Rural Alliance for Military Accountability (RAMA)

The Rural Coalition is a national alliance of organizations dedicated to the development and implementation of public policies which will benefit rural Americans and their communities, especially those that are poor or otherwise disadvantaged. The Coalition has about 120 member organizations which are working together on such issues as agriculture and food policy, rural employment and job creation, community development, natural resources, and the plight of Native Americans. In the 1980s the Rural Coalition created the Rural Military Issues Project which is designed to give rural Americans a greater voice in the decisions of the Pentagon which affect their lives.

This collection consists of information from a variety of sources collected to provide data and awareness on four major topics: military land withdrawal, Skyguard, military /defense issues (other than land withdrawal), and nuclear issues. In addition, a miscellaneous section touches more briefly on other topics. Types of materials include clippings and journal articles, correspondence, brochures and flyers, reports, essays, text of national legislation, statements before the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and a few photographs. This collection does not include business records of RAMA or affiliated organizations.

This collection was donated to the Special Collections Department in 1997. It consists of eight cubic feet of materials, dating from ca 1981-1993. There are no restrictions on use of the collection. The collection as donated included dozens of environmental impact statements on corresponding topics. Those materials have been transferred to the Business and Government Information Center of the University Library.

The RAMA collection has been divided into five series: land withdrawal, Skyguard, military/defense issues (other than land withdrawal), nuclear issues, and miscellaneous.

Series I, land withdrawal, treats the topic of the withdrawal of public lands to be reserved for military use, a topic of much interest in Nevada and other western states. This series includes texts and discussion of military land withdrawal acts of 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1991; transcripts of hearings related to the Bravo 20 bombing range near Fallon, and general information about the process of withdrawing land from the public domain. Reports, clippings and testimony provide data about military overflights and the danger of unexploded ammunition on public lands.

Series II consists of materials used to print the Skyguard newsletter, published by RAMA. The series contains graphics and photos used in publication, logo artwork, results of a survey conducted by Skyguard, and some business records.

Military/defense issues are the subject of Series III. Topics include airspace, arms resources build down and talks, the defense budget, military hazards and toxic wastes, chemical weapons, lasers, Star Wars, and Stealth. Also included are folders pertaining to various individual states. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Nuclear testing, nuclear waste, and radiation hazards form the bulk of Series IV. The topic is treated both generally and specifically as it relates to sites such as Rocky Flats Nuclear Bomb Factory and Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado; Idaho; Livermore, Calif.; Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and others. This series is arranged alphabetically.

The miscellaneous series contains an eclectic range of topics: Native American issues, farm workers, gaming in Nevada, poverty, and rural America. This series is also arranged alphabetically.

The collection was accompanied by a few visual materials. Photos used as illustrations for Skyguard Newsletter were kept with the file folders. The other materials consisted of videos and a slide show which were transferred to the photographic archives of the Special Collections Department. The videos and slide show were:

• "Nuclear Graveyard," a CNN Cable News Network special presentation from the Nevada Nuclear Waste Project Office. 23 min. [1991]
• "Arjun Makhijani" [interview on] Firing Line TV show. July 1, 1991.
• "NDOT Aviation Planning." n.d.
• "The Ride to Wounded Knee." n.d.
• "Nuclear Waste in Nevada: A Live Presentation.
• " KNPB Channel 5, Reno. Jan. 31, 1992.
• "Native American MRS [Monitored Retrievable Storage] Meeting, Albuquerque, NM." May 15-17, 1992.
• Slide show: "Military Airspace Slide [show]."

Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: November 7, 1997

The RAMA collection is arranged into the following series:

1. Land Withdrawal
2. Skyguard
3. Military/Defense Issues
4. Nuclear Issues
5. Miscellaneous

97-29/I   Series I. Land Withdrawal.

The land withdrawal series treats the topic of the withdrawal of public lands from the public domain for military use, a topic of much interest in Nevada and other western states. This series includes texts and discussion of military land withdrawal acts of 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1991; transcripts of hearings related to the Bravo 20 bombing range near Fallon, and general information about the process of withdrawing land from the public domain. Reports, clippings and testimony provide data about military overflights and the danger of unexploded ammunition on public lands.

Box 1

I/1	Land Withdrawal Program; Engel Act.
I/2	Land rights withdrawal.
I/3	S.1508 Groom Range. 1988.
I/4	Letters to inform/order - Re: land withdrawal packet.
I/5	Packets for citizen participants on public land withdrawal issue.
I/6	Public Law 99-606; Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986.
I/7	Engel Act.
I/8	Military withdrawal of public space - clippings.
I/9	Public land issues - non-military - clippings.
I/10	Public land withdrawal process.
I/11	Land Withdrawal Bill analysis.
I/12	Clippings.
I/13	Land bill `86.
I/14-15	Land withdrawal.
I/16	Federal land ownership/military land grants.
I/17	MAMA (Mothers Against Military Arrogance) Dixie Valley meeting. January, 1986.
I/18	Minnesota.
I/19	Supersonic operation area.
I/20	Letter sent re: Fallon, 1985. [ Navy bombing range]
I/21	HR.1790 Public Hearing. 11/14/85. [Bravo 20 Bombing Range]
I/22	Statements Before the Subcommittee on Public Lands, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, re: HR.1790. 1986.
I/23	Testimony on S.2412. 1986.
I/24	HR.4932 - Withdraw Public Lands in Nevada for Military Use. 1984.
I/25	HR.1548 - California Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1987.
I/26	HR.4351 - Nevada Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986.
I/27	Statements on S.2412 - Public Land Withdrawals for Military Use. 1986.
I/28	HR.1790, HR.4351, S.2412 - Testimony, 1986.
I/29	HR.3564 - Military Land Reform and Reassessment Act of 1991. Overhead projection presentation.

97-29/II   Series II. Skyguard.

Series II consists of materials used to print the Skyguard newsletter, published by RAMA. The series contains graphics and photos used in publication, logo artwork, results of a survey conducted by Skyguard, and some business records.

Box 1

II/1	Skyguard Conference. 1991.
II/2	Skyguard graphics [used].
II/3	Skyguard graphics.
II/4	Skyguard graphics.

Box 2

II/5	Skyguard logo.
II/6	Skyguard press.
II/7	Skyguard referral letters.
II/8	Skyguard receipts. 1990.
II/9	Skyguard reimbursements. 1991.
II/10	Skyguard survey.
II/11-14	Skyguard survey.
II/15	Skyguard thank you letters to contributors/supporters. 1990.

97-29/III   Series III. Military/Defense Issues (Other Than Land Withdrawal).

Military/defense issues are the subject of Series III. Topics include airspace, arms resources build down and talks, the defense budget, military hazards and toxic wastes, chemical weapons, lasers, Star Wars, and Stealth. Also included are folders pertaining to various states. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Box 2

III/1	Agriculture and the military. II1/2 Airspace.
III/3-4	Airspace - Andy Reid's legal piece re. military overflights. n.d.
III/5	Airspace clips. 1989-1990.
III/6	Airspace correspondence.
III/7	Airspace - gunnery range report. 1981.
III/8	Airspace Issues. 1984-1986.
III/9	Airspace/land withdrawal.
III/10	Airspace - N. Carolina lawsuit.
III/11	Airspace rights - Standing Rock Sioux Tribe resolution. 1987.
III/12	Arms control.

Box 3

III/13	Arms resources build down.
III/14	Arms talks.
III/15	Army chemical demilitarization.
III/16-18	Conversion [economic conversion and disarmament].
III/19	Counter force race.
III/20-21	Defense budget.
III/22	Defense spending.
III/23	Energy and arms. 1980.
III/24	Fallon, Nevada. 111125 Kentucky.
III/26	Lasers.
III/27	Military expenditures vs. social needs and budget.
III/28	Military hazards and toxic waste.
III/29	Military toxics.
III/30	Minorities and the military.
III/31	National security - general.
III/32-33	Native Americans and the military.
III/34	Nerve gas and other chemical weapons.
III/35	New Mexico Alliance.
III/36	North Carolina.
III/37	Wyoming [MIX missiles].
III/38	Star Wars 1993.
III/39	Stealth. 1987.
III/40	Tuscarora - mining, military land withdrawal.
III/41	U.S. Military in other countries.

97-29/IV   Series IV.   Nuclear Issues.

Nuclear testing, nuclear waste, and radiation hazards form the bulk of Series IV. The topic is treated both generally and specifically as it relates to sites such as Rocky Flats Nuclear Bomb Factory and Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado; Idaho; Livermore, Calif.; Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and others. This series is arranged alphabetically.

Box 3

IV/1	Atomic Testing.
IV/2	Civilian Radioactive Waste Movement.
IV/3	Colorado [Rocky Flats Nuclear Bomb Factory and Rocky Mountain Arsenal].
IV/4-6	DOE (Department of Energy)/Nuclear.

Box 4

IV/7	DOE - health issues.
IV/8-9	DOE Trust and Confidence.
IV/10	Educators for Nuclear Responsibility.
IV/11	EMR (electromagnetic environmental research).
IV/12	Environmental justice.
IV/13	Environmental mediation. 1981.
IV/14	Environmental movement.
IV/15	Environmental restoration and waste management. 1993.
IV/16	Euro Weapons. 1983.
IV/17	Fernald [radioactive waste in Ohio]. 1987-1989.
IV/18	Idaho [Special Isotope Isolator].
IV/19	Nuclear waste disposal / IHLRWM (International High-level Radioactive Waste Management) Conference. 1992.
IV/20	IHLRWM Conference - Radtran Workshop.
IV/21	Livermore, Calif.
IV/22	Low-level waste.
IV/23	Marshall Islands, rangeland.
IV/24	MRS (Monitored Retrievable Storage).
IV/25	National Nuclear Waste Transportation Task Force.
IV/26	"The Nevada Initiative" -proposed to The American Nuclear Energy Council. 1991. By Kent Oram and Ed Allison. [Yucca Mt.]
IV/27	Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force.
IV/28	Nevada Nuclear Waste Fact Sheets #1-18; maps.
IV/29	Nevada test site.
IV/30	New Mexico.
IV/31	NPR (New Production Reactor)

Box 5

IV/32	Nuclear -non-military.
IV/33	Nuclear power/reactors.
IV/34	Nuclear toxics and radiation exposure.
IV/35-36	Nuclear waste.
IV/37-42	Nuclear waste disposal.
IV/43-44	Nuclear waste dump in Nevada.
IV/45	Nuclear waste site proposals.
IV/46	Nuclear Waste Task Force/Rural Coalition Military Issues task Force. 1987.
IV/47	Nevada Nuclear Waste [Task Force] Newsletters. 1985-1988.
IV/48-49	Nuclear waste transportation.
IV/50	Nuclear Waste Transportation Workshop. 1992.
IV/51	Nye County, Nev.; 1991 Nuclear Waste Repository Program. December 1990. Prepared by the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office.

Box 6

IV/52	Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 1989-1991.
IV/53	Oklahoma - Kerr-McGee Sequoyah Fuels Plant, Gore. 1985.
IV/54	Portsmouth/Piketon [Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant at Piketon, Ohio]. 1992.
IV/55	[Plutonium in space].
IV/56-57	Rad Victims Roundtable. 1984.
IV/58	Radiation and health.
IV/59	"Understanding Radiation Health Effects: A Guide for Communities at Risk". 1992.
IV/60-61	Radiation victims.
IV/62	Radiation victims -downwind.
IV/63	Radioactive waste disposal.
IV/64	Reprocessing nuclear spent fuel.
IV/65	SANE-FREEZE Nuclear Disarmament Program. 1992.
IV/66	Savannah River [titanium reactor and radioactive waste].
IV/67-68	State and Local Government Planning Group Meeting, Las Vegas, 1992. A.K.A. Affected [Nevada] Counties Meeting.
IV/69	South Dakota.
IV/70	Super Collider. 1987.
IV/71	Test site accidents.
IV/72	Tracy-Livermore expansion. 1986.

Box 7

IV/73	Utah [radiation].
IV/74	Walker River Detonation/Incineration Facility. 1987.
IV/75	Washington [rural organizing notes]. 1991.
IV/76-78	Washington - Hanford.
IV/79	Whistleblowers.
IV/80	WIPP [Nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Project]. 1992.

Series V. Miscellaneous.

The miscellaneous series contains an eclectic range of topics: Native American issues, farm workers, gaming in Nevada, poverty, and rural America. This series is also arranged alphabetically.

Box 7

V/1	Alaska.
V/2	Alternative national security.
V/3	American Indian Task Force. 1986-1988.
V/4	Arkansas.
V/5	Arizona, including Native issues.
V/6-7	ATSDR - Community Health Assessment Workshop. 1993.
V/8-9	[Grace Bukowski] notes on RAMA issues.
V/10	Chemical warfare materials disposal.
V/11	DOE Legislative Watchdog.
V/12	Earth Day Endangered: Violence Against Concerned Citizens and Public Employees.
V/13-14	Farms.
V/15	Farm workers/sanitation. 1985.
V/16	Federal budget process/alternative budgets.
V/17	Freedom of Information.
V/18	The Four Corners: A National Sacrificial Area? Resource Guide. 1985. Southwest Research and Information Center, Albuquerque, NM.
V/19	Gaming in Nevada.
V/20	Global economy project.

Box 8

V/21	Global warming.
V/22	Groundwater.
V/23	Indian tribal leadership. [1983-1986]
V/24	Indigenous people.
V/25	Jobs Blackmail.
V/26	Kansas: Preserve Rural America.
V/27	Listening Project.
V/28	Mexico.
V/29	Mormon politics.
V/30	"National Security Strategy for the United States". 1995.
V/31-34	New Mexico.
V/35	Nova Scotia.
V/36	Poverty.
V/37	Preserve Rural America: Kansas in Pictures.
V/38	Puerto Rico.
V/39	Rural America.
V/40	Rural Coalition.
V/41	Science for Democratic Action Newsletter. 1993-1994.
V/42	"Taking Charge: A Community Action Guide to the Environmental Impact Statement Process" by Janet M. Miller and Marla Painter.
V/43	Toxics.
V/44	Unions and peace.
V/45	Water - Nevada.

Manuscripts | Special Collections

Please direct questions to Jacquelyn Sundstrand
Updated October 27, 2008