on-the-Rocks, Dave Massey }
*Feather arrived late… her stories c. 1982-84, cue 0:52:24 (~14 mins.)
0:42:35 ~ The ‘Group Use’ Regs Come Down, 1993-2000:
Organizing on the rulemaking, DC politics & beyond… enactment, enforcement in ’96: Osceola onslaught, the ‘Holy Shit Permit’, Rainbow “leader” prosecutions & defenses.
{ Ellen Thomas, Stephen Wing, Susan Bernstein, Joanee Freedom }
2:16:55 ~ Fed Escalations and Kicking Back, 2001-09:
“Incident Command” takes over – mass citations, repressive tactics & coercive tribunals… ‘Change-the-Regs’ raps w/ USDA… Permit sellouts & fraud, turning the tide in court: WV, CO, AR, WY & NM.
{ attorneys Don Wirtshafter & John McCall, observer Scottie A. }
2:54:54 ~ The Precarious Permit Standoff, 2010 –>:
PA’10 OpPlan, Feds duck the fight… devolving to “Design Criteria”, water wars in SD & OR, cop stops in GA, & the political trap of declared Illegal Gatherings… Retrospectives.
{ Don, John, Scottie, Garrick, and good Contributors }
3:58:06 ~ [ The End ]
SCREEN-SHARE DOCS & IMAGES:
Items of history flashed in the Zoom (+ a few more), supporting the topics and
coloring the commentaries… available and linked for safe download below:
| Displayed…
| Supplemental…
The Rainbow Oracle of Mandala City, July 1972
Operating Plan, Michigan ’83 Gathering
US-v-Israel_Court Order, May’86
Judge Dismisses Charges_AZStar-20my86
House Judiciary Ltr vs. FS Regs-1no93
/\_Group Use Rules-REVIEW (Abstract-txt)
Legal & Land Use Review, Dec.’93 (full)
/\_RightsFights…The TRENCHES (Article-txt)
Without Freedom of Assembly_Regs Flyer ’94
Mo’96 Holy Shit Permit Nullified-7jy96
Ocala_Busts on the Road, Feb.’97
Trial in Erie_Morning News-22oc97
Eerie Ruling_pcu•FAP Report, Oct.’97
Who’s In Charge?_ErieTimes-21oc99
Judge overturns Rainbow convictions_WVa-17fe10
ACLU-Wyo_RbwGathering, PR-6oc08
‘Principle-v-Law’_NM’09, CourtOrder-14jy11
PA’10_Operation & Maint. Plan-28jn10
STILL A GREAT SOURCE:
The venerable “Welcomehome.org” website remains a rich archive on the
FS Permit issue, and some early legal fights for the Rainbow Gatherings:
http://www.welcomehome.org/nfs-regs/fsregs.html
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PROGRAM:
~ Introduction
Welcome… Panel seminar, resources & process (75 mins.)
Scope: Recap FS Regs history & status –> Petition to Amend, a formal CFR proposal…
Preface… Rights beliefs & realities
{ Moderator: Dana X Facilitator: scottie addison }
~ Origins of this Initiative
Rainbow Gatherings: ‘Operating Plan’ aspirations since 1982, history of cooperations
“ChangetheRegs” Listserv & Raps, 2003-05, 2014… USDA UnderSecretary connexions
{ scottie a. Recap }
~ Real Situation: The Perilous Permit Stalemate
Key court fights & wins… WVa’05 appeals –> NM’09 permit fraud:
PA’10 OpPlan, Feds duck the legal fight, devo to war of attrition… harassment, infrastructure
“Design Criteria” = quasi-contract, no authorization, Gatherings declared ILLEGAL.
{ Val DeMars }
~ The Petition to Amend the CFR
Presented June 2018, resubmitted September 2021… meeting with USDA/FS, Status
Proposed rule revisions, key Issues: Public Assembly as a ‘special use’… mandating OpPlans…
the Volunteer role vs. Permit Signer… suggested Interpretive Rules.
{ Joanee Freedom, Don Wirtshafter, John McCall }
~ The USDA Rulemaking Process
USDA/FS staff review –> Federal Register publication?… the administrative record:
public comment letters, outreach & advocacy – pushing to make it happen.
{ George Siemon, scottie a. }
Vision for Colorado’22 ~ Victory:
50th Anniversary Rainbow Gathering, honored & authorized with an OpPlan
{ Everybody }
SCREEN-SHARE DOCS & IMAGES:
| Displayed…
| Supplemental…
Operating Plan, Michigan ’83 Gathering
Rey5: The Volunteer Solution, jn04
The Rey Files: pcu•FAP Corr, 2002-08
‘Principle-v-Law’_NM’09, CourtOrder-14jy11
PA’10_Operation & Maint. Plan-28jn10
DeMars: Amended Memorandum, 7jn16