To: Mariposa Board of Supervisors Subj: Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and Supv. Smallcombe's Conflict of Interest (COI)
To all Board of Supervisor (BOS) members: There is no question in my mind that Supv. Smallcombe should recuse herself from the mining (CUP) issue. I believe she is too heavily influenced by being on the Board of Directors of Mariposans for the Environment and Responsible Government (MERG) to be able to responsibly weigh in on the mining CUP issue. She has been on MERG'S Board long before she joined the Mariposa BOS in 2015.
MERG is affiliated with the Sierra Club and other "green" groups that have been quite successful in opposing resource use of our forests, like the lumbering and grazing that helped keep our forests from overgrowing (and those neglected and overgrown forests are now burning up, along with hundreds of homes, both human and non-human).
MERG and like groups were also behind the closing of family-friendly amenities in Yosemite NP such as the ice skating rink, rafting, and stables. I contend that MERG's goals are in conflict with the economics, safety, culture, lifestyle and history of Mariposa and Mariposa's mining community.
MERG gave a presentation in support of the CUP to the BOS; in fact the CUP language is very likely directly from the MERG presentation. If Supv. Smallcombe wasn't so strongly and emotionally tied to MERG'S positions, she would have simply recused herself when first asked to do so by a number of county residents. That she has not recused herself is proof of that strong connection. In fact, many believe that her primary interest is furthering MERG'S goals, and the BOS is a secondary means to that end.
I'm requesting that Supv. Carrier, Cann, Long and Jones put enough pressure on Supv. Smallcombe to gain her compliance to recuse herself, on the grounds of (her) integrity, strong emotional connection, public perception and common sense. If she continues to refuse, then the CUP mining issue should be postponed until Supv. Long resolves his conflict of interest and is back on the Board representing his District.
Respectfully and sincerely,
Evie Wilson
Mariposa, CA
