As the recent trade war with China has escalated, Beijing has implied that it may retaliate by withholding rare earth minerals. Such a strategic vulnerability—and America’s alarmingly high reliance on imported minerals and metals—is now in the spotlight for all the world to see.
China’s rare earth threat underscores just how perilous U.S. mineral import reliance has become. While rare earths are currently the focus, America’s overall reliance on imports of these minerals is indicative of a far larger problem.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. is now 100 percent import-reliant for 18 minerals and metals, and 50 percent or more reliant for another 30. Despite ever-growing demand for these minerals and metals in defense technologies—such as stealth and night vision technologies—or consumer goods and green energy technology, U.S. import reliance has doubled over the past 25 years. Notwithstanding the nation’s vast mineral reserves, mining investment in the U.S., and production of essential minerals, has steadily declined.
The atrophying of the nation’s materials supply chain shouldn’t just be chalked up to the march of globalization and large-scale economic integration. It’s also the product of a decades-long adversarial approach to domestic mining that can be seen in federal land-withdrawals and a mine permitting process that now regularly stretches to 10 years or more.
Modern, responsible, and well-regulated mining should be encouraged in the U.S., not pushed aside. To meet the material needs of our advanced tech, manufacturing, energy, and defense sectors, America will need almost exponential growth in the mining and refining of a vast array of minerals and metals, many of which can be produced here at home. While materials recycling should be a key part of meeting this demand, it’s hardly a cure-all.
It’s past time for the U.S. to place strategic importance on mining and the greater materials supply chain. China is already years ahead in this industrial arms race, prioritizing mining as a cog of its industrial policy. For example, China is the top resource holder for 10 of the minerals and materials vital to wind, solar, and battery technologies.
A new report from the Commerce Department stresses the urgency of action. It warns that the U.S. has become “heavily dependent” on foreign sources for 31 of the 35 minerals recently designated as “critical” by the Department of the Interior.
While the U.S. has fallen far behind, there are signs of hope. Bipartisan legislation introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), The Minerals Security Act, is an important step forward in responding to China’s dominance and beginning to right our supply chain. The legislation would streamline a variety of mine permitting and regulatory processes currently sapping U.S. mining competitiveness. Their leadership in beginning to address this issue deserves strong, bipartisan backing.
The technologies of tomorrow—whether they’re energy technologies or the defense applications that keep us safe—are more materials-intensive than what they’re replacing. It’s essential we build a supply chain to support them. Failing to do so won’t just be an economic missed opportunity. It would be a geopolitical blunder that undermines our global leadership. The time for decisive action to encourage domestic mining, and rebuild our industrial base, has arrived.
Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John Adams served more than 30 years in command and staff assignments as an Army aviator, military intelligence officer, and foreign area officer in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He is president of Guardian Six Consulting.
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Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation Announces 2019 Outdoor Recreation Grant Awardees
SALT LAKE CITY (June 20, 2019) — The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation’s (OOR) fifth grant cycle of the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG), has awarded over $4.3 million in grant funding to 55 different outdoor recreation infrastructure projects throughout the state of Utah.
These funds will create an estimated impact of over $35.3 million statewide including grants, matching funds and private investments. This 2019 UORG cycle generated an 8-to-1 return on investment for state funds and awarded 53 percent of its funds to rural counties.
“Utah’s outdoor industry plays a vital role in our economic development, as well as helping to provide a high quality of life for all Utahns,” said Val Hale, executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “The UORG helps fund projects which encourage communities and families to get outside. It also supports local and state business to help grow our economy.”
UORG helps Utahns live active and healthy lifestyles by investing in trails, campgrounds, waterways and more. With this year’s trail work combined from all projects, the state will see 125 miles of new recreational trails. Recreators will get to experience these 55 new infrastructure sites for camping, archery, fishing, kayaking and canoeing, hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and more in 2021 as all projects complete construction and open for public use.
“The UORG continues to prove to be an invaluable tool for communities all over Utah,” said Tom Adams, director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation. “Thanks to strong private/public partnerships, federal and state land managers, city officials, and nonprofit organizations have helped drive funding to 20 counties, 14 different activities helped support over $35.3 million in recreation infrastructure statewide. Its success is a testament to Utah’s strong partnerships with public land managers, our commitment to recreation and our unmatched quality of life.”
The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation received 66 complete applications during this funding cycle. The 14-member Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant advisory committee reviewed the submissions and granted awards to 55 projects. Amounts awarded ranged from $1,350 to $150,000 per project. Awardees have two years to complete the projects before receiving the full reimbursement of awarded grant funds.
Here is a complete list of the 2019 grant recipients.
You’ll find photos of completed projects here.
Over the last five years, the UORG has awarded grants to 155 projects in 22 counties, with a total value of over $75 million. With a 7-to-1 match and 60 percent of UORG’s total funds supporting rural counties, Utahns throughout the state greatly value recreation in their communities.
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Under the direction of Gov. Gary R. Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and drives increased tourism and film production in Utah. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680.
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By Karla Phillips
For two decades, Montana has steadily chipped away at barriers that prevent schools from personalizing learning. And last month, state lawmakers passed two more significant laws to advance personalized learning and pathways.
Montana State Senator Llew Jones, who has worked with key education leaders across Montana schools over several sessions to bring increased local flexibility and student individualization to public schools, explains the importance of these new laws, "The Advanced Opportunities bill (HB 387) and the Transformational Learning bill (HB 351) combined with future legislation will ensure that all students are afforded more opportunities for personal success.”
In the first week of May, Montana Governor Steve Bullock signed HB 387 to create the Montana Advanced Opportunity Act.
Among other improvements, the new act offers funding to qualifying districts to create Advanced Opportunity Programs that will support advanced educational opportunities as well as students’ individualized pathways. (Advanced educational opportunities include courses, exams and experiential or online learning opportunities.) The goals are to expand personalized career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, reduce costs for families to support students’ postsecondary success, empower students and provide districts flexibility.
To qualify, a school board will apply to the Montana Board of Public Education with a plan to design an Advanced Opportunity Program for students from grades 6 through 12. Qualifying programs will:
This law offers an exciting opportunity for districts to further innovate and develop personalized learning opportunities for the students.
A week later, Governor Bullock signed HB 351 to provide a funding incentive for schools to create Transformational Learning Programs.
In this legislation, the state defines transformational learning as a flexible system of student-centered learning that is designed to develop each student’s full educational potential. This system is customized to address each student’s strengths, needs and interests; focuses on each student’s proficiency over content; and actively engages students in determining what, how, when and where they learn.
To qualify, a school board will apply to the Montana Board of Public Education with a plan to create a Transformational Learning Program. Many of this program’s goals are similar to those of the Advanced Opportunity Program:
The new law also boldly requires that the district applying to create Transformational Learning Programs must create a definition of proficiency that does not require seat time. The definition must also be included in the district’s policies for determining progress, course mastery and even graduation.
With these two steps, Montana leaders are advancing the vision for personalized learning they have identified within their own state constitution.
"It is the goal of the people to establish a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person."
The Constitution of the State of Montana, Article X
The state has taken essential steps over the years to reach this constitutional goal. State leaders have increased seat-time flexibility, expanded authority for the awarding of credit, broadened schools’ ability to create expanded learning opportunities and allowed demonstration of proficiency in lieu of seat-time.
These latest moves just build on decades of progress and further expand Montana’s foundation for success.
View This Post on ExcelinEd's Blog
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Special Olympics Utah 2019 Summer Games in Orem, Utah | June 21-22, 2019
Join over 1100 athletes and partners for two days of sport, competition and inclusion
OREM/PROVO, UT — The Special Olympics Utah 2019 Summer Games on Friday and Saturday, June 21 – 22 in Orem and Provo Cities, located in Utah County. Over 1100 Special Olympics Utah athletes will compete in the 2019 Summer Games in athletics (track and field), swimming, softball and motor activity training program.
“The State Summer Games is the culminating competition event for Special Olympics Utah athletes in summer sports,” said Special Olympics Utah CEO/President D’Arcy Dixon Pignanelli. “Participating athletes have trained for ten weeks and competed at area events to advance to the State Games. Special Olympics Utah athletes enjoy competing and being together and we look forward to hosting them at the 2019 Special Olympics Utah State Summer Games.”
In partnership with the Summer Games corporate sponsors Harmons Neighborhood Grocers, DOMO, and doTerra, the 2019 State Summer Games will host over 1100 athletes competing in athletics (track & field), softball, and swimming in both traditional and unified and over two days. Unified is where those with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete on the same team and compete against other Unified teams. The Games will also offer the Motor Activities Training Program (MATP). MATP are individually designed training programs to prepare athletes with more severe or profound intellectual and physical disabilities for sport-specific activities. Joining the athletes are coaches, volunteers, families and fans. Over 2,000 people are expected at the Games over two days.
In addition to competitions, volunteer medical professionals will provide screenings in five different health areas during the Games at the Healthy Athletes Clinics located at Mountain View High School (track & field venue). These areas are: FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), MedFest (sports physical exam), Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes (vision), and Special Smiles (dentistry).
Healthy Athletes is a Special Olympics program that provides free health screenings in a fun, welcoming environment to Special Olympics Utah athletes and Unified Partners. The Healthy Athletes clinics will be offered Friday, June 21st from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturday, June 22nd, 2019 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Track & Field venue.
University Place Orem will again host the official community block party at The Orchard on Friday June 21st . The block party is a free event open to the public and celebrates the power of sport competition and inclusion of the 2019 Summer Games. Block Party festivities begin at 4:00 p.m. with Law Enforcement Officers from different agencies in Utah will carrying the “Flame of Hope” in to the Opening Ceremonies to light the cauldron at 6:20 pm. Presentation of the flag will by the Knights of Columbus Color Guard immediately with the National Anthem sung by Utah County native, Reese Oliveira. These annual traditions will be followed by a brief presentation of awards honoring excellence across several different areas in Special Olympics Utah. Following the Open Ceremonies will be the ever popular “Victory Dance” starting at 7:00 p.m. The block party will include games, music and a variety of activities.
A full schedule of events is available at the Special Olympics Utah website http://sout.org/summer-games/.
Friday competitions will be held from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday competitions from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will be at the following venues:
Softball – Community Park - 581 W 165 S, Orem, UT (fields next to Mountain View High on Friday)
Softball – Windsor Park - 200 W 1270 N, Orem, UT (Saturday)
Track & Field – Mountain View High School - 665 W Center, Orem, UT 84057 (Both days)
Swim – Provo Recreation Center – Provo Recreation Center, 320 W. 500 N., Provo, UT 84601 (Saturday ONLY)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver's vision for young people with intellectual disabilities began in her own backyard, with the goal to learn what these children could do in sports and other activities and not dwell on what they could not do. Throughout the 1960s, Shriver continued her pioneering work and watched her vision and drive for justice grow into the Special Olympics movement. In July 1968, the first International Summer Games was in Chicago, Il., USA, and 50 years later, the world continues to celebrate and honor her vision of inclusion.
“Summer Games is open to the public and a free community event. When we come together we send a clear message of inclusion and respect for all people,” said Dixon Pignanelli. “We invite the public to be a part of the 2019 Summer Games by cheering on the athletes at competitions or celebrating the power of sports, competition and inclusion at the Block Party.”
A media kit for the 2019 Summer Games will be available at the volunteer registration table at all venues. High resolution photos are available upon request.
Media Contacts:
D’Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, CEO, dixon@sout.org or 801.792.2452
Wendy Kelly, Director of Community Outreach & Partnerships, kelly@sout.org or 801.910.7281
Special Olympics Utah Social Media Handles
Instagram: @SpecOlyUtah, https://instagram.com/specolyutah/
Twitter: @SpecOlyUtah, https://twitter.com/specolyutah
Facebook: Special Olympics Utah, https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsUtah
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About Special Olympics Utah
About Special Olympics Utah: Special Olympics Utah provides year-round sports training and competition in Olympic-type sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities throughout the Utah. Special Olympics Utah is a registered Utah 501(c) (3) charity with a local governing Board of Directors comprised of Utah community representatives and leaders.
