CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - North Dakota’s governor ordered the expulsion of thousands of Native American and environmental activists camped on federal property near an oil pipeline project they are trying to halt, citing hazards posed by harsh weather as a blizzard bore down on the area.

Women hold a prayer ceremony on Backwater Bridge during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. November 27, 2016. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

The “emergency evacuation” order from Governor Jack Dalrymple came days after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the site, set a Dec. 5 deadline for the demonstrators to vacate their encampment, about 45 miles (72 km) south of Bismarck, the state capital.

The Army Corps has insisted, however, that it has no plans to forcibly remove protesters, many of them members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The agency instead urged a “peaceful and orderly transition to a safer location.”

Late Monday, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II denounced Dalrymple’s order as a “menacing action meant to cause fear,” and accused the Republican governor of trying to “usurp and circumvent federal authority.”

Archambault noted that the evacuation order, which the governor said he issued for the campers’ well-being in the face of dangerous winter weather, came a week after police turned water hoses on protesters in sub-freezing temperatures.

Activists have spent months protesting against plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

The governor did not specify how he intended to enforce his order other than by directing state and local agencies to refuse emergency assistance and other services to anyone who remained at the site. He said the order was effective immediately and would stay in force “until rescinded.”

But Standing Rock Sioux spokeswoman Phyllis Young told a news conference Monday night the tribe would stand its ground.

“We have lived for generations in this setting. That is our camp. We will continue to provide for our people there,” she said. “This is Lakota territory. This is treaty territory, and no one else has jurisdiction there.”

Protest leaders suggested a forced evacuation could prove more dangerous to the activists than staying put.

“We’re in the heart of winter now. To even think of a forced removal is terrifying,” said Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network, who estimated there were about 5,000 people in the camp.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier added to the pressure by issuing a video statement urging protesters to avoid subjecting themselves to “life-threatening conditions” by remaining exposed to the elements with little shelter.

The National Weather Service has posted a storm warning for most of western and central North Dakota, forecasting the possibility of heavy snow through Wednesday.

The 1,172-mile (1,885-km) pipeline project is mostly complete except for a segment that is supposed to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of an Army Corps permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult tribal leaders. The delay also led to escalating tension over the project.

The companies say the pipeline would carry Bakken shale oil more cheaply and safely from North Dakota to Illinois en route to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries than it could be shipped by railroad or tanker trucks.</s>The Oceti Sakowin camp is seen in a snow storm during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. November 28, 2016.

STEPHANIE KEITH / Reuters</s>The executive order from Governor Jack Dalrymple came two days after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would close public access to the main protest encampment, about 30 miles south of Bismark, setting a Dec. 5 deadline for demonstrators opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline to leave the area.

Demonstrators have protested for months against plans to run the Dakota Access Pipeline beneath Lake Oahe near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it poses a threat to water resources and to sacred Native American sites.

"Winter conditions have the potential to endanger human life, especially when they are exposed to these conditions without proper shelter, dwellings or sanitation for prolonged periods of time," the governor's order stated.

It added that the area around the protest camp, just north of the Cannonball River, is "not zoned for dwellings suitable for living in winter conditions."

A spokeswoman for the tribe did not have an immediate comment.

Last week local law enforcement sought to disperse demonstrators opposed to the pipeline, many of whom are members of the Standing Rock tribe, by spraying protesters with water in sub-freezing temperatures.

Activists protesting the pipeline have vowed to continue their resistance.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier added to the pressure on Monday by issuing a video statement urging protesters to avoid subjecting themselves to "life-threatening conditions" by remaining exposed to the elements with little shelter.

The National Weather Service has posted a winter storm warning for most of western and central North Dakota, forecasting the possibility of heavy snow through Wednesday.

Protest leaders suggested that a forced evacuation of the camp could prove even more dangerous to the activists.

"We're in the heart of winter now. To even think of a forced removal is terrifying," said Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network, who estimated there were around 5,000 people in the camp.

Demonstrators have protested for months against plans to run the $3.8 billion pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners LP, beneath Lake Oahe, formed by a dam on the Missouri River, about a half mile (0.8 km) from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

The companies say the pipeline would carry Bakken shale oil more cheaply and safely from North Dakota to Illinois en route to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries than it could be shipped by railroad or tanker trucks.

The 1,172-mile (1,885-km) project is mostly complete except for the segment planned to run under Lake Oahe.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of an Army Corps permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult with tribal leaders. The delay also led to escalating tensions over the project.

Police drew condemnation from the American Civil Liberties Union and others last week when they used water hoses in below-freezing weather in an attempt to disperse about 400 activists near the proposed tunnel excavation site.

"They don't need to be worried about us in the winter," said Kandi Mossett, from the Indigenous Environmental Network. "We're perfectly capable of being self-sufficient. So using this as an excuse is insulting."</s>BISMARCK – Gov. Jack Dalrymple has ordered an emergency evacuation of the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camps on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, citing safety concerns due to harsh winter weather.

Dalrymple’s order signed Monday, Nov. 28, states that people camping in areas near the Cannonball River are ordered to leave immediately and take their possessions with them.

The order comes three days after the Corps told the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe it would close the Corps-managed land north of the Cannonball River on Dec. 5.

The governor’s order, which will stay in effect until rescinded, applies to Corps lands where the agency has not permitted camping, said governor spokesman Jeff Zent.

However, the state does not have plans to remove people from the site, Zent said.

“We’re not going to go in and make arrests and forcibly remove everybody that’s on that site,” Zent said. “We fully expect the federal government to take the lead on the management of their property.”

Dalrymple’s order, issued as Morton County was getting hit with a winter storm, states that emergency services will likely not be available to people who continue to camp in violation of the order.

“Any person who chooses to enter, re-enter, or stay in the evacuation does so at their own risk, and assumes any and all corresponding liabilities for their unlawful presence and occupation of the evacuation area,” the order states.

A winter storm warning is in effect for the area through Wednesday evening, with heavy snow expected to accumulate to 8 to 13 inches in central North Dakota. Morton County is expected to have winds reaching up to 25 miles per hour on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Emergency services would only be provided to the area on a case by case basis as approved by the Morton County sheriff or superintendent of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the order says.

Zent noted that while the Corps manages the lands, the state and local authorities are the ones with responsibility for emergency services.

The governor’s office did not coordinate the emergency evacuation order with the Corps, Zent said.

On Sunday, the Corps said it would not forcibly remove people who continue camping north of the Cannonball River after Dec. 5, but activists who choose to stay do so at their own risk. The agency also cited concerns about winter weather and availability of emergency services.

The Corps said it is “seeking a peaceful and orderly transition to a safer location” as it closes the federally managed land that pipeline protesters refer to as the Oceti Sakowin camp.

The Corps is encouraging people to move to an area south of the Cannonball River designated as a “free speech zone.”

“In this area, jurisdiction for police, fire, and medical response is better-defined since it is located inside of the Reservation boundary making it a more sustainable area for visitors to endure the harsh North Dakota winter,” the agency said in a statement.

The Corps also is encouraging people to move to land identified by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as a winter camp.

The governor’s evacuation order would not apply to the “free speech zone” designated by the Corps, Zent said.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said the announcement from the Corps to close the main protest camp on Dec. 5 came as welcome news, but he continues to seek more help from the federal government.

“It was a decision that probably should have been made a while ago,” Kirchmeier said Monday. “We still need the federal assistance and the commitment from the federal government to help resolve this issue that’s bigger than just Morton county and the state.”

The Army Corps did not answer questions Monday from Forum News Service seeking clarification on how the closure would be enforced.

In a statement, the Corps said those who stay after the land is closed to the public on Dec. 5 will be considered unauthorized and “may be subject to citation under federal, state or local laws.”

Camp organizers told a news conference on Saturday at the main protest site where about 5,000 people are camped that they had no intention of moving. There are smaller camps on land not subject to the planned restrictions.

Meanwhile, the state costs to respond to the Dakota Access protests climbed to $11.8 million at the end of last week, said Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the Department of Emergency Services.

The agency will ask to borrow an additional $7 million from the Bank of North Dakota to support law enforcement costs associated with the protests during Wednesday’s meeting of the North Dakota Emergency Commission, according to the meeting agenda. That’s in addition to the $10 million the commission has already authorized.

Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of Dakota Access LLC, has made public statements about reimbursing the state for the costs. However, Zent has said the governor’s office has not received such an offer.

Dakota Access said in recent federal court records that delays of the pipeline’s completion will cost the company $2.7 million in lost revenue per day after Jan. 1, or $83.3 million per month.

The 1,172-mile project is mostly complete except for the segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, less than half a mile north of Standing Rock.

The company is seeking to get a federal judge to intervene after the Corps announced on Nov. 14 that additional discussion with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is needed before an easement can be issued for the Lake Oahe crossing.

Demonstrators have protested for months against the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline, saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Dakota Access says the pipeline would carry Bakken shale oil more cheaply and safely from North Dakota to Illinois en route to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries.</s>(CNN) The protesters fighting to block the Dakota Access Pipeline have vowed to stand their ground in opposition despite growing calls for them to move out of the way.

Since late summer, protesters have stood beside members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota who believe the $3.7 billion pipeline project, which would move 470,000 barrels of crude oil a day across four states, would affect its supply of drinking water and place downstream communities at risk of contamination from potential oil spills.

In an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault said they would continue the protest even thought they've been ordered to vacate an area where they have set up camp by December 5.

"We are in for the long haul," said Chase Iron Eyes, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

This past Friday, the US Army Corps of Engineers warned that activists who refuse to leave could face arrest. Since the statement's release, however, officials have backtracked, saying they have no plans to forcibly remove those who stay.

Now, a week before the deadline, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple has ordered protesters to clear out immediately for a different reason other than trespassing: harsh winter conditions.

In a statement, he said the protesters' temporary dwellings have yet to be inspected and approved -- failure to do so posed serious public safety and concerns. He added that first responders would no longer be responsible for providing emergency services to those who remained.

For Iron Eyes, the initial threats of arrest have brought back memories of the government's past treatment of Native Americans.

"You have a government agency trying to declare us trespassers on our own treaty land and threatening to penalize us, criminally charge us and possibly forcibly round us up if we don't return to the reservation," he said.

The pipeline was originally slated to lie north of Bismarck, North Dakota, in an area that did not cross Native American reservations. The current proposed route, however, would take it through four states, stretching 1,172 miles to connect areas with oil in North Dakota to southern Illinois.

It would cut through the Sioux Tribe's reservation, and the tribe says it could potentially destroy sacred lands and prevent access to clean drinking water.

"We're trying to stay strong through all of this," he said.

Over the months of protest, the tribe has been joined by multiple groups and activists. They maintain that they have been peaceful, but at times violence has erupted.

Archambault said the accusations against the protesters are false, and that it's police who are being violent.

"They are the ones who are bringing the aggression," he said. "They're the ones who are using weapons."

He said the letter from the Army Corps will only make things worse.

"By sending out a letter saying you have until December 5," he said. " ... It just escalates and causes more concern for safety for everybody."</s>Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Supplies, including food and building materials, will be blocked from entering the main camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple's signing of an "emergency evacuation" order on Monday, said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman from the Morton County Sheriff's Department.

"They have deliveries, retailers that are delivering to them - we will turn around any of those services," she said.

The order was effective immediately. As of Tuesday morning, however, no vehicles carrying supplies had been turned back, said Cecily Fong, a spokeswoman for the North DakotaDepartment of Emergency Services.

The building materials intended for the site are a top priority because the camp is not zoned for permanent structures, Fong said. Propane tanks also will be blocked because they have been used in attacks against law enforcement, she said.

A spokeswoman from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was not immediately available for comment.

The 1,172-mile (1,885 km) pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP <ETP.N>, is mostly complete except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land,north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The Sacred Stone camp, which was the original camp established in April, is south of the river on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Opposition to the pipeline has galvanized numerous Native American tribes as well as environmental activists. The movement has been bolstered by social media campaigns and the support of celebrities including actors Mark Ruffalo and Shailene Woodley.

North Dakota officials have issued several requests for additional help from federal law enforcement in light of the demonstrators. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Monday that its order to evacuate the primary protest camp - known as Oceti Sakowin - by Dec. 5 would not include forcibly removing people from the land.

"Those who remain will be considered unauthorized and may be subject to citation under federal, state, or local laws," the Army Corps said, adding that enforcement of the order was up to local authorities.</s>CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Activists protesting plans to run an oil pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota said on Saturday they have no intention of leaving a protest camp after U.S. authorities warned it must be vacated by Dec. 5.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the federal land where the main camp protesting the Dakota Access pipeline is located, said it would close public access to the area north of the Cannonball River, including to protesters. It said this was partly to protect the general public from violent confrontations between protesters and law enforcement that have occurred in the area.

Those who stay could face prosecution for trespassing, the Corps said in a letter to tribal leaders on Friday.

Organizers told a news conference on Saturday at the main protest site where about 5,000 people are camped that they had no intention of moving.

"We are staying here committed to our prayer," said Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network. "Forced removal and state oppression? This is nothing new to us as native people."

There are smaller camps on land not subject to the planned restrictions, including an area south of the Cannonball River where the Corps said it was establishing a free-speech zone.

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple, a Republican, on Saturday said he supported the decision and the federal government, which allowed the protesters to become entrenched, must lead in the camp's peaceful closure.

Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault said he received notice on Friday about the decision in a letter from Colonel John Henderson, an Army Corps district commander.

Archambault said the best thing the federal government could do for safety is deny the easement for the pipeline. "We have an escalating situation where safety is a concern for everybody."

Archambault said he did not see the letter as a forced eviction and the tribe would continue to exercise its First Amendment rights to free speech. The tribe is working on a location on reservation land should people choose to go there, he said.

"I don't think it will ever be an eviction where forces just come in and push people out," Archambault said.

Demonstrators have protested for months against the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners LP , saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites. The companies say the pipeline would carry Bakken shale oil more cheaply and safely from North Dakota to Illinois en route to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries.

The 1,172-mile (1,885-km) project is mostly complete except for the segment planned to run under Lake Oahe less than half a mile north of Standing Rock.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of a permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult with tribal leaders. But the delay also led to escalating tensions over the project.

Last weekend, police used water hoses in subfreezing weather in an attempt to disperse about 400 activists near the proposed tunnel excavation site.

Demonstrators plan a march at noon Sunday in Washington, from the Department of Justice to the Washington Monument.</s>MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — Don’t look for apologies from the North Dakota sheriff leading the response to the Dakota Access oil pipeline protests, especially for the recent — and, in some circles, controversial — action against demonstrators who he believes have become increasingly aggressive.

“We are just not going to allow people to become unlawful,” said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, a veteran of the North Dakota Highway Patrol and National Guard who was elected to his first term as sheriff about two years ago. “It’s just not going to happen.”

More than 525 people from across the country have been arrested during months of protests over the four-state, $3.8 billion pipeline, all here in support of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe that’s fighting the project because it believes it threatens drinking water and cultural sites on their nearby reservation.

His department’s job of policing the protesters — the vast majority who’ve been camping on federal land that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it’ll close in December for safety concerns — has cost the county more than $8 million, even with help from the state Highway Patrol and officers from various states. Their tactics, however, have drawn criticism from Standing Rock’s tribal leader as well as protest organizers and celebrities.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault said he and Kirchmeier have met many times and each meeting has been tense and unproductive. “I don’t think aggressive force is necessary and he thinks it’s necessary,” Archambault said.

In the most recent clash between police and protesters, which was near the path of the pipeline and spanned Sunday night into Monday morning, officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and large water hoses in freezing weather. Organizers said at least 17 protesters were taken to the hospital, some for hypothermia and one for a serious arm injury, and one officer was injured.

Archambault called the confrontation an act of terror against unarmed protesters that was sanctioned by Kirchmeier.

“His job is to protect and serve, not to inflict harm and hurt,” Archambault said.

But Kirchmeier, who has the backing of the state’s Republican governor and attorney general, defended officers’ actions. He and other authorities said officers were assaulted with rocks, bottles and burning logs.

Kirchmeier, a 53-year-old married father, grew up in this county, which has a population of fewer than 30,000 people — about 15 residents per square mile. He retired from the North Dakota Highway Patrol as a captain after 29 years, and had served in the National Guard for four years.

The protests are demanding: Kirchmeier hasn’t had a day off since August, routinely working more than 12 hours a day. The 34 deputies in his department are pulling similar shifts, he said, even with help from more than 1,200 officers from North Dakota and nine other states.

Some officers have been targeted online by protesters, Kirchmeier included. He said someone recently posted the location of his father’s grave, which he took as an effort to intimidate.

“Social media has been very bad and it has turned out like law enforcement is building the pipeline,” he said. “I can’t stop the pipeline. My job is to enforce the law.”

President Barack Obama raised the possibility of rerouting the pipeline earlier this month, and construction on the last remaining large chunk, which is on federal land near the reservation, was halted by the Corps for the time being. But Kelcy Warren, CEO of pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners, told The Associated Press the company won’t do any rerouting.

Kirchmeier, like many other of the state’s elected officials, blame the Obama administration for not stepping in.

“The issue of the pipeline is not going to get solved with protesters and cops looking at each other,” Kirchmeier said. “This is bigger and takes way more political clout than what the county has to offer.”

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said Kirchmeier is in “an incredibly difficult position.”

“He has the responsibility to allow people to lawfully exercise their First Amendment rights and he has the obligation to stop it when there is violence contrary to the law,” Stenehjem said. “And now there are a significant number or lawless people and the citizens are worried.”

Gov. Jack Dalrymple said Kirchmeier “has done a remarkable job dealing with all the issues brought about by these protests. He has been totally professional in what is not a typical law enforcement challenge in North Dakota.”

With winter looming, the Corps has decided to close the land north of the Cannonball River where the Oceti Sakowin protest encampment have flourished on Dec. 5, also citing the confrontations between protesters and authorities, according to a letter Archambault said he received.

“To be clear, this means that no member of the general public, to include Dakota Access pipeline protesters, can be on these Corps lands,” the letter provided by the tribe said.

But protest organizers said Saturday that they don’t intend to leave or stop their acts of civil disobedience.

Kirchmeier said before the Corps’ move that North Dakota residents who have grown tired — and increasingly afraid — of the protests are backing law enforcement.

“People don’t want their livelihoods disrupted,” he said. “They are not taking this lightly.”</s>CANNON BALL, N.D. — North Dakota state officials on Tuesday backed away from plans to block supplies from reaching protesters at a camp near the construction site of an oil pipeline project after the governor’s office said no such action was planned.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Earlier on Tuesday, Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, said food, building materials and other supplies would be blocked from entering the main camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple’s “emergency evacuation” order on Monday.

However, a spokesman for the governor told Reuters on Tuesday afternoon that no such action was planned.

“There is not going to be any blockade of supplies,” said spokesman Jeff Zent.

Following Zent’s comment, Herr said law enforcement would take a more “passive role” than a enforcing a blockade. Officers would instead stop vehicles they believed to be heading to the camp and inform drivers that they were committing an infraction and could be fined $1,000.

“That is the understanding that we had initially but we had to get that clarified. The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away,” Herr said by telephone.

The 1,172-mile pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The Sacred Stone camp, which was the original camp established in April, is south of the river on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Opposition to the pipeline has galvanized numerous Native American tribes as well as environmental activists. The movement has been bolstered by social media campaigns and the support of celebrities including actors Mark Ruffalo and Shailene Woodley.

North Dakota officials have issued several requests for additional help from federal law enforcement in light of the demonstrators. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Monday that its order to evacuate the primary protest camp — known as Oceti Sakowin — by Dec. 5 would not include forcibly removing people from the land.

“Those who remain will be considered unauthorized and may be subject to citation under federal, state, or local laws,” the Army Corps said, adding that enforcement of the order was up to local authorities.</s>Supplies, including food and building materials, will be blocked from entering the main camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple's signing of an "emergency evacuation" order on Monday, Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman from the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.
North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple issues an executive order which expels thousands of Native American and environmental protesters who are camped on the federal property that is near the site of the oil pipeline project which they oppose, saying that the "emergency evacuation" is necessary to protect them from harsh winter conditions.