Tulalip News

Sacred Arizona Site Under Siege Pending House Vote

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

On Thursday, the House will vote on a bill that would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey more than 2,400 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in southeast Arizona to the Resolution Cooper Mining Co. Enactment of the bill would allow Resolution Cooper, dually owed by Rio Tinto Mining and BHP Billiton, to operate a large-scale cooper mine on Oak Flat disrupting sacred tribal grounds.

If passed, this bill referred to as the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Act, could potentially destroy sacred tribal places of worship by allowing the foreign mining giants to extract one cubic mile of ore from beneath the surface of the earth. The mining companies would extract the ore through an ecologically destructive process called block cave mining.

In 2011, ICTMN reported that Resolution Copper would use controversial block-cave method, in which explosives are set off below the ore body, creating a space underneath and allowing the ore to collapse from its own weight, after which it’s extracted. Opponents fear the method could damage Native American sacred lands, among them the historical Apache Leap, where tribal warriors leaped to their deaths rather than surrender to Arizona soldiers, according to historical accounts like this one.

In a press release, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) urged colleagues to vote “no” on the bill and said that Oak Flat has been a place where Native Americans have prayed, gathered medical herbs and plants, healed in holy perennial springs, and performed religious ceremonies for decades.

“The protection of places of worship is a fight for which we should all be united,” Moore wrote in a press release to her colleagues. “We must stand together to protect places of worship, including tribal sacred sites because these sites are part of the rich heritage and culture of our country and the essence of our moral identies.” She said the bills passage would jeopardize the cultural history of other sacred sites by setting a precedent with regard to federal protection of tribal sites.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) in February. Last month, Gosar invited the public to a town hall meeting to gage support of his efforts to bring thousands of jobs to Arizona’s Copper Corridor. He said this goal could be achieved if 678 is passed. “Getting this critical jobs bill across the finish line requires Arizonans to rise up and let their voices be heard. Nearly 4,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity are at stake.”

The withdrawal of Resolution Cooper’s controversial block cave mining process is supported by the San Carlos Apache Tribes, local tribes, and some environmentalists.

Arizona Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ)

The project has also been opposed by Arizona Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) whowrote about his oppositionto the bill saying that he was not opposed to mining, in principle, but said that they should not come at the expense of Native American rights.

ICTMN also reported that the bill would give around 2,400 acres of public land in southeastern Arizona to Resolution Cooper Co. in exchange for around 5,000 acres in several parcels around the state. As it stands, the bill has largely remained the same.

The federal government has acknowledged its obligation to protect sacred tribal grounds, but if the land swap bill passes, Moore said, Oak Bluff would be transferred to Resolution Copper for private ownership, and out of the domain of regulation by federal law.

“People who think money is first over water and land, such as some people in Washington, are destroying the earth and that’s where our argument is,” San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Wendsler Nosie, told ICTMN in 2010. “That’s wrong. You cannot do that, and that’s why I’m standing up for this.”

Six Steps to a Beautiful Landscape Next Season

Shredding fall leaves with a mower and spreading a layer over the soil in the garden will conserve moisture and insulate the roots of perennial plants.Photo/Melinda Myers, LLC — Shredding fall leaves with a mower and spreading a layer over the soil in the garden will conserve moisture and insulate the roots of perennial plants.
Photo/Melinda Myers, LLC

By gardening expert Melinda Myers

Don’t let a busy schedule stop you from creating a beautiful landscape. Incorporate a few of these changes in your fall landscape care. You’ll create beautiful results with a limited investment of time and effort.

Cut the grass, recycle fall leaves, and improve the soil with a pass of the lawn mower. Shred leaves and leave them on the lawn as you mow this fall. As long as you can see the grass through the leaf pieces, the lawn will be fine. As the leaves break down they add organic matter to the soil, improving drainage in clay soil and water holding ability in sandy soils.
Or, as an alternative, use excess leaves as a soil mulch. Shred the leaves with your mower and spread a layer over the soil to conserve moisture and insulate the roots of perennials. Fall mulching gives you a jump on next spring’s landscape chores.
Improve your lawn’s health by fertilizing this fall with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, like Milorganite. You’ll reduce the risk of disease problems and with slower weed growth in fall, your lawn, not the weeds, will benefit from the nutrients. Fall fertilization also helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer by encouraging deep roots and denser growth that can better compete with weeds and tolerate disease and insects.
Northern gardeners can follow the holiday schedule and fertilize Labor Day and Halloween. Southern gardeners should make their last fall fertilization at least 30 days before the lawn goes dormant or the average first killing frost to avoid winter kill.
Do a bit of planting. Cool season annuals brighten up the fall garden and, for those in warmer regions, the winter garden. Consider adding cold hardy pansies. They provide color in the fall garden, survive most winters, and are back blooming in the spring just as the snow melts.
Fall is also a good time to plant perennials, trees and shrubs. The soil is warm and the air cooler, so the plants are less stressed and establish more quickly. Select plants suited to the growing conditions and be sure to give them plenty of room to reach their mature size.
Plant daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs in fall for extra color next spring. Set the bulbs at a depth of two to three times their height deep. Then cover them with soil and sprinkle on a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer. This type of fertilizer promotes rooting without stimulating fall growth subject to winter kill.
Base your bulb planting time on the weather not the calendar. Start planting after the night-time temperatures hover between 40 and 50 degrees. Be patient, waiting until the soil cools reduces the risk of early sprouting that often occurs during a warm fall.

Those gardening in the far south and along the gulf coast can purchase pre-cooled bulbs to compensate for the warm winters. Or the chilling can be done at home by storing the bulbs in a 35 to 45 degree location for at least 14 weeks before planting.
Leave healthy perennials stand for winter. This increases hardiness and adds beauty to the winter landscape with their seed heads, dried foliage and the birds they attract. Plus, it will delay cleanup until spring when gardeners are anxious to get outdoors and start gardening.
However, be sure to remove any diseased or insect-infested plants to reduce the source of pest problems in next year’s garden.
Start composting or add shredded leaves and other plant debris to an existing compost pile. Combine fall leaves with other plant waste, a bit of soil or compost, and sprinkle with fertilizer to create compost. Recycling yard waste saves time bagging, hauling and disposing of green debris. You also reduce or eliminate the need to buy soil amendments to improve your existing garden soil.

Incorporate one or all six of these practices to increase the health and beauty of your landscape now and for years to come.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments and is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips.

Getting Smart: Arizona State Hires 5 New American Indian Scholars

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

Arizona State University has added five American Indian scholars in the fields of law, social transformation, American Indian studies, and social and family dynamics.

University President Michael M. Crow said the appointments are examples of how ASU is committed to diversity the school’s recognition of social responsibility.

“As I said in my inaugural speech 11 years ago, Arizona State University will gather and empower a large cohort of scholars focused on American Indian culture and social and economic issues,” Crow said in a release announcing the five new scholars. “The presence of a critical mass of scholars encourages constructive dialogue and the evolution of a given sphere of inquiry. It is all the more essential in a developing field such as American Indian Studies.

“We will encourage scholars from a spectrum of disciplines to offer different perspectives. Teaching and research related to American Indian culture has been underway at Arizona State University for decades but the American Indian Initiative is proving transformational in the development of the field, and confirms the university’s commitment to programs that are socially relevant.”

New faculty include:

Professor Robert J. Miller, an Eastern Shawnee citizen, comes to the Sandra J. O’Connor College of Law from the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He’ll teach civil procedure, Indian law classes and a new class focusing on economic development for tribal nations and Indian peoples.

Professor Robert J. Miller (Arizona State University)

Professor K. Tsianina Lomawaima, of Mvskoke descent, comes to the School of Social Transformation from the University of Arizona. Her teaching interests include U.S. Indian policy history, indigenous knowledge systems and research issues in American Indian education.

Professor K. Tsianina Lomawaima (Arizona State University)

Tennelle L. Marley, a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, is an American Indian Studies assistant professor and will teach Introduction to American Indian Studies. American Indian health and health policy, sociology of health, sociology of American Indians and qualitative research methods are her areas of expertise.

Assistant Professor Tennelle L. Marley (Arizona State University)

Michelle Hale, an assistant professor, will teach tribal governance, federal Indian policy and Introduction to American Indian Studies within the American Indian Studies program. She is Laguna, Ojibwe, Odawa and a citizen of the Navajo Nation. Her areas of expertise lie in tribal governance and leadership, public policy, economic development and the Navajo government.

Assistant Professor Michelle Hale (Arizona State University)

Monica Tsethlikai, an enrolled member of the Zuni people of New Mexico, joins the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics from the University of Utah. She will teach statistics and courses on child development as an assistant professor. Her research explores the cultural and contextual factors that affect function development and memory processes in middle childhood and early adolescence.

Assistant Professor Monica Tsethlikai (Arizona State University)

“These new faculty become part of a cohort of scholars who have already positioned ASU as a leading academic institution in matters related to American Indian culture and its implication in the context of the broader American culture,” said Executive Vice President and University Provost Elizabeth D. Phillips in the release “They will continue to expand our scholarly expertise in critical intellectual areas as well as provide our students with a vast array of knowledge and experience.”

USDA Questions Keepseagle $380 Million Foundation Proposal

Rob Capriccioso, September 17, 2013, Indian Country Today Media Network

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed a legal response questioning a plan by the lawyers for the Keepseagle plaintiffs that would allow the lawyers to create an agricultural foundation using a substantial chunk of unclaimed money that was supposed to be awarded to Indian farmers.

The government’s response, filed September 17 in D.C. District Court, says there are legal flaws with the lawyers’ approach, which calls for the creation of a “legacy foundation” to receive $380 million of unclaimed settlement funds, known in legal terms as cy pres funds.

“[G]ood reason exists to believe that the parties might not be able to agree to the sort of amendment that the plaintiffs propose: plaintiffs are proposing a modification that appears to be in tension with limits on the use of cy pres funds,” according to the USDA’s motion.

The lawyers, of the Cohen Milstein firm, have said previously that the foundation is intended to “establish a longstanding and robust funding stream for nonprofit organizations that assist Native American farmers and ranchers.” The lawyers filed their proposal with the court on August 30.

The Choctaw Nation opposed the lawyers’ plan in a motion filed with the court September 5. Like the USDA now argues, the tribe argued in its motion that the lawyers’ plan is problematic. Tribal leaders believe their Jones Academy Foundation should be considered to receive $58.5 million of the unclaimed funds, in accordance with the current agreement.

“[W]e don’t need a new foundation; we already have tribal foundations,” Brian McClain, a legislative advocate with the tribe, told Indian Country Today Media Network in an article published September 5. “We don’t need a new organization; we already have hundreds of organizations – we call them tribal governments. What we lack is enough money to meet the needs of our members, including farmers and ranchers.”

The USDA response notes that the Keepseagle lawyers have flexibility under the current settlement agreement to award the leftover money to non-profit organizations it chooses, yet the lawyers still want to forge a different path—a path that USDA officials seemingly cannot justify.

“If the USDA does not agree to the foundation, plaintiffs suggest that they might file a Rule 60(b)(5) motion to change the terms of the Agreement to allow for its creation,” the response states. “This suggestion appears to be flawed. Rule 60(b)(5) permits Courts to ‘relieve a party. … from a final judgment” if ‘applying it prospectively is no longer equitable.’ But the judgment in this case does not incorporate the cy pres provisions that would need to be amended to facilitate the creation of the planned foundation (e.g., the provision requiring that the funds go to an existing entity).”

The government’s response continues: “[N]o change to the final judgment that the Court could order would permit the creation of the foundation. But even if the relevant provisions were part of the final judgment, relief under Rule 60(b)(5) likely would be inappropriate because, among other reasons, there is nothing ‘[in]equitable’ about distributing the cy pres funds according to the existing Agreement.”

The agency says it is not opposed to modifying the agreement altogether. “The USDA may be willing (1) to expand the definition of Cy Pres Beneficiaries to include entities such as educational institutions and (2) to eliminate the requirement that the cy pres funds be distributed to beneficiaries in equal shares. These are just examples of changes that could be sufficiently narrow and appropriate,” according to the response. “The USDA is open to other potential changes, including how best to structure the distribution of the funds.

“But the USDA disagrees with the preliminary proposal to funnel all $380 million of the cy pres fund to an entity that both does not yet exist and that will use the money from this settlement for the ‘indefinite future,’ particularly when there are existing organizations that meet the current ‘cy pres’ definition and other options that are more closely tied to the stated goal of the settlement.”

The USDA asked the court for another 60 days to discuss the issue with the plaintiffs.

Pam Avery, a spokeswoman for the Keepseagle lawyers, said they plan to file a response in court September 24.

The $760 million settlement, approved by the court in April 2011, designated $680 million for Native American farmers who had faced discrimination from the U.S. Department of Agriculture over a period of several years in the past. Approximately $230 million was claimed.

The large amount of leftover funds in this instance is unusual, according to legal experts.

Countywide emergency preparedness fair set for Sept. 21

EVERETT — When disasters hit home, are you prepared?

If not, now’s the time to take the first step toward being ready. September is National Preparedness Month, and this year, the focus is on turning awareness into action.

“It’s not enough to know what to do in an emergency,” Snohomish County Executive John Lovick said. “We need to take real steps to prepare ourselves and our families. If an earthquake or major storm hits and you’re trapped in your home, you should make sure that you have the resources you need to make it through.”

A countywide “Empower” preparedness fair on Saturday, Sept. 21, is designed to help local residents find preparedness ideas, tips and tools for emergency planning. The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Snohomish Health District’s atrium, located at 3020 Rucker Ave. in Everett, and is cosponsored by the Snohomish Health District, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management, the Medical Reserve Corps and city of Everett Office of Emergency Management. Low-income and uninsured adults can also get free whooping cough shots at the preparedness fair.

Preparing for an emergency doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The county Department of Emergency Management recommends taking one step each day toward emergency preparedness:

• Add one more item to your emergency kit. If you don’t have a kit, start one today.

• Find local sources of information that will help you before, during and after an emergency.

• Identify an out-of-area contact your household can notify in an emergency.

• Buy or prepare nonperishable food and water.

• Identify alternate routes to and from school or work.

For more helpful tips and information about National Preparedness Month and the Ready Campaign, visit http://ready.gov, or call 800-BE-READY or 800-SE-LISTO in Spanish.

Foster’s Fall Pumpkin & Corn Maze Festival returns in October

Source: The Arlington Times

ARLINGTON — Foster’s Produce & Corn Maze will host its annual Fall Pumpkin & Corn Maze Festival throughout the month of October, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 1-31, giving visitors a chance to celebrate their farmers and the harvest season on a local farm, and to reward their tastebuds with fresh-picked sweet corn and other farm goodies.

The family-friendly activities are set to include a pumpkin patch and a “Pirate Ship Adventures Corn Maze,” the latter of which will challenge participants to find all the pirates hiding in the maze and solve the riddle. Attendees can also enjoy tractor-drawn hayrides, a pumpkin slingshot, a hay maze and the farm’s animal barn. You can shop at the Harvest Market for local sweet corn and honey, squashes and gourds, apples and apple cider, or explore the selection of gourmet foods and the Halloween gift shop.

In the evening, sufficiently brave souls are welcome to play in the spooky Night Maze and Giant Pumpkin Hunt from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 and 26. Bring your flashlight. The social bonfire will keep you warm, and the Harvest Market will be open to serve espresso, hot cocoa and pies.

Foster’s also offers Vintage Hay Barn Party room rentals and school tours. Call 360-435-6516 or email fosters@fosterscornmaze.com for more information or to make reservations.

Foster’s Produce & Corn Maze is located at 5818 State Route 530 NE in Arlington. For further details, log onto www.fosterscornmaze.com.

This fifth year of the annual Red Rooster Route’s celebration of local farms will also host the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum’s “Pioneer Days” on Saturday, Sept. 21, as well as the Arlington Farmers’ Market Handmade Holiday Indoor Gift Market on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Red Rooster Route is a self-guided tour through the Arlington farming and downtown area, off Exit 208 on I-5, made up of a nonprofit association of small, family-friendly farms that are open to the public during the harvest season.

To learn more about the farms and festivals on the Red Rooster Route, and to download a tour map, you can visit their website at www.redroosterroute.com.

Marysville Walmart set to open Sept. 18

Source: Marysville Globe

MARYSVILLE — The long-awaited Marysville Walmart is finally set to open on Wednesday, Sept. 18, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. The new store is located at 8713 64th St. NE and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide Marysville residents with one-stop shopping convenience for their grocery and general merchandise needs, as well as pharmacy services.

Marysville city officials have welcomed this new addition, citing increased opportunity for economic growth, commercial development and job creation.

“We want to welcome Marysville’s newest corporate neighbor, Walmart,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said. “This is a grand opening that has been anticipated for several years, but will surely have been worth the wait for the many patient shoppers in our community and around the region.”

“We’re very pleased that Walmart is adding a second store to the Marysville community,” said Caldie Rogers, President and CEO of the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. “Walmart has been a valuable community partner since its first store opened in 2001. Their Tulalip store has provided their customers with literally hundreds of referrals to neighboring business when asked for a product they do not stock. This newest store addition will provide even more opportunities for economic growth, both in referrals as well as in sales tax revenue for our city.”

Store employees expressed their aim to offer quality, value-priced general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and lawn and garden items, as well as a full line of groceries, including organic and natural selections, in addition to local favorites. The store’s physical site is intended to serve as a convenient location for a variety of communities, including east Marysville, Lake Stevens, and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County.

The pharmacy likewise touts a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions, and customers can ask about health and wellness solutions.

The grand opening celebration is also slated to include presentations of $8,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups, including the Marysville Boys & Girls Club, the Marysville Community Food Bank, the Marysville Police Department and the Marysville Sunrise Rotary. The new store will also host a day-long toy drive, in partnership with the Salvation Army, on the day of its grand opening.

The new store employs approximately 300 full- and part-time associates, and more than 1,000 applicants submitted interest in working at the Marysville Walmart.

“Our associates are looking forward to a fun grand opening celebration, and cannot wait to welcome Marysville shoppers as we open the doors to our new store,” said store manager Sonia Smith, who began her Walmart career in 1999 as an assistant manager.

The Marysville Walmart will give customers a chance to meet Smith, and enjoy family activities such as face-painting, cupcake decorating and free food samples, while supplies last, during the store’s “Big Family Welcome” from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Wasted food is a huge climate problem

By John Upton, Grist

If wasted food became its own pungent country, it would be the world’s third biggest contributor to climate change.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization had previously determined that roughly one-third of food is wasted around the world. Now it has used those figures to calculate the environmental impacts of farming food that is never eaten, along with the climate-changing effects of the methane that escapes from food as it rots.

The results, published in a new report [PDF], were as nauseating as a grub-infested apple:

Without accounting for [greenhouse gas] emissions from land use change, the carbon footprint of food produced and not eaten is estimated to 3.3 Gtonnes of CO2 equivalent: as such, food wastage ranks as the third top emitter after USA and China. Globally, the blue water footprint (i.e. the consumption of surface and groundwater resources) of food wastage is about 250 km³, which is equivalent to the annual water discharge of the Volga River, or three times the volume of Lake Geneva. Finally, produced but uneaten food vainly occupies almost 1.4 billion hectares of land; this represents close to 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land area.

In the West, most of our food waste occurs because we toss out leftovers and unused ingredients — and because stores won’t sell ugly produce. The FAO found that some farmers dump 20 to 40 percent of their harvest because it “doesn’t meet retailer’s cosmetic specifications.” In developing countries, by contrast, most of the wasted food rots somewhere between the field and the market because of insufficient refrigeration and inefficient supply chains.

The FAO estimates that when we throw away more than 1 gigaton of food every year, we are throwing away $750 billion with it — an estimate that doesn’t include wasted seafood and bycatch.

“All of us — farmers and fishers; food processors and supermarkets; local and national governments; individual consumers — must make changes at every link of the human food chain to prevent food wastage from happening in the first place, and re-use or recycle it when we can’t,” FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said in a statement. “We simply cannot allow one-third of all the food we produce to go to waste or be lost because of inappropriate practices, when 870 million people go hungry every day.”

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

This video explains almost everything you want to know about fracking

By Thomas Stackpole, Grist

Still trying to figure out what the big deal with fracking is? Hydraulic fracturing — fracking for short — is the controversial process that has fueled the new energy boom in the U.S., making it possible to tap reserves that had previously been too difficult and expensive to extract. It works by pumping millions of gallons of pressurized water, with sand and a cocktail of chemicals, into rock formations to create tiny cracks and release trapped oil and gas. It’s been tied to earthquakes and has led to a number of lawsuits, including one that resulted in a settlement agreement that barred a 7-year-old from ever talking about it. At the same time, fracking has also created a glut of cheap energy and is helping to push coal, and coal-fired power plants, out of the market.

But for all the fighting about whether fracking is good or bad (and research has shown the more people know, the more polarized they become), many people don’t understand what fracking actually is. The Munich-based design team Kurzgesagt has put together a video that explains why fracking — which has been around since the 1940s — just caught on in the last 10 years, and why people are worried. The video, which was posted earlier this month, has gone viral, and racked up over 1 million views in less than 10 days.

The video gets a lot right, but critics have also taken issue with a few of its claims. For example, the video states that fracking companies “say nothing about the precise composition of the chemical mixture but it is known that there are about 700 chemical agents which can be used in the process.” Energy in Depth, an industry group, has released a response noting that companies do disclose some information about chemicals used in fracking. What that group doesn’t mention, however, is that companies don’t have to disclose chemicals that are designated as “trade secrets,” which is a pretty serious exception.

Energy in Depth also quotes former EPA chief Lisa Jackson’s testimony (among others) that “in no case have we made a definitive determination that the [fracturing] process has caused chemicals to enter groundwater.” The key word here is “definitive” — there is a growing body of evidence that fracking can be linked to increased levels of methane, propane, and ethane in groundwater near fracking sites (likely due to faulty wells), and there are plenty of reasons to question whether pumping billions of gallons of toxic fluid into disposal wells is a good idea. (ProPublica has a couple of great, long pieces on injection wells.)

This story was produced by Mother Jones as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Thomas Stackpole is an editorial fellow in Mother Jones’ Washington, D.C., bureau.

America’s kids eating healthier, getting fitter

By John Upton, Grist

Here’s news as sweet as a fistful of blueberries: American kids aged 11 to 16 were eating more fruit and vegetables in 2009 than those who came before them just eight years earlier, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Kids are also cutting back on sweets and sugary drinks, eating breakfast more regularly, spending more time exercising, and spending less time in front of the television, the study found:

The following graph shows the modest rise in the number of days per week that American kids engaged in physical activity (PA) and the decline in the hours per day that they sat in front of the television:

These healthier habits have begun making a difference.

The average body mass index of thousands of kids studied increased between 2001 and 2005, then started falling between 2005 and 2009. That’s in line with the results of other studies, which have shown a plateau in childhood obesity rates. (Though as we told you last week, America’s most obese kids, primarily children of poor black and Hispanic parents, continue to get fatter.)

“Over the previous decades, the pattern had been that kids were getting less physical activity, and it’s been very hard to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption,” Ronald Iannotti, coauthor of the study and chairman of the department of exercise and health sciences at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, told USA Today. “We’ve got a long way to go, but the good news is that those are increasing.”