ewv

Another viro land lockup

Started by ewv,

18 posts in this topic

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One of many viro iniatives in the new Democrat-controlled Congress threatens the use of an enormous amount of land within the areas controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in western states. The viro Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in the Clinton-Gore administration administratively started a program to designate BLM land as "nationally significant" in order to prevent its use. The Democrats are now pushing to put that program and its intent permanently into law.

Hearings have been held and written testimony against it can be emailed, preferably today, Thursday 6/21 to the committee by those of you willing to participate with a brief letter of objection to the bill. This is one of many such issues you will probably never hear about in the news, and if you do it will be formulated in poetic terms as "protecting scenery" with no indication of what the law actually does.

Below is

1. American Land Rights Association alert

2. The text of the bill HR2016

3. Statement against the bill by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)

4. The letter I sent

5. list of committee email addresses formatted for pasting into email

American Land Rights Association alert

Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 ­ Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 ­ Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE ­ Washington, DC 20003

BLM Land Grab Testimony Deadline Thursday, June 21st.

>>All Out Call To Action<<

Congress trying to pass into law The Babbitt National Landscape Conservation

System (NLCS) (HR 2016) (S 1139).

A one-page letter from you will help stop HR 2016. Please act fast.

Please forward this message quickly and as widely as possible.

The NLCS Essentially Places A National Park Type Overlay Over Millions Of

Acres Of BLM Land. Multiple-Use and private property will be eliminated or

threatened.

The Babbitt National Landscape Conservation System (HR 2016) threatens:

-----Multiple-Use in BLM areas;

-----Convert Wilderness Study Areas into Wilderness;

-----Access to BLM area;

-----Oil and Gas exploration;

-----Miners and mineral exploration;

-----Off-Highway Vehicle Use;

-----Private Property inside and adjacent to BLM area;

-----All kinds of recreation like shooting, hunting and rock collecting;

-----Hunting for some is essential to their survival;

-----Sightseeing;

-----River rafting;

-----Grazing;

-----Forestry and logging;

-----Many more types of recreation.

The list could go on and on.

You still have time to e-mail or fax in a one page or more letter as

testimony against HR 2016. This will be a disaster for BLM multiple-use

lands.

The House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee held a

hearing on June 7th. You have until Thursday, June 21st to send your

testimony by fax or e-mail.

Below are listed all the Members of the Natural Resources Committee

including their fax and e-mail addresses. Be sure to say at the top of your

letter:

*****Action Items*****

*****What You Should Do Now!

-----1. Write a one page letter (or more) opposing HR 2016. Mark it at the

top in the Subject Line: Testimony, HR 2016, National Landscape

Conservation System. E-mail it to the Committee Chairman -- Raul Grijalva

(D-AZ) FAX: (202) 226-2301 ­ e-mail it to his staff at:

david.watkins@mail.house.gov

-----2. Important: E-mail a copy to the Ranking Minority Member Rob Bishop

(R-UT) by sending it to his staff (casey.hammond@mail.house.gov).

Be sure to label your e-mail in the subject line as Testimony on HR 2016.

Please send it by Thursday, June 21st. Don’t worry. If you are late, send

it anyway. They will likely accept. It.

-----3. Send a copy of your testimony to your Congressman by e-mail or fax

and tell him or her to oppose the NLCS Land Grab (HR 2016). Write:

Honorable___________ US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.

Send it by fax or e-mail. Mark it Testimony on HR 2016. It is too late to

use the US Mail. Call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121 to ask for his

best e-mail address.

-----4. Send a copy of your testimony or letter to both your Senators.

Write: Honorable _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. You should

call immediately. Any Senator can be called at (202) 224-3121. Ask for

their fax and e-mail. The Senate bill, S 1139, has already passed out of

Committee. It could be voted on any time. Ask your Senator to commit to

block the bill. He or she can do that if they want.

-----5. Send copies of your testimony to other members of the House

National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee. A complete list is

at the end of the e-mail.

***Congress Seeks To Codify New NLCS Land Grab -- (Portions from Federal

Parks and Recreation Newsletter) -- Seventeen House members from both

parties teamed up in April to introduce legislation (HR 2016) that would

give the National Landscape Conservation System official Congressional

certification.

The system, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), was created

administratively by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt during the

Clinton years.

In June 2000 the Interior Department under the guidance of former Secretary

Bruce Babbitt established the 26 million acre NLCS in BLM to protect special

areas.

The NLCS consists of major conservation areas in 12 western states,

including 15 national monuments, 13 national conservation areas, Steens

Mountain area in Oregon, Headwaters Forest Reserve in northern California,

36 wild and scenic rivers, 148 wilderness areas, 4,264 miles of national

trails, and more than 600 wilderness study areas.

Making the NLCS permanent threatens recreation, access, grazing, mining, oil

and gas and many other uses. Gradually these areas will be turned into

parks with traditional uses strangled and roads cut off. Private property

owners and inholders in the areas can say so long to their property rights.

You will see new areas nominated for NLCS status gradually eroding BLM

multiple-use.

Four Democratic senators introduced counterpart legislation (S 1139) April

18. Said chief sponsor of the Senate bill, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM),

"Given the broad public support for these areas, I expect this bill to be

non-controversial and it is my hope that it will be able to move quickly

through the Congress and enactment into law." Bingaman chairs the Senate

Energy Committee. Non-Controversial?

Take a look at the Republicans sponsoring HR 2016. You need to bury them

with calls.

The four lead House sponsors of HR 2016, all co-chairs of an NLCS caucus,

are Reps. Mary Bono (R-CA), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Jim

Moran (D-VA). Reps. Bono and Renzi need to receive lots of contacts. The

others are not likely to change their position.

Creating this massive new conservation area program (read land grab) will

take money especially from the National Park Service that is way behind in

deferred maintenance and other uses. The NLCS will eventually become a huge

new agency with thousands of additional bureaucrats added over time. A new

National Park Service.

Any promises made when these areas like Steens Mountain and the Missouri

Breaks National Monument as well as the Grand Staircase National Monument

and many others were created will be conveniently forgotten as more and more

regulations are added. The NLCS will become park-like and each area will

be gradually managed like a park. Gradually existing uses will be

strangled out of existence.

Supporters of the NLCS insist they are not competing with other conservation

programs for fiscal 2008 appropriations. One said, "We do want to see a

shift in the funding priorities of the BLM itself. Specifically, the oil

and gas program of the BLM has become the dominant program of the BLM at the

expense of some the best lands and waters of the American West."

[ Editor: This is absolutely incorrect. In the bill report for the

Department of Interior Appropriations Bill 2008 the Appropriations Committee

included a $10 million increase for the NLCS in addition to other funding

already provided.]

It is the nature of the Congressional appropriations process that money for

all programs in the Interior appropriations bill comes out of the same pot

and the programs compete with each other.

One of the sponsors of the bill to codify the NLCS, Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO),

said the measure would not affect management of lands or existing rights or

public access. Added Salazar, "The bill does, however, recognize that these

landscapes are of great interest to the American people and should

be managed to protect their values."

*****[Editor: Don’t believe the used car salesman’s assurances. HR 2337,

Chairman Rahall’s domestic energy bill contains language creating a buffer

zone around all NLCS lands]. HR 3968, the Federal Mineral and Land

Protection Equity Act of 2005contained language that prohibited mineral

exploration and development within 10 miles of NLCS lands]. There is no

question that this wonderful sounding program will have adverse consequences

for anyone using BLM land.

Does anyone believe setting up the NLCS would not change the management of

these areas? If that were true, why would Congress want to do it?

American Land Rights will be sending out thousands of faxes, letters and

e-mails to alert landowners, rural communities and allies about the danger

and work to build more allies in the new Congress to stop the NLCS from

passing. Please support the grassroots group of your choice. We all need

your help.

It is critical that private property owners and Federal land users make a

big push now to head off this attack on private property and access to

Federal lands. It is so much cheaper to fight it now. If it becomes law,

you lose. Hit it hard now. Call, write and fax your Senators and

Congressman. You may call any Congressman and Senator at (202) 225-3121.

Here is the House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee.

All can be called at the Capital Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. You can fax

the committee office at (202) 226-7736

Minority Members (Republicans)

Ranking Minority Member: Rob Bishop (R-UT) Fax: (202) 225-5857

e-mail: casey.hammond@mail.house.gov

John Duncan (R-TN) ­ FAX (202) 225-6440 -- e-mail:

scott.fischer@mail.house.gov

Chris Cannon (R-UT) ­ FAX (202) 225-5629 ­ e-mail:

matthew.landoli@mail.house.gov

Tom Tancredo (R-CO) ­ FAX (202) 226-4623 ­ e-mail:

Macarthur.Zimmerman@mail.house.gov

Jeff Flake (R-AZ) ­ FAX -- (202) 226-4386 ­ e-mail:

chandler.morse@mail.house.gov

Rick Renzi (R-AZ) ­ FAX ­ (202) 226-9739 ­ e-mail:

jim.lester@mail.house.gov

Steve Pearce (R-NM) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-9599 ­ e-mail:

tim.charters@mail.house.gov

Henry Brown (R-SC) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-3407 ­ e-mail:

chris.berardini@mail.house.gov.

Louie Gohmert (R-TX) ­ FAX ­ (202) 226-5866 ­ e-mail:

Ashley.callen@mail.house.gov

Tom Cole (R-OK) ­ FAX -- (202) 225-3512 ­ e-mail:

scott.parman@mail.house.gov

Dean Heller (R-NV) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-5697 ­ e-mail:

leeann.walker@mail.house.gov

William Sali (R-ND) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-3029 ­ e-mail:

matthew.hite@mail.house.gov

Douglas Lamborn (R-CO) ­ (202) 226-2638 ­ e-mail:

melissa.carlson@mail.house.gov

Don Young (R-AK) -- FAX (202) 225-0425 ­ e-mail: Pamela.day@mail.house.gov

Majority Members (Democrats):

Chairman -- Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) (202) 226-2301 ­ e-mail:

david.watkins@mail.house.gov

Dale Kildee (D-MI) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-6393 ­ e-mail:

travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)—FAX ­ (202) 225-4580—e-mail:

wendy.clerinx@mail.house.gov

Donna Christensen (D-VI) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-5517 ­ e-mail:

brian.modeste@mail.house.gov

Rush Holt (D-NJ) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-6025 ­ e-mail:

christopher.hartmann@mail.house.gov

David Daniel Boren (D-OK) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-3038 ­ e-mail:

Jason.buckner@mail.house.gov

John Sarbanes (D-MD) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-9219 ­ e-mail:

Jason.Gleason@mail.house.gov

Peter DeFazio (D-OR) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-0032 ­ e-mail:

susan.brown@mail.house.gov

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) -- FAX ­ (202) 226-0774 ­ e-mail:

moira.campion@mail.house.gov

Ron Kind (D-WI) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-5739 ­ e-mail:

david.degennaro@mail.house.gov

Lois Capps (D-CA) -- FAX ­ (202) 225-5632 ­ e-mail:

jonathan.levenshus@mail.house.gov

Jay Inslee (D-WA) ­ FAX ­ (202) 226-1606 ­ e-mail:

garth.vanmeter@mail.house.gov

Mark Udall (D-CO -- FAX ­ (202) 226-7840 ­ e-mail:

stan.sloss@mail.house.gov

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-5823 ­ e-mail:

josh.albert@mail.house.gov

Heath Shuler (D-NC) -- FAX ­ (202) 226-6422 ­ e-mail:

sean.obrien@mail.house.gov

Nick Rahall (D-WV) ­ FAX ­ (202) 225-9061 ­ e-mail: jim.zoia@mail.house.gov

With the new Congress now largely controlled by the greens, we’ve all got

our work cut out for us. Your support will allow us to compete effectively.

Let’s protect private property and access to Federal lands. Don’t let them

turn BLM into a new National Park Service.

Sincerely,

Chuck Cushman

Executive Director

American Land Rights Association

ccushman@pacifier.com

It is urgent that you forward this message as widely as possible.

The text of the bill HR2016

Dear Friend and Ally:

HR 2016 is a con job. It does not tell the whole story. Hidden in other bills are other provisions like a 10-mile buffer zone around each area in the BLM National Landscape Conservation System. Please make sure you get a letter in early Thursday opposing HR 2016 in the House. If it looks like a park and walks like a park and has park-like restrictions and regulations, don't let the greens tell you it is something else. The courts will rule that it has park-like qualities and shut down economic and recreation activity. Just the provision giving NLCS status to BLM Wilderness Study Areas would be enough to oppose HR 2016. Just ask for more time. They are rushing to judgment on this bill. Ask for more hearings. Chuck Cushman (360) 687-3087 ccushman@pacifier.com

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2016

To establish the National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 24, 2007

Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mrs. BONO, Mr. RENZI, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. PALLONE, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Ms. BERKLEY, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. LEE, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. GILCHREST, and Mr. KIRK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL

To establish the National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `National Landscape Conservation System Act'.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.

(2) SYSTEM- The term `system' means the National Landscape Conservation System established by section 3(a).

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION SYSTEM.

(a) Establishment- In order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations, there is established in the Bureau of Land Management the National Landscape Conservation System.

(B) Components- The system shall include each of the following areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management:

(1) Each area that is designated as--

(A) a national monument;

(B) a national conservation area;

© an outstanding natural area;

(D) a wilderness study area;

(E) a component of the National Trails System;

(F) a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; or

(G) a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

(2) Any area designated by Congress to be administered for conservation purposes, including--

(A) the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area, as designated under section 101(a) of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 460nnn-11(a));

(B) the Headwaters Forest Reserve; and

© any additional area designated by Congress for inclusion in the system.

© Management- The Secretary shall manage the system--

(1) in accordance with any applicable law (including regulations) relating to any component of the system included under subsection (B); and

(2) in a manner that protects the values for which the components of the system were designated.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.

Statement against the bill by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), ranking minority member of the committee

Rep. Rob Bishop’s Congressional Statement on NLCS, HR 2016

Natural Resources Committee

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Don Young, Ranking Member

1329 Longworth H.O.B.

Washington, D.C. 20515

(202) 225-7749

www.house.gov/resources/republicans

Contacts: Steve Hansen (Republican Communications Director) (202) 225-7749

Meredith Kenny (Communications Director/Rep. Don Young) (202) 225-5765

June 7, 2007

Ranking Minority Member Rep. Rob Bishop's Opening Statement from June 7th Hearing.

HR 2016 -- On The National Landscape Conservation System

Washington, D.C. - The following is the opening statement of U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) from today's hearing on the National Landscape Conservation System.

Rep. Bishop is the Ranking Member on the U.S. House Subcommittee on Parks, Forests & Public Lands, which conducted today's hearing.

Ranking Member Bishop's Statement

"I have serious concerns with H.R. 2016. Coming from a state where much of our land is already under federal lock and key, you should be able to understand why I am less than enthusiastic to see another layer of bureaucracy placed over us.

"On the surface, proponents of the bill claim that this does nothing more than codify a program created by the Clinton administration which serves to protect lands that have the remarkable ability to, as Ms. Daly put it, 'define who we are as a nation'. Indeed, some of these lands are remarkable, but much of this land was created at the whim of special interest groups by a sympathetic President.

"Now we are told we need to create a 'system' for these lands. Believe it or not we already have a 'system' to protect 'nationally significant' lands; it is called the National Park Service. This appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to insert restrictive National Park Service management methods in order to lock up public lands which were intended to be multiuse.

"The Chairman's bill uses language which has haunted National Park Service managers, to the delight of trial attorneys, in their responsibility to balance conservation and recreation. This bill introduces the concept of 'values' into the BLM. My question is what is a value to the BLM? In the National Park Service, a value is now interpreted to include such subjective things as sound-scapes, view-sheds, and the occasional smell-shed. Should we anticipate future legislation to protect these 'values' on bureau lands?

"Initially I thought this bill was at worst was the camel's nose under the tent. However, upon closer examination, this bill would invite the camel into to the tent and into the sleeping bag.

"Let's look directly at the legislation. Section 3- Establishment: In order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations, there is established in the Bureau of Land Management the National Landscape Conservation System.

"This may as well be the National Park Service organic act. This is the same language. Unfortunately it goes on. This bill further directs the Secretary to manage these lands 'in a manner that protects the values for which the components of the system were designated'. Again, we are presented with the vague concept of values. This legislation is the biggest invitation to a lawsuit since the slip and fall scheme was invented. I can see the day when a judge decides that in light of this language, all units of this system will have to be managed in a uniform and consistent way. It is unconscionable to force our multiuse public lands down the same path that forced personal watercraft out of National Recreation Areas and put snowmobiles on the endangered species list. It appears the language in this bill was ripped from the Redwood's Amendment to the general authorities of the National Park Service which has imperiled recreation and entombed park units.

"This bill also creates yet another federal designation. The Chairman's bill will include 'any area designated by Congress to be administered for conservation purposes' within this new system. After this bill has become law, we should expect an onslaught of bills for new units of the National Landscape Conservation System.

"Finally, witnesses will testify today about the impacts these designations have on people's lives. We will ask our witnesses, who have been included in these designations against their wishes, how making this system permanent will directly impact them. This legislation also puts at risk hard-won rights of Alaska natives that are of critical importance to me and to the Ranking Member Don Young.

"We should consider this proposal carefully because the special interests have already put 'multiuse' in jeopardy."

For more information, access the Committee on Natural Resources' Minority website at:

http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.shtml

The letter I sent

Testimony on HR 2016, National Landscape Conservation System

This testimony is to oppose HR 2016 authorizing the National Landscape Conservation System.

HR2016 provides an open-ended program for the government to prevent the use of enormous areas of land designated as "nationally significant". I personally experienced this approach to land use prohibition when my property on the Maine coast was targeted by environmentalist activists and the National Park Service as "nationally significant" using the National Natural Landmarks Program. It took four years to get them to stop, and then only after then Sen. Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME) put the program under a moratorium nationally due to the widespread abuse revealed. An Interior Inspector General investigation found that the rights of property owners were violated nationwide under these designations.

Environmentalist activists -- including such organizations as The Nature Conservancy -- collaborate with government agencies to use these programs to inventory what they want to control, and then in the name of "science" have them officially designated as "nationally significant" without regard to any objective standards or rights of current owners or users. That designation is then used by other agencies or other laws to impose controls under the assumption that "nationally significant" means that no one else's rights or values matter. In 1988 the president of the National Parks and Conservation Association and former Interior official, Paul Pritchard, declared Landmarks designated by the National Park Service as "nationally significant" to be "Ladies in Waiting" for new National Parks taking them over -- which was the intension of the designations from the beginning.

The intent of HR 2016 is to impose just such a process on BLM lands and private inholdings targeted by environmentalist activists working inside or outside the government who want control over the land to the exclusion of all other uses. Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who administratively imposed the NLCS, is himself such an activist representing the agendas of environmentalist pressure groups, making it all too clear what this law is for. Whether the controls are imposed by an expanded BLM directly or the land is eventually taken over by the National Park Service, this program is a direct threat to anyone targeted by it now or in the future. That includes any form of recreation, energy production, mining, grazing, forestry and private property ensnared in the designations.

Environmentalists already have far too much power and undue influence to control both government land and private property, and to interfere in the production of energy and other economic necessities. They should not be granted yet another mechanism for further encroachment, including the means to lock up more natural resources preventing our energy independence.

Babbitt's administratively imposed NLCS program should be rescinded, not entrenched into law where it will be used as another basis for environmentalist law suits and as a political tool in conjunction with other laws imposing expansionist "buffer zones" and other controls. BLM controls an enormous amount of land in the western portion of the nation and a program should be developed to privatize land so it can be freed for productive use, as former socialist countries around the world are doing. It was never intended in the founding of our nation that the Federal government own and restrict the use of a large portion of the country.

List of email addresses formatted for pasting into email:

House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee

"Rep Raul Grijalva" <david.watkins@mail.house.gov> Chairman (Democrat)

"Rep. Rob Bishop" <casey.hammond@mail.house.gov> Ranking minority member (Republican)

Minority Members (Republicans):

"Rep John Duncan" <scott.fischer@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Chris Cannon" <matthew.landoli@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Tom Tancredo" <Macarthur.Zimmerman@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Jeff Flake" <chandler.morse@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Rick Renzi" <jim.lester@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Steve Pearce" <tim.charters@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Henry Brown" <chris.berardini@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Louie Gohmert" <Ashley.callen@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Tom Cole" <scott.parman@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Dean Heller" <leeann.walker@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep William Sali" <matthew.hite@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Douglas Lamborn" <melissa.carlson@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Don Young" <Pamela.day@mail.house.gov>,

Majority Members (Democrats):

"Rep Dale Kildee" <travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Neil Abercrombie" <wendy.clerinx@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Donna Christensen" <brian.modeste@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Rush Holt" <christopher.hartmann@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep David Daniel Boren" <Jason.buckner@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep John Sarbanes" <Jason.Gleason@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Peter DeFazio" <susan.brown@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Maurice Hinchey" <moira.campion@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Ron Kind" <david.degennaro@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Lois Capps" <jonathan.levenshus@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Jay Inslee" <garth.vanmeter@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Mark Udall" <stan.sloss@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Stephanie Herseth Sandlin" <josh.albert@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Heath Shuler" <sean.obrien@mail.house.gov>,

"Rep Nick Rahall" <jim.zoia@mail.house.gov>

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Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003

It's Do Or Die Wed. On House Vote On HR 2016, the NLCS.

26,000 million acres are at stake when the Resources Committee Votes on HR 2016 this Wednesday, March 12th.

-----American Land Rights will send you a scorecard to show you how each Congressmen on the Committee voted.

Wednesday is the big vote on the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) (HR 2016). A few moments of your time could save you hundreds or may thousands of dollars later.

Rarely does your call to Congress mean so much.

-----Below is a list of all the Members of the House Natural Resources Committee.

-----You must call, e-mail and fax any Members of the Committee from your State urging him or her to vote no on HR 2016.

-----Call at least five neighbors, friends and business associates to urge them to call, fax and e-mail against HR2016.

See Action Items Below:

Urgent Action Is Required.

NLCS Plans To Put Into Law The Babbitt National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) he set up in the dark of Night in the last few months of the Clinton Administration.

HR 2016 Essentially Places A National Park Type Regulatory Overlay Over Millions Of Acres Of BLM Land. You know that will hurt multiple-use and private property.

Access to and use of 26,000,000 million acres of Federal land will be affected.

Vast amounts of private land will be limited in use and access.

Here are just some of the people who will be hurt by HR 2016.

Ranchers;

Miners;

Hunters;

Fishermen;

Off-Highway Vehicle users;

Campers;

Other recreation advocates;

Adjacent Private property owners;

Inholders;

Horseback riders;

Forestry advocates;

Rock Collectors;

Tourists;

and many others will lose if the National Landscape Conservation System passes into law.

-----Local rural communities will be especially hurt. The economic damage will spread like a cancer. HR 2016 must be stopped.

-----Massive areas of Wilderness Study Areas will be changed into full Wilderness bypassing the normal state by state vote.

Congress seeks to codify new NLCS Land Grab -- (From Federal Parks and Recreation Newsletter); Seventeen House members from both parties teamed up in April, 2007 to introduce legislation (HR 2016) that would give the National Landscape Conservation System official Congressional certification.

The system, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), was created administratively by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt during the Clinton years.

In June 2000 the Interior Department under the guidance of former Secretary Babbitt established the 26 million acre NLCS in BLM to protect what they called special areas.

The NLCS consists of major conservation areas in 12 western states, including 15 national monuments, 13 national conservation areas, Steens Mountain area in Oregon, Headwaters Forest Reserve in northern California, 36 wild and scenic rivers, 148 wilderness areas, 4,264 miles of national trails, and more than 600 wilderness study areas.

Making the NLCS permanent threatens recreation, access, grazing, mining, oil and gas and many other uses. Gradually these areas will be turned into parks with traditional uses strangled and roads cut off. Private property owners and inholders in the areas can say so long to their property rights. You will see new areas nominated for NLCS status gradually eroding BLM multiple-use.

Four Democratic senators introduced counterpart legislation (S 1139) in April, 2007. Said chief sponsor of the Senate bill, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), "Given the broad public support for these areas, I expect this bill to be non-controversial and it is my hope that it will be able to move quickly through the Congress and enactment into law." Bingaman chairs the Senate Energy Committee. Non-Controversial?

The four lead House sponsors of HR 2016, all co-chairs of an NLCS caucus, are Reps. Mary Bono (R-CA), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Jim Moran (D-VA). Reps. Bono and Renzi need to receive lots of contacts. The others are not likely to change their position but should receive as many calls as possible.

Creating this massive new conservation area program (read land grab) will take money especially from the National Park Service that is way behind in deferred maintenance and other uses. It will also take money from vast areas of BLM lands. The NLCS will eventually become a huge new agency with thousands of additional bureaucrats added over time.

Any promises made when these areas like Steens Mountain and the Missouri Breaks National Monument and all the other affected monuments as well as the Grand Staircase National Monument and many others will be conveniently forgotten as more and more regulations are added.

The NLCS will convert millions of acres of now accessible BLM land into park-like areas and be gradually managed like a park. Gradually existing uses will be strangled out of existence.

Supporters of the NLCS insist they are not competing with other conservation programs for fiscal 2008 appropriations. One said, "We do want to see a shift in the funding priorities of the BLM itself. Specifically, the oil and gas program of the BLM has become the dominant program of the BLM at the expense of some the best lands and waters of the American West."

It is the nature of the Congressional appropriations beast that money for all programs in the Interior appropriations bill comes out of the same pot and the programs compete with each other.

One of the sponsors of the bill to codify the NLCS, Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), said the measure would not affect management of lands or existing rights or public access. Added Salazar, "The bill does, however, recognize that these landscapes are of great interest to the American people and should be managed to protect their values."

Does anyone believe setting up the NLCS would not change the management of these areas? If that were true, why would Congress want to do it?

American Land Rights will be sending out thousands of faxes, letters and e-mails to alert landowners, rural communities and allies about the danger and work to build more allies in Congress to stop the NLCS from passing. ALRA needs your support to defeat the massive new National Landscape Conservation System.

It is critical that private property owners and Federal land users make a big push now to head off this attack on private property and access to Federal lands. It is so much cheaper to fight it early than to wait. Hit it hard now. Call, write and fax your Congressman. You must overwhelm his or her office with calls between now and 5:00 pm Wednesday, March 12th. You may call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121.

*****ACTION ITEMS

*****What You Should Do Now!

-----1. Call today any Congressman listed below on the House Natural Resources Committee who is from your state to urge him or her vote against HR 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System at the Committee Vote Mark-Up on Wednesday, March 12th and oppose this BLM Land Grab.

Mark-up means vote. Look at the list below to see if your Congressman is on the Committee. Call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121.

-----2. If a Congressman from your state is not on the Committee, urge your own Congressman to attend the Vote and oppose HR 2016. Urge him to write the Members of the House Natural Resources Committee opposing HR 2016 and request a copy of his letter.

-----3. Write your Congressman by e-mail or fax and tell him or her to oppose the NLCS Land Grab. The Bill number is HR 2016. Write: Honorable___________ US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Send it by fax or e-mail. Mark it "Please Vote No on HR 2016." You do not have time to send a letter. Just ask for the e-mail or fax number when you call.

-----4. E-mail a copy to the Minority Staff (casey.hammond@mail.house.gov or jason.knox@mail.house.gov). Be sure to label your e-mail in the subject line as concerning HR 2016. You must send it as quickly as you can.

-----5. Send a copy of your e-mail opposing HR 2016 to all the Members of the House Resources Committee.

-----6. Send a copy of your letter to both your Senators. Write: Honorable _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. You may call any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

Here is House Natural Resources Committee. All can be called at the Capital Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. You can fax the committee office at (202) 225-5929. Fax each individual Congressman on the Committee and their personal fax number listed. E-mail each Congressman care of the staff member's e-mail listed.

-----Minority Members (Republicans)

Don Young (R-AK) - FAX (202) 225-0425 - e-mail: kevin.v.kennedy@mail.house.gov

Jim Saxton (R-NJ) -- FAX (202) 225-0778 - e-mail: andy.oliver@mail.house.gov

Elton Gallegly (R-CA) -- FAX (202) 225-1100 - e-mail: brian.feintech@mail.house.gov

John Duncan (R-TN) - FAX (202) 225-6440 - e-mail: scott.fischer@mail.house.gov

Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) - FAX (202) 225-0254 - edith.Thompson@mail.house.gov

Chris Cannon (R-UT) - FAX (202) 225-5629 - e-mail: rachel.dresen@mail.house.gov

Tom Tancredo (R-CO) - FAX (202) 226-4623 - e-mail: andrew.good@mail.house.gov

Jeff Flake (R-AZ) - FAX - (202) 226-4386 - e-mail: chandler.morse@mail.house.gov

Steve Pearce (R-NM) - FAX - (202) 225-9599 - e-mail: tim.charters@mail.house.gov

Henry Brown (R-SC) - FAX - (202) 225-3407 - e-mail: chris.berardini@mail.house.gov.

Luis Fortuno (R-PR) - FAX (202) 225-2154 - kimberly.beer@mail.house.gov

Rob Bishop (R-UT) Fax: (202) 225-5857 - e-mail: casey.hammond@mail.house.gov

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) - FAX (202) 225-3392 chrissy.poe@mail.house.gov

Louie Gohmert (R-TX) - FAX - (202) 226-5866 - e-mail: drew.kent@mail.house.gov

Tom Cole (R-OK) - FAX - (202) 225-3512 - e-mail: caitrin.mccarron@mail.house.gov

Dean Heller (R-NV) - FAX - (202) 225-5697 - e-mail: emy.lesofski@mail.house.gov

William Sali (R-ID) - FAX - (202) 225-3029 - e-mail: lisa.tanner@mail.house.gov

Douglas Lamborn (R-CO) - FAX (202) 226-2638 - e-mail: craig.rushing@mail.house.gov

Rob Wittman (R-VA) - FAX (202) 225-5438 - e-mail: brent.robinson@mail.house.gov

Adrian Smith (R-NE) - FAX (202) 225-0207 - e-mail: monica.jirik@mail.house.gov

-----Majority Members (Democrats):

Chairman: Nick Rahall (D-WV) - FAX - (202) 225-9061 - e-mail:

jim.zoia@mail.house.gov

Dale Kildee (D-MI) - FAX - (202) 225-6393 - e-mail: travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov

Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS) - FAX - (202) 225-8757 - e-mail: lisa.Williams@mail.house.gov

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) - FAX - (202) 225-4580 - e-mail: wendy.clerinx@mail.hoouse.gov

Soloman Ortiz (D-TX) - FAX - (202) 226-1134 - e-mail: patricia.villarreal@mail.house.gov

Frank Pallone (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-9665 - e-mail: eric.gordon@mail.house.gov

Donna Christensen (D-VI) - FAX - (202) 225-5517 - e-mail: brian.modeste@mail.house.gov

Grace Napolitano (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-0027 - e-mail: joe.sheehy@mail.house.gov

Rush Holt (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-6025 - e-mail: christopher.hartmann@mail.house.gov

Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) - FAX -- (202) 226-2301 - e-mail: david.watkins@mail.house.gov

Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) - FAX (202) 226-0341 - e-mail: jed.bullock@mail.house.gov

David Daniel Boren (D-OK) - FAX - (202) 225-3038 - e-mail: Jason.buckner@mail.house.gov

John Sarbanes (D-MD) - FAX - (202) 225-9219 - e-mail: Jason.Gleason@mail.house.gov

George Miller (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5609 - e-mail: ben.miller@mail.house.gov

Edward Markey (D-MA) - FAX - (202) 226-0092 - e-mail: jeff.Duncan@mail.house.gov

Peter DeFazio (D-OR) - FAX - (202) 225-0032 - e-mail: susan.brown@mail.house.gov

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) - FAX - (202) 226-0774 - e-mail: moira.campion@mail.house.gov

Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) - FAX - (202) 225-3290 - e-mail: kimber.colton@mail.house.gov

Ron Kind (D-WI) - FAX - (202) 225-5739 - e-mail: david.degennaro@mail.house.gov

Lois Capps (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5632 - e-mail: jonathan.levenshus@mail.house.gov

Jay Inslee (D-WA) - FAX - (202) 226-1606 - e-mail: garth.vanmeter@mail.house.gov

Mark Udall (D-CO) - FAX - (202) 226-7840 - e-mail: stan.sloss@mail.house.gov

Joe Baca (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-8671 - e-mail: susie.saavedra@mail.house.gov

Hilda Solis (D-CA) - FAX- (202) 225-5467 - e-mail: megan.uzzell@mail.house.gov

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) - FAX - (202) 225-5823 - e-mail:

lesley.kandaras@mail.house.gov

Heath Shuler (D-NC) -- FAX - (202) 226-6422 - e-mail: sean.obrien@mail.house.gov

With the new Congress now largely controlled by the greens, we've all got our work cut out for us. Your support will allow us to compete effectively. Your calls have never been more important.

Let's keep private lands in private hands and Federal lands available for private hands and reduce regulation.

Sincerely,

Chuck Cushman

(360) 687-3087

ccushman at pacifier.com

Please forward this message as widely as possible.

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Committee vote and what is next:

Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003

Here's How Your Congressman Voted On the NLCS, HR 2016

Vote from 3/12 on putting national park like regulations over 26,000,000 acres of multiple use BLM land. The National Landscape Conservation System, HR 2016.

The National Landscape Conservation System passed out of the Resources Committee by a vote of 24 to 13. It will not go to the floor of the House for a vote. You still have a good chance to stop this bill by contacting your own Congressman and any Congressman from your state. Any Congressman may be called at (202) 225-3121.

It is very important that your Congressman know you are watching and paying attention to how he or she votes. So please go to the Action Items below and make your calls. This will help you with your credibility with your Congressman in the future.

See Action Items below votes:

Here is how your Congressman or the Congressmen from your state voted.

Here is House Natural Resources Committee. All can be called at the Capital Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. You can fax the committee office at (202) 225-5929.

-----Minority Members (Republicans)

Don Young (R-AK) - FAX (202) 225-0425 - e-mail: kevin.v.kennedy@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote. The NLCS will have a huge affect on Alaska. It is amazing that Don Young failed to vote.

Jim Saxton (R-NJ) - FAX (202) 225-0778 - e-mail: andy.oliver@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote

Elton Gallegly (R-CA) - FAX (202) 225-1100 - e-mail: brian.feintech@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote

John Duncan (R-TN) - FAX (202) 225-6440 - e-mail: scott.fischer@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) - FAX (202) 225-0254 - edith.Thompson@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote

Chris Cannon (R-UT) - FAX (202) 225-5629 - e-mail: rachel.dresen@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Tom Tancredo (R-CO) - FAX (202) 226-4623 - e-mail: andrew.good@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote. The NLCS will affect a lot of Colorado.

Jeff Flake (R-AZ) - FAX - (202) 226-4386 - e-mail: chandler.morse@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Steve Pearce (R-NM) - FAX - (202) 225-9599 - e-mail: tim.charters@mail.house.gov

Voted NO

Henry Brown (R-SC) - FAX - (202) 225-3407 - e-mail: chris.berardini@mail.house.gov.

Voted No

Luis Fortuno (R-PR) - FAX (202) 225-2154 - kimberly.beer@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Rob Bishop (R-UT) Fax: (202) 225-5857 e-mail: casey.hammond@mail.house.gov

Voted No - A leader against the NLCS.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) - FAX (202) 225-3392 chrissy.poe@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Louie Gohmert (R-TX) - FAX - (202) 226-5866 - e-mail: drew.kent@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote

Tom Cole (R-OK) - FAX - (202) 225-3512 - e-mail: caitrin.mccarron@mail.house.gov

Failed to vote

William Sali (R-ID) - FAX - (202) 225-3029 - e-mail: lisa.tanner@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Douglas Lamborn (R-CO) - FAX (202) 226-2638 - e-mail: craig.rushing@mail.house.gov

Voted No

Rob Wittman (R-VA) - FAX (202) 225-4382- e-mail: brent.robinson@mail.house.gov

Voted YES. All Virginians should contact Congressman Whittman about his vote on this terrible bill. He let you down.

Adrian Smith (R-NE) - FAX (202) 225-0207 - e-mail: monica.jirik@mail.house.gov

Voted No

-----Majority Members (Democrats):

Chairman: Nick Rahall (D-WV) - FAX - (202) 225-9061 - e-mail:

jim.zoia@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Dae Kildee (D-MI) - FAX - (202) 225-6393 - e-mail: travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS) - FAX - (202) 225-8757 - e-mail: lisa.Williams@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) - FAX - (202) 225-4580 - e-mail: wendy.clerinx@mail.hoouse.gov

Voted Yes

Soloman Ortiz (D-TX) - FAX - (202) 226-1134 - e-mail: patricia.villarreal@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Frank Pallone (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-9665 - e-mail: eric.gordon@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Donna Christensen (D-VI) - FAX - (202) 225-5517 - e-mail: brian.modeste@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Grace Napolitano (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-0027 - e-mail: joe.sheehy@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Rush Holt (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-6025 - e-mail: christopher.hartmann@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) - FAX - (202) 226-2301 - e-mail: david.watkins@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) - FAX (202) 226-0341 - e-mail: jed.bullock@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

David Daniel Boren (D-OK) - FAX - (202) 225-3038 - e-mail: Jason.buckner@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

John Sarbanes (D-MD) - FAX - (202) 225-9219 - e-mail: Jason.Gleason@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

George Miller (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5609 - e-mail: ben.miller@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Edward Markey (D-MA) - FAX - (202) 226-0092 - e-mail: jeff.Duncan@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Peter DeFazio (D-OR) - FAX - (202) 225-0032 - e-mail: susan.brown@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)- FAX - (202) 226-0774 - e-mail: moira.campion@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) - FAX - (202) 225-3290 - e-mail: kimber.colton@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Ron Kind (D-WI) - FAX - (202) 225-5739 - e-mail: david.degennaro@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Lois Capps (D-CA)- FAX - (202) 225-5632 - e-mail: jonathan.levenshus@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Jay Inslee (D-WA)- FAX - (202) 226-1606 - e-mail: garth.vanmeter@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Mark Udall (D-CO)- FAX - (202) 226-7840 - e-mail: stan.sloss@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Joe Baca (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-8671 - e-mail: susie.saavedra@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Hilda Solis (D-CA) - FAX- (202) 225-5467 - e-mail: megan.uzzell@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) - FAX - (202) 225-5823 - e-mail: lesley.kandaras@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Heath Shuler (D-NC) - FAX - (202) 226-6422 - e-mail: sean.obrien@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

-----Notice there is pattern here. As you prepare to vote in the important election this fall, take a look at how each party supports private property rights and access to Federal lands.

-----You can get more about how your every Congressman voted in previous years by going to www.landrights.org and look on the home page for the Private Property Congressional Vote Index. It will be on the right hand side toward the bottom under the heading - Vote Index.

-----This is the Congressional scorecard is printed each year to show how your Congressman voted on environmental, private property and Federal lands issues.

-----The Vote Index also scores how all the Senators voted. So you can look up the vote record of John McCain (R-AZ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) or Barrack Obama (D-IL). In 2006 John McCain scored a 56 out of 100. However, both Obama and Clinton scored 11 out of 100. That appears to make McCain five times as good at protecting your rights.

*****ACTION ITEMS

*****What You Should Do Now!

-----1. Call today any Congressman listed above on the House Natural Resources Committee who is from your state.

If he or she voted against HR 2016, the NLCS, thank them for their vote. This lets them know you are watching.

If a Congressman from your state voted for HR 2016, let them know you will remember the vote and that you are watching. You may call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121. Or send them a message at the e-mail or fax we've provided you.

Let them know you will spread the word that he or she does not seem to care about rural America, local communities, access to Federal lands or private property rights.

If your Congressman or a Congressman from you state failed to show up and vote, make sure you let them know that you are aware of that and that you will remember and pass the word.

-----2. Send a copy of this message to as many other people as possible.

-----3. Make sure you get a copy of this message to your local newspaper.

-----4. Send a copy of your letter to your Congressman to both your Senators. Write: Honorable _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. You may call any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

Background on the National Landscape Conservation System (HR 2016).

NLCS (HR 2016) Plans To Put Into Law The Babbitt National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) he set up in the dark of Night in the last few months of the Clinton Administration.

HR 2016 Essentially Places A National Park Type Overlay Over Millions Of Acres Of BLM Land. You know that will hurt multiple-use and private property.

Access to and use of 26,000,000 million acres of Federal land will be affected.

Vast amounts of private land will be limited in use and access.

Here are just some of the people who will be hurt by HR 2016.

Ranchers;

Miners;

Oil and Gas explorationists;

Hunters;

Fishermen;

Off-Highway Vehicle users;

Campers;

Other recreation advocates;

Adjacent Private property owners;

Inholders;

Horseback riders;

Forestry advocates;

Rock Collectors;

Tourists;

and many others will lose if the National Landscape Conservation System passes into law.

-----Local rural communities will be especially hurt. The economic damage will spread like a cancer. HR 2016 must be stopped.

-----Massive areas of Wilderness Study Areas will be changed into full Wilderness bypassing the normal state-by-state Congressional vote. This is a huge aspect of HR 2016 that they are sneaking by while people are focused on other areas of the bill.

Congress seeks to codify new NLCS Land Grab -- (From Federal Parks and Recreation Newsletter); Seventeen House members from both parties teamed up in April, 2007 to introduce legislation (HR 2016) that would give the National Landscape Conservation System official Congressional certification.

The system, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), was created administratively by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt during the Clinton years.

In June 2000 the Interior Department under the guidance of former Secretary Babbitt established the 26 million acre NLCS in BLM to protect what they called special areas.

The NLCS consists of major conservation areas in 12 western states, including 15 national monuments, 13 national conservation areas, Steens Mountain area in Oregon, Headwaters Forest Reserve in northern California, 36 wild and scenic rivers, 148 wilderness areas, 4,264 miles of national trails, and more than 600 wilderness study areas.

Making the NLCS permanent threatens recreation, access, grazing, mining, oil and gas and many other uses. Gradually these areas will be turned into parks with traditional uses strangled and roads cut off. Private property owners and inholders in the areas can say so long to their property rights. You will see new areas nominated for NLCS status gradually eroding BLM multiple-use.

Four Democratic senators introduced counterpart legislation (S 1139) in April, 2007. Said chief sponsor of the Senate bill, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), "Given the broad public support for these areas, I expect this bill to be non-controversial and it is my hope that it will be able to move quickly through the Congress and enactment into law." Bingaman chairs the Senate Energy Committee. Non-Controversial?

The four lead House sponsors of HR 2016, all co-chairs of an NLCS caucus, are Reps. Mary Bono (R-CA), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Jim Moran (D-VA). Reps. Bono and Renzi need to receive lots of contacts. The others are not likely to change their position but should receive as many calls as possible.

Creating this massive new conservation area program (read land grab) will take money especially from the National Park Service that is way behind in deferred maintenance and other uses. It will also take money from vast areas of BLM lands. The NLCS will eventually become a huge new agency with thousands of additional bureaucrats added over time.

Any promises made when these areas like Steens Mountain and the Missouri Breaks National Monument and all the other affected monuments as well as the Grand Staircase National Monument and many others will be conveniently forgotten as more and more regulations are added.

The NLCS will convert millions of acres of now accessible BLM land into park-like areas with park-like regulations and will be gradually managed like a park. Gradually existing uses will be strangled out of existence.

Supporters of the NLCS insist they are not competing with other conservation programs for fiscal 2008 appropriations. One said, "We do want to see a shift in the funding priorities of the BLM itself. Specifically, the oil and gas program of the BLM has become the dominant program of the BLM at the expense of some the best lands and waters of the American West."

It is the nature of the Congressional appropriations beast that money for all programs in the Interior appropriations bill comes out of the same pot and the programs compete with each other.

One of the sponsors of the bill to codify the NLCS, Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), said the measure would not affect management of lands or existing rights or public access. Added Salazar, "The bill does, however, recognize that these landscapes are of great interest to the American people and should be managed to protect their values."

Does anyone believe setting up the NLCS would not change the management of these areas? If that were true, why would Congress want to do it?

American Land Rights will be sending out thousands of faxes, letters and e-mails to alert landowners, rural communities and allies about the danger and work to build more allies in Congress to stop the NLCS from passing to full House.

ALRA needs your support to defeat the massive new National Landscape Conservation System (HR 2016) in the full House.

You can join ALRA or make a contribution by going to www.landrights.org

It is critical that private property owners and Federal land users make a big push now to head off this attack on private property and access to Federal lands. Call, write and fax your Congressman. The NLCS will come up in the full House in the next month. Your calls mean a lot.

Chuck Cushman

360-687-3087

ccushman@landrights.org

Please forward this message as widely as possible.

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Does ALRA have a quantifiable (e.g. statistical) record of results from their activism? The simplest I can think of would be along the lines of: taking the number of bills opposed, and then is the number that passed (clearly a failure to oppose them), vs. the number that did not pass (and then trying to assess the impact that ALRA had on that result.) If so, do you have a link?

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Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003

Correction - 2 Major Mistakes - NLCS Votes - HR 2016

-----1. We told you the bill would not come up on the House Floor. That was a mistype. What we meant to say is the NLCS, HR 2016 will --now-- come up on the House Floor. Call your Congressman at (202) 225-3121 to oppose HR 2016.

-----2. We told you Rep. Don Young of Alaska did not vote and we were critical of that. However, we were wrong. Don Young had to fly to the Republican Convention in Alaska and was no where near Washington, DC. His staff had tried to get the date of the vote changed to accommodate his trip but the Democrats would not cooperate.

-----3. Just a reminder. We urge you to contact the Congressman from your state generally. Occasionally we will widen the net but now the NLCS will go to the Floor of the House and you need to focus on Members of Congress from your state. Bombing Members from other states is not generally good except in certain special situations which we will describe at the time. So please, for now on NLCS, focus on those Members from your state.

NLCS Vote E-mail is repeated here incase you missed the summary of the Votes of the NLCS Votes in the Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, March 12th.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Vote summary from 3/12 on putting national park like regulations over 26,000,000 acres of multiple use BLM land. The National Landscape Conservation System, HR 2016.

The National Landscape Conservation System passed out of the Resources Committee by a vote of 24 to 13. It will now go to the floor of the House for a vote. You still have a good chance to stop this bill by contacting your own Congressman and any Congressman from your state. Any Congressman may be called at (202) 225-3121.

It is very important that your Congressman know you are watching and paying attention to how he or she votes. So please go to the Action Items below and make your calls. This will help you with your credibility with your Congressman in the future.

See Action Items below votes:

Here is how your Congressman or the Congressmen from your state voted.

Here is House Natural Resources Committee. All can be called at the Capital Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. You can fax the committee office at (202) 225-5929.

-----Minority Members (Republicans)

All the Republicans voted no on NLCS or failed to vote. The only exception was Rob Whittman and he should be deluged with calls and e-mails.

Rob Wittman (R-VA) - FAX (202) 225-4382 - e-mail: brent.robinson@mail.house.gov

Voted YES. All Virginians should contact Congressman Whittman about his vote on this terrible bill. He let you down.

-----Majority Members (Democrats):

All the Democrats voted yes on NLCS or failed to vote.

Chairman: Nick Rahall (D-WV) - FAX - (202) 225-9061 - e-mail:

jim.zoia@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Dale Kildee (D-MI) - FAX - (202) 225-6393 - e-mail: travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS) - FAX - (202) 225-8757 - e-mail: lisa.Williams@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) - FAX - (202) 225-4580-e-mail: wendy.clerinx@mail.hoouse.gov

Voted Yes

Soloman Ortiz (D-TX) - FAX - (202) 226-1134 - e-mail: patricia.villarreal@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Frank Pallone (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-9665 - e-mail: eric.gordon@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Donna Christensen (D-VI) - FAX - (202) 225-5517 - e-mail: brian.modeste@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Grace Napolitano (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-0027 - e-mail: joe.sheehy@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Rush Holt (D-NJ) - FAX - (202) 225-6025 - e-mail: christopher.hartmann@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) - FAX - (202) 226-2301 - e-mail: david.watkins@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) - FAX (202) 226-0341 - e-mail: jed.bullock@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

David Daniel Boren (D-OK) - FAX - (202) 225-3038 - e-mail: Jason.buckner@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

John Sarbanes (D-MD) - FAX - (202) 225-9219 - e-mail: Jason.Gleason@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

George Miller (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5609 - e-mail: ben.miller@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Edward Markey (D-MA) - FAX - (202) 226-0092 - e-mail: jeff.Duncan@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Peter DeFazio (D-OR) - FAX - (202) 225-0032 - e-mail: susan.brown@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) - FAX - (202) 226-0774 - e-mail: moira.campion@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) - FAX - (202) 225-3290 - e-mail: kimber.colton@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Ron Kind (D-WI) - FAX - (202) 225-5739 - e-mail: david.degennaro@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Lois Capps (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5632 - e-mail: jonathan.levenshus@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Jay Inslee (D-WA) - FAX - (202) 226-1606 - e-mail: garth.vanmeter@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Mark Udall (D-CO) - FAX - (202) 226-7840 - e-mail: stan.sloss@mail.house.gov

Did not vote

Joe Baca (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-8671 - e-mail: susie.saavedra@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Hilda Solis (D-CA) - FAX - (202) 225-5467 - e-mail: megan.uzzell@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) - FAX - (202) 225-5823 - e-mail: lesley.kandaras@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

Heath Shuler (D-NC)- FAX - (202) 226-6422 - e-mail: sean.obrien@mail.house.gov

Voted Yes

-----Notice there is pattern here. As you prepare to vote in the important election this fall, take a look at how each party supports private property rights and access to Federal lands.

-----You can get more about how your every Congressman voted in previous years by going to www.landrights.org and look on the home page for the Private Property Congressional Vote Index. It will be on the right hand side toward the bottom under the heading - Vote Index.

-----This is the Congressional scorecard is printed each year to show how your Congressman voted on environmental, private property and Federal lands issues.

-----The Vote Index also scores how all the Senators voted. So you can look up the vote record of John McCain (R-AZ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) or Barrack Obama (D-IL). In 2006 John McCain scored 56 out of 100. However, both Obama and Clinton scored 11 out of 100. That appears to make McCain five times as good at protecting your rights.

*****ACTION ITEMS

*****What You Should Do Now!

-----1. Call today any Congressman listed above on the House Natural Resources Committee who is from your state.

If he or she voted against HR 2016, the NLCS, thank them for their vote. This lets them know you are watching.

If a Congressman from your state voted for HR 2016, let them know you will remember the vote and that you are watching. You may call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121. Or send them a message at the e-mail or fax we've provided you.

Let them know you will spread the word that he or she does not seem to care about rural America, local communities, access to Federal lands or private property rights.

If your Congressman or a Congressman from you state failed to show up and vote, make sure you let them know that you are aware of that and that you will remember and pass the word.

-----2. Send a copy of this message to as many other people as possible.

-----3. Make sure you get a copy of this message to your local newspaper.

-----4. Send a copy of your letter to your Congressman to both your Senators. Write: Honorable _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. You may call any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

Background on the National Landscape Conservation System

(HR 2016).

NLCS (HR 2016) Plans To Put Into Law The Babbitt National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) he set up in the dark of Night in the last few months of the Clinton Administration.

HR 2016 Essentially Places A National Park Type Overlay Over Millions Of Acres Of BLM Land. You know that will hurt multiple-use and private property.

Access to and use of 26,000,000 million acres of Federal land will be affected.

Vast amounts of private land will be limited in use and access.

Here are just some of the people who will be hurt by HR 2016.

Ranchers;

Miners;

Oil and Gas explorationists;

Hunters;

Fishermen;

Off-Highway Vehicle users;

Campers;

Other recreation advocates;

Adjacent Private property owners;

Inholders;

Horseback riders;

Forestry advocates;

Rock Collectors;

Tourists;

and many others will lose if the National Landscape Conservation System passes into law.

-----Local rural communities will be especially hurt. The economic damage will spread like a cancer. HR 2016 must be stopped.

-----Massive areas of Wilderness Study Areas will be changed into full Wilderness bypassing the normal state-by-state Congressional vote. This is a huge aspect of HR 2016 that they are sneaking by while people are focused on other areas of the bill.

Congress seeks to codify new NLCS Land Grab -- (From Federal Parks and Recreation Newsletter); Seventeen House members from both parties teamed up in April, 2007 to introduce legislation (HR 2016) that would give the National Landscape Conservation System official Congressional certification.

The system, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), was created administratively by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt during the Clinton years.

In June 2000 the Interior Department under the guidance of former Secretary Babbitt established the 26 million acre NLCS in BLM to protect what they called special areas.

The NLCS consists of major conservation areas in 12 western states, including 15 national monuments, 13 national conservation areas, Steens Mountain area in Oregon, Headwaters Forest Reserve in northern California, 36 wild and scenic rivers, 148 wilderness areas, 4,264 miles of national trails, and more than 600 wilderness study areas.

Making the NLCS permanent threatens recreation, access, grazing, mining, oil and gas and many other uses. Gradually these areas will be turned into parks with traditional uses strangled and roads cut off. Private property owners and inholders in the areas can say so long to their property rights. You will see new areas nominated for NLCS status gradually eroding BLM multiple-use.

Four Democratic senators introduced counterpart legislation (S 1139) in April, 2007. Said chief sponsor of the Senate bill, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), "Given the broad public support for these areas, I expect this bill to be non-controversial and it is my hope that it will be able to move quickly through the Congress and enactment into law." Bingaman chairs the Senate Energy Committee. Non-Controversial?

The four lead House sponsors of HR 2016, all co-chairs of an NLCS caucus, are Reps. Mary Bono (R-CA), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Jim Moran (D-VA). Reps. Bono and Renzi need to receive lots of contacts. The others are not likely to change their position but should receive as many calls as possible.

Creating this massive new conservation area program (read land grab) will take money especially from the National Park Service that is way behind in deferred maintenance and other uses. It will also take money from vast areas of BLM lands. The NLCS will eventually become a huge new agency with thousands of additional bureaucrats added over time.

Any promises made when these areas like Steens Mountain and the Missouri Breaks National Monument and all the other affected monuments as well as the Grand Staircase National Monument and many others will be conveniently forgotten as more and more regulations are added.

The NLCS will convert millions of acres of now accessible BLM land into park-like areas with park-like regulations and will be gradually managed like a park. Gradually existing uses will be strangled out of existence.

Supporters of the NLCS insist they are not competing with other conservation programs for fiscal 2008 appropriations. One said, "We do want to see a shift in the funding priorities of the BLM itself. Specifically, the oil and gas program of the BLM has become the dominant program of the BLM at the expense of some the best lands and waters of the American West."

It is the nature of the Congressional appropriations beast that money for all programs in the Interior appropriations bill comes out of the same pot and the programs compete with each other.

One of the sponsors of the bill to codify the NLCS, Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), said the measure would not affect management of lands or existing rights or public access. Added Salazar, "The bill does, however, recognize that these landscapes are of great interest to the American people and should be managed to protect their values."

Does anyone believe setting up the NLCS would not change the management of these areas? If that were true, why would Congress want to do it?

American Land Rights will be sending out thousands of faxes, letters and e-mails to alert landowners, rural communities and allies about the danger and work to build more allies in Congress to stop the NLCS from passing to full House.

ALRA needs your support to defeat the massive new National Landscape Conservation System (HR 2016) in the full House.

You can join ALRA or make a contribution by going to www.landrights.org

It is critical that private property owners and Federal land users make a big push now to head off this attack on private property and access to Federal lands. Call, write and fax your Congressman. The NLCS will come up in the full House in the next month. Your calls mean a lot.

Chuck Cushman

360-687-3087

ccushman at landrights.org

Please forward this message as widely as possible.

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Does ALRA have a quantifiable (e.g. statistical) record of results from their activism? The simplest I can think of would be along the lines of: taking the number of bills opposed, and then the number that passed (clearly a failure to oppose them), vs. the number that did not pass (and then trying to assess the impact that ALRA had on that result.) If so, do you have a link?

No. They work flat out full time directly on government policy issues as they are happening and threatened, not publishing documentation of past activities. It's an informal, fast moving and creative activity in conjunction with other groups, individuals, and political constituencies who are generally ignored or misrepresented by the media. It is constantly changing and reacting to new threats and opportunities, unencumbered by organizational bureaucracy -- and necessarily not open to reveal much of what they do or how, for obvious reasons. People who are affected by these things know ALRA by reputation and act accordingly.

Nor is a number of bills a relevant measure in the complexities of such politics. Bills can be changed, blunted in accordance with what is practical, intercepted at different junctures, or prevented or postponed from appearing at all in an earlier stage of political initiative. Nor is this restricted to new legislation, often involving the behavior and abuse of power by government agencies and agency initiatives on behalf of undue influence by pressure groups and activists within the agencies.

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Here is a typical example of how these land and natural resource lockups are spun in the media. Readers are emotionally manipulated through images of scenery and not told what is actually happening. There is no mention of who will lose from this or why, and no mention that "Congress is considering" it actually means an orchestrated political maneuver by activists ramming it through Congress. The intended result is that Congress vote for it after even potential opponents are led to believe it is "noncontroversial", and is why it matters if enough people find out what is going on and object to their elected representatives at the right time to make a difference.

Congress moves closer to preserving Western beauty

It is considering designating millions of US-owned acres as a permanent conservation system.

By Faye Bowers | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the March 14, 2008 edition

Reporter Faye Bowers describes her trip to Arizona's Sonoran Desert National Monument.

Sonoran Desert National Monument, Ariz. - This swath of desert is in full bloom. The mountainsides blanketed by towering saguaro forests are now dotted with yellow and orange Mexican poppies, purple lupine, and white chicory. The monument is home to three wilderness areas and two historic trails.

These 487,000 acres sit along a corridor between Arizona's two largest metropolitan areas, Phoenix and Tucson, where demographers predict the population will increase from 5 million people to more than 10 million by 2040.

That's a key reason, many conservation and wildlife advocates say, Congress should permanently designate this national monument and more than 800 additional federally managed properties as the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS)...

Full article.

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Maine Property Rights News January 5, 2009

ALRA Alert - Sen Harry Reid Rushes Omnibus Land Grab Bill Back Into Senate

The push for massive Federal land takeovers to replace private use with wilderness is already active in the new Congress, with Sen Harry Reid (D-NV) about to re-introduce the Omnibus land bill that failed last year. The bill -- which covers tens of millions of acres plus the Federal "Heritage Area" agenda for control over private property -- was blocked in the lame duck session late last November after Sen. Reid tried to slip through in one big pork package a grab bag of individual land bills that had stalled on their own. His attempt was stopped when Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) demanded under Senate rules a reading of the bill on the Senate floor -- the enormous bill, which Reid and the viros do not want examined, would have taken 24 hours just to read. Reid threatened to bring the whole package back in January, saying that with the new Congress there would be more support to stop debate over the Omnibus bill.

One of the bills included in the package, sponsored by Maine Senators Snowe and Collins, specifically targets the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, ME, to be "studied" by the National Park Service for addition to the National Park System. Such "studies" are political arrangements preceding acquisition: The National Park Service does not "study" property it does not intend to get. The property is on the Bowdoin College campus and is already targeted as "nationally significant" under the National Historic Landmark program.

This is only the beginning as viros renew their push for more government acquisition and control over private property in Maine under the new government in Washington. Viros appointed to positions in state government by Gov Baldacci have already established an 'official' recommendation for massive new Heritage Area controls over private property; the Omnibus land bill establishes a template structure to be filled in later by such designations. This is in addition to the viro agenda to take over most of northern and eastern Maine for new National Parks and wilderness.

The following national alert on the Omnibus bill tells you what you can do now to oppose it.

Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra AT pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003

Senator Harry Reid To Re-introduce Omnibus Land Grab Bill January 5th or

6th.

We do not have a bill number yet. Refer to it in your calls as the Omnibus

Federal Lands Bill.

You must call your Senators and your Congressman. All Senators may be

called at (202) 224-3121. All Congressmen may be called at (202) 225-3121.

They must know in no uncertain terms that rural America opposes this massive

Wilderness and land grab bill.

150 Bill Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill Is Back

You must act, call, fax, and e-mail both your Senators and your Congressman

until Congress leaves town.

Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) Selling You Out On Omnibus Lands Bill

-----Look at press release by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) at the end of the

e-mail.

-----This bill is one of the largest land grabs in history. Just one bill,

the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) covers 26 million acres

and will lock you out of BLM multiple-use and energy lands. It will add

dozens of new National Heritage Areas that will eventually be a land use

control noose around the necks of local people and rural America.

You can see a map of the National Landscape Conservation System at

www.landrights.org.

Senator Diane Feinstein plans to add 6,000,000 more acres to it on the floor

of the Senate.

Majority Leader Harry Reid is buying votes by putting every bill he can find

in the package to buy off opposing Senators. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho is

helping Harry Reid, Democrat Majority Leader in the Senate. Has your

Senator sold his heart and soul?

Senator Crapo is planning to vote for the bill and is leading the charge to

get other Senators to vote for it.

He tried to sell us out on the Endangered Species Act a number of years ago

and we stopped him. Now we must do it again.

It appears you cannot trust Senator Mike Crapo’s heart to protect your

private property and access and use of Federal lands.

-----Action Items:

-----1. You must deluge Senator Crapo’s office with calls. (202) 224-6142.

-----2. Forward this e-mail to your entire e-mail list nationally.

-----3. Call both your Senators (202-224-3121) and Congressman

(202-225-3121) to ask them how they will vote on the Omnibus Federal Lands

Bill. If they won’t tell you, you can assume they are going to vote for it.

Their phones must not stop ringing. Ask for their fax and e-mail address.

-----4. E-mail and fax both your Senators and your Congressman opposing the

Omnibus Federal Lands Bill.

-----5. Call your friends and neighbors to urge them to call, fax and

e-mail Senator Crapo to get him to drop his support for the Omnibus Federal

Lands Bill.

-----6. Deluge Crapo’s local offices in Idaho. (208) 455-0360, (208)

664-5490, (208) 522-9779, (208) 743-1492, (208) 236-6775, (208) 734-2515.

His phones must not stop ringing.

-----7. Deluge Crapo’s fax numbers:

Washington DC (202) 228-1375,

Idaho: (208) 334-9044, (208) 455-0358, (208) 664-0889, (208) 529-8367,

(208) 743-6484, (308) 236-6935, (208) 733-0414

-----8. Deluge Crapo’s e-mail addresses. Here are the staff members you

should e-mail: Send an e-mail every day until the Lame Duck session ends.

(Don’t be surprised if some e-mail addresses don’t work. This is the end of

this Congress and staff is moving around to various offices. Let us know

which ones don’t work. We’ll send you additional addresses.)

susan_wheeler@crapo.senate.gov; marques_chavez@crapo.senate.gov;

Lindsay_northern@crapo.senate.gov; Margaret_ballard@crapo.senate.gov;

Karen_brown@crapo.senate.gov; Kenneth_flanz@crapo.senate.gov;

staci_Lancaster@crapo.senate.gov; Linda_Norris@crapo.senate.gov;

craig_Ferguson@crapo.senate.gov; Katie_oppenheim@crapo.senate.gov;

gregg_Richard@crapo.senate.gov; kelly_cecchetini@crapo.senate.gov;

Tell him to oppose the Omnibus Federal Lands Bill (right now it is HR 5151

but that could change in the Lame Duck session of Congress.)

-----9. You’ll notice that Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) has bills in the

Omnibus Federal Lands bill too. He is actively supporting the bill. You

also need to call his office and oppose the bill. But Crapo is the real bad

seed. He is lobbying for the bill and pushing other Senators to pass it.

Call Mike Simpson at (202) 225-5531

Fax: (202) 225-8216

E-mail addresses: Lindsay.slater@mail.house.gov;

nicole.watts@mail.house.gov; miss.small@mail.house.gov;

shane.larson@mail.house.gov

megan.milam@mail.house.gov

This may be the largest land grab bill in the last 20 years.

Your immediate action by making calls, faxing, e-mailing your Senators and

Congressmen as well as your friends and neighbors is critical to stop this

bill.

Chuck Cushman

American Land Rights Association

(360) 687-3087

ccushman AT pacifier.com

Background:

Giant 150 Bill Omnibus Federal Land Vote Nov 17 In Lame Duck

This is one of the largest land grab bills in history. Just one bill, the

National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) covers 26 million acres and

will lock you out of BLM multiple-use and energy lands.

Senator Diane Feinstein plans to add 6,000,000 more acres to it on the floor

of the Senate.

Bills Included In Omnibus Federal Lands Bill For Senate Vote. It May Be HR

5151 or Some Other Bill Number.

Description of the bill: Senate Bill - Senate Bill Sponsor - House Bill -

House Sponsor:

Wild Monongahela Wilderness: S 2851-Byrd (D-WV) - HR 5151 - Rahall (D-WV)

VA Ridge & Valley Wilderness: S 570 - Warner (R-VA) - HR 1011 ­ Boucher

(D-VA)

Mt. Hood Wilderness, OR: S 647 - Wyden (D-OR) - HR 6290 - Blumenauer (D-OR)

Copper Salmon Wilderness, OR: S 2034 - Wyden (D-OR) - HR 3513 ­ DeFazio

(D-OR)

Cascade-Siskiyou Natl Monument, OR: S 2379 - Smith (R-OR)

Owyhee Public Land Management: S 2833 - Crapo (R-ID)

Sabinoso Wilderness, NM: HR 2632 - T. Udall (D-NM)

Pictured Rocks Natl Lakeshore Wilderness: S 3017 - Levin (D-MI)

OR Badlands Wilderness: S 3088 - Wyden (D-OR)

Spring Basin Wilderness, OR: S 3089 - Wyden (D-OR)

E. Sierra & Northern San Gabriel Wilderness, CA: S 3069 - Boxer (D-CA) ­ HR

6156 - McKeon (R-CA)

Riverside Cnty Wilderness, CA: S 2109 - Boxer (D-CA) - HR 3682 - Bono Mack

(R-CA)

Sequoia & Kings Canyon Natl Parks Wilderness, CA: S 1774 ­

Boxer (D-CA) - HR 3022 - Costa (D-CA)

Rocky Mountain Natl Park Wilderness, CO: S 1380 - Salazar (D-CO) ­ HR 2334

- M Udall (D-CO)

***Natl Landscape Conservation System (NLCS): S 1139 - Bingaman (D-NM) - HR

2016 - Grijalva (D-AZ) (26 million acres)

Prehistoric Trackways Natl Monument: S 275 - Bingaman (D-NM)

Ft Stanton-Snowy River Cave Natl Conservation Area: S 260 ­ Domenici (R-NM)

- HR 1989 - Pearce (R-NM)

Snake River Birds of Prey Natl Conservation Area: S 262 - Craig (R-ID) ­ HR

3734 - Simpson (R-ID)

Dominguez-Escalante Natl Conservation Area: S 3065 - Salazar (D-CO) ­ HR

6162 - Salazar (D-CO)

Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program: S 1940 - Bingaman (D-NM) Land

Conveyances & Exchanges

Carson City, NV land conveyances: S 3606 - Reid (D-NV)

Southern NV limited transition area conveyance: S 1377 - Reid (D-NV) ­ HR

2299 - Heller (R-NV)

NV Cancer Institute land conveyance: S 758 - Ensign (R-NV) ­ HR 1311 -

Berkley (D-NV)

Turnabout Ranch land conveyance, UT: S 832 - Hatch (R-UT) ­ HR 3575 -

Matheson (D- UT)

Boy Scouts land exchange, UT: S 900 - Hatch (R-UT) - HR 6097 ­ Matheson

(D-UT)

Douglas County, WA, land conveyance: HR 523 - Hastings (R-WA)

Twin Falls, ID, land conveyance: S 2354 - Crapo (R-ID) - HR 4184 ­ Simpson

(R-ID)

Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area release, NV: S 2898 - Reid (D-NV) ­ HR

816 - Porter (R-NV)

Park City, UT, land conveyance: S 532 - Hatch (R-UT) - HR 828 ­ Bishop

(R-UT)

Release of revisionary interest in certain lands in Reno, NV: S 2443 -

Ensign (R-NV) - HR 2246 - Heller (R-NV)

Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria: HR 3490 -

Radanovich (R-CA)

Watershed Restoration & Enhancement: S 232 - Wyden (D-OR)

Wildland Firefighter Safety: S 1152 - Cantwell (D-WA) - HR 4832 - M Udall

(D-CO)

WY Range: S 2229 - Barrasso (R-WY)

Land Conveyances & Exchanges:

Land conveyance to City of Coffman Cove, AK: S 202 - Murkowski (R-AK) ­ HR

831- D Young (R-AK)

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Natl Forest land conveyance, MT: S 2124 ­ Baucus

(D-MT) - HR 3702 - Rehberg (R-MT)

Sante Fe Natl Forest; Pecos NHP Land exchange: S 216 - Bingaman (D-NM)

Sante Fe Natl Forest Land Conveyance, NM: S 1939 - Bingaman

Kittitas Cnty, WA, land conveyance: S 2601 - Cantwell (D-WA) - HR 1285 -

Hastings (R-WA)

Mammoth Community Water District use restrictions: HR 356 - McKeon (R-CA)

Land conveyance, Wasatch-Cache Natl Forest, UT: HR 3473 - Bishop (R-UT)

Boundary adj, Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness: S 1802 ­ Craig

(R-ID)

Sandia Pueblo land exchange technical amend: Bingaman (D-NM)

CO Northern Front Range Study: S 2508 - Salazar (D-CO) - HR 903 - M Udall

(D-CO)

Forest Landscape Restoration: S 2593 - Bingaman (D-NM) ­ HR 5263 ­ Grijalva

(D-AZ)

Additions to the Natl & Wild Scenic Rivers System

Fossil Creek, AZ NWSR: S 86 - McCain (R-AZ) - HR 199 ­ Renzi (R-AZ)

Snake River Headwaters, WY NWSR: S 1281 - Thomas (R-WY)

Taunton River, MA NWSR: S 868 - Kennedy (D-MA) - HR 415 Frank (D-MA)

Wild & Scenic Rivers Studies

Missisquoi & Trout Rivers Study NWSR: S 2093 - Leahy (D-VT) - HR 3667 -

Welch (D-VT)

Additions to the Natl Trails System

AZ Natl Scenic Trail: S 1304 - McCain (R-AZ) - HR 2297 - Giffords (D-AZ)

New England Natl Scenic Trail: S 923 - Kerry (D-MA) - HR 1528 ­ Olver

(D-MA)

Ice Age Floods Natl Geologic Trail: S 268 - Cantwell (D-WA) - HR 450 -

Hastings (R-WA)

WA-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route NHT: S 686 - Lieberman (ID-CT) ­ HR 1286

- Hinchey (D-NY)

Pacific NW Natl Scenic Trail: S 2943 - Cantwell (D-WA) - HR 5926 - Dicks

(D-WA)

Trail of Tears Natl Historic Trail: HR 5335 - Wamp (R-TN)

Natl Trail System Amendments

Natl Trails System willing seller authority: S 169 - Allard (R-CO)

Revision of feasibility & suitability studies of existing NHT: S 580 -

Hatch (R-UT) - HR 1336 - Blumenauer (D-OR)

Chisholm Trail & Great Western Trails Studies: S 2255 - Hutchison (R-TX) -

HR 2849 - Cole (R-OK)

Coop Watershed Management Program: S 3085 - Tester (D-MT)

Competitive Status for Federal Employees in AK: S 1433 - Murkowski (R-AK)

Management of the Baca Natl Wildlife Refuge: S 127 - Allard (R-CO) ­ HR

1658 - Salazar (D-CO)

Paleontological Resources Preservation: S 320 - Akaka (D-HI) - HR 554 -

McGovern (D-MA)

Izembek Natl Wildlife Refuge Land Exchange: S 1680 - Murkowski (R-AK) ­ HR

2801 - D Young (R-AK)

Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project: S 2875 - Tester (D-MT)

Additions to the Natl Park System

Paterson Great Falls Natl Hist. Park, NJ: S 148 - Lautenberg (D-NJ) - HR

189 - Pascrell (D-NJ)

William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home Natl Hist. Site: S 245 ­ Pryor

(D-AR) - HR 5504 - Ross (D-AR)

River Raisin Natl Battlefield Park: S 3247 - Levin (D-MI) - Hr 6470 -

Dingell (D-MI)

Amendments to Existing Units of the Natl Park System

Funding for Keweenaw Natl Historical Park: S 189 - Levin (D-MI) - HR 3704 -

Stupak (D-MI)

Location of visitor & admin facilities for Weir Farm NHS: S 1247 -

Lieberman (ID-CT) - HR 1836 - Shays (R-CT)

Little River Canyon Natl Preserve boundary expansion: S 1961 ­ Sessions

(R-AL) - HR 5486 - Rogers (R-AL)

Hopewell Culture Natl Historical Park boundary expansion: S 1993 ­ Brown

(D-OH) - HR 2197 - Space (D-OH)

Jean LaFitte Natl Historical Park & Preserve boundary adj: S 783 ­ Landrieu

(D-LA) - HR 1387 - Melancon (D-LA)

Minute Man Natl Historical Park: S 2513 - Kennedy (D-MA) - HR 5853 -

Tsongas (D-MA) / HR 2815 - Meehan (D-MA)

Everglades Natl Park: S 2804 - Nelson (D-FL) / S 3340 - Martinez (R-FL) -

HR 5708 - Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)

Kalaupapa Natl Historical Park: S 2502 - Akaka (D-HI) - HR 3332 ­ Hirono

(D- HI)

Boston Harbor Islands Natl Recreation Area: S 1365 - Kerry (D-MA)

Thomas Edison Natl Historical Park, New Jersey: S 2329 - Menendez (D-NJ) -

HR 2627 - Payne (D-NJ)

Women's Rights Natl Historical Park: S 1816 - Clinton (D-NY) - HR 3114 -

Slaughter (D-NY)

Martin Van Buren Natl Historical Site: S 2535 - Clinton (D-NY) - HR 3063 -

Gillibrand (D-NY)

Palo Alto Battlefield Natl Historical Park: S 3011 - Cornyn (R-TX) ­ HR

4828 - Ortiz (D-TX)

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Natl Hist. Park: S 3226-Bunning (R-KY)

New River Gorge Natl River: HR 5137 - Rahall (D-WV)

Technical Corrections

Wright Bro.-Dunbar Natl Hist. Park, OH: HR 4199 - Turner (R-OH)

Fort Davis Natl Historic Site: HR 6176 - Rodriguez (D-TX)

Special Resource Studies

Walnut Canyon study: S 722 - McCain (R-AZ) - HR 1558 - Renzi (R-AZ) /

HR5751 - Pastor (D-AZ)

Tule Lake Segregation Center, CA: S 1476 - Feinstein (D-CA) ­ HR 2506 -

Doolittle (R-CA)

Estate Grange, St. Croix: S 1969 - Hatch (R-UT)

Harriet Beecher Stowe House, ME: S 662 - Snowe (R-ME)

Shepherdstown Battlefield, West VA: S 1633 - Byrd (D-WV)

Green McAdoo School, TN: S 2207 - Alexander (R-TN) - HR 2695 - Wamp (R-TN)

Harry S. Truman Birthplace, MO: HR 3998 - Grijalva (D-AZ)

Battle of Matewan special res. study: HR 3998 - Grijalva (D-AZ)

Butterfield Overland Trail: HR 3998 - Grijalva (D-AZ)

Cold War sites theme study: S 2561 - Reid (D-NV) - HR 5139 - Berkley (D-NV)

Battle of Camden, SC: S 3051 - Graham (R-SC) - HR 1674 - Spratt (D-SC)

Fort San Geronimo, Puerto Rico: S 3051 - Graham (R-SC) - HR 1545 ­ Fortuno

(R-PR)

Program Authorizations (Lots of new spending)

American Battlefield Protection Program: S 1921 - Webb (D-VA) - HR 2933 -

Miller (R-CA)

Preserve America Program: S 2262 - Domenici (R-NM) - HR 3981 ­ Miller

(D-NC)

Save America's Treasures Program: S 2262 - Domenici (R-NM) - HR 3981 -

Miller (D-NC)

Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program: S 3010 - Domenici (R-NM) ­ HR 6046

- Wilson (R-NM)

Natl Cave & Karst Research Institute: S 3096 - Bingaman (D-NM)

Advisory Commissions

Na Hoa Pili O Kaloko-Honokohau Advisory Commission: S 1728 - Akaka (D-HI)

Cape Cod Natl Seashore Advisory Commission: S 3158 - Kennedy (D-MA) ­ HR

6336 - Delahunt (D-MA)

Natl Park System Advisory Board: S 3158 - Kennedy (D-MA) - HR 6336 -

Delahunt (D-MA)

Concessions Management Advisory Board: S 3158 - Kennedy (D-MA) - HR 6336 -

Delahunt (D-MA)

St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission: S 2359 - Martinez (R-FL) ­ HR

4258 - Mica (R-FL)

Memorials - Reauthorization of memorial to M L K, Jr.: S 3607 - Burr (R-NC)

Designation of Natl Heritage Areas

Sangre de Cristo Natl Heritage Area, CO: S 443 - Salazar (D-CO) - HR 859 -

Salazar (D-CO)

Cache La Poudre River Natl Heritage Area, CO: S 128 - Allard (R-CO) ­ HR

591 - Musgrave (R-CO)

South Park Natl Heritage Area, CO: S 444 - Salazar (D-CO) ­ HR 3335 -

Lamborn (R-CO)

Northern Plains Natl Heritage Area, ND: S 2098 - Dorgan (D-ND) - HR 6678 -

Pomeroy (D-ND)

Baltimore Natl Heritage Area, MD: S 2604 - Mikulski (D-MD) ­ HR 5279 -

Cummings (D-MD)

Freedom's Way Natl Heritage Area, MA & NH: S 827 - Kerry (D-MA) - HR 1297 -

Olver (D-MA)

MS Hills Natl Heritage Area: S 2254 - Cochran (R-MS) - HR 4457 - B Thompson

(D-MS)

MS Delta Natl Heritage Area: S 2512 - Cochran (R-MS) - HR 4457 - B Thompson

(D-MS)

Muscle Shoals Natl Heritage Area, AL: HR 1483 - Regula (R-OH)

Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm Natl Heritage Area, AK: S 3045 ­ Murkowski

(R-AK)

Studies ­ (Editor: They are going to ask the Park Service to study whether

the Park Service would want more land, more money and more power. What do

you think any bureaucracy would say?)

Chattahoochee Trace, AL & GA: S 637 - Sessions (R-AL) - HR 1408 ­ Everett

(R-AL)

Northern Neck, VA: S 3039-Webb (D-VA)-HR 1483 - Regula (R-OH)

Amendments Relating to Natl Heritage Corridors

Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley NHC: S 1182 - Dodd (D-CT) - HR 1949 -

Courtney (D-CT)

DE & Lehigh NHC: S 817 - Voinovich - HR 3809 - Kanjorski (D-PA)

Erie Canalway NHC: S 817 - Voinovich - HR 1483 - Regula (R-OH)

John Chafee Blackstone River Valley NHC: HR1483-Regula (R-OH)

Feasibility Studies

Snake, Boise, & Payette River systems, ID: S 542 - Craig (R-ID)

Sierra Vista Subwatershed, AZ: S 1929 - Kyl (R-AZ) - HR 3328 ­ Giffords

(D-AZ)

San Diego Intertie, CA: HR 1803 - Hunter (R-CA)

Project Authorizations

Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation Project, OR: S 1037 ­ Smith

(R-OR) - HR 496 - Walden (R-OR)

Madera Water Supply Enhancement Project, CA: S 1473 - Feinstein (D-CA) ­ HR

1855 - Radanovich (R-CA)

Eastern NM Rural Water System Project, NM: S 2814 - Bingaman (D-NM) ­ HR

5710 - T Udall (D-NM)

Rancho CA Water District Project, CA: HR1725 - Bono Mack (R-CA)

Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Project, CO: S 1477 - Salazar (D-CO) ­ HR 3437

- Salazar (D-CO)

Rio Grande Pueblos, NM: S 2805 - Bingaman (D-NM) - HR 6024 ­ T Udall (D-NM)

Upper CO River Basin Fund: S 3189 - Bingaman (D-NM)

Santa Margarita River, CA: HR 29 - Issa (R-CA)

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District: HR 31 - Issa (R-CA)

North Bay Water Reuse Authority: S 1472 - Feinstein (D-CA) ­ HR 236 ­ M

Thompson (D-CA)

Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, CA: S 2259 ­ Feinstein (D-CA)

- HR 813 - Miller (R-CA)

Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, CA: S 1474 - Feinstein (D-CA) - HR 1139 -

Calvert (R-CA)

GREAT Project, CA: HR 1737 - Capps (D-CA)

Yucaipa Valley Water District, CA: HR 2614 - Calvert (R-CA)

Arkansas Valley Conduit, CO: S 2974 - Allard (R-CO) - HR 6502 ­ Salazar

(D-CO)

Title Transfers & Clarifications

Transfer of McGee Creek pipeline & facilities: S 177 - Inhofe (R-OK) ­ HR

2085 - Fallin (R-OK)

Albuquerque Biological Park, NM, title clarification: S 2370 ­ Bingaman

(D-NM)

Goleta Water District Water Distribution System, CA: HR 3323 - Capps (D-CA)

San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund: HR 123 - Dreier (R-CA)

Lower CO River Multi-Species Conservation Program: S 300 - Kyl (R-AZ) ­ HR

2515 - Heller (R-NV)

Secure Water: S 2156 - Bingaman (D-NM)

Aging Infrastructure: S 2842 - Reid (D-NV)

San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act: S 27 - Feinstein (D-CA) ­ HR

24 - Radanovich (R-CA) / HR 4074 - Costa (D-CA)

Northwestern NM Rural Water Projects: S 1171 - Bingaman (D-NM) - HR 1970 -

T Udall (D-NM)

U.S. Geological Survey Authorizations

Reauthorization of the Natl Geologic Mapping Act of 1992: S 240 ­ Craig

(R-ID) - HR 5171 - Costa (D-CA)

NM water resources study: S 324 - Domenici (R-NM) - HR 2071 - Wilson (R-NM)

Miscellaneous

Management & distribution of ND Trust Funds: S 1740 - Conrad (D-ND)

Amdts to Fisheries Restoration & Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000: S 1522

- Wyden (D-OR) - HR 3830 - DeFazio (D-OR)

Amendments to the AK Natural Gas Pipeline Act: S 1089 - Murkowski (R-AK)

Additional Assistant Secretary for the Dept of Energy: S 1203 ­ Bingaman

(D-NM)

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute: S 3179 - Bingaman (D-NM) ­ HR 6592

- Wilson (R-NM)

Auth. of appropriations for Natl Tropical Botanical Garden: S 2220 ­ Akaka

(D-HI) - HR 5999 - Hirono (D-HI)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For Immediate Release

November 10, 2008

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) Urges Majority Leader Reid to not Interrupt

Economic Debate with Protracted Consideration of Controversial Lands Bill

(Omnibus Federal Lands Bill)

More than 100 organizations sign letter opposing irresponsible lands

package;

Non-partisan Congressional Research Service calls package “controversial”

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) ­ U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) today urged Senate

Majority Leader Harry Reid to not use the Senate’s limited time during this

month’s lame duck session to consider a controversial $3 billion lands bill

that erects new barriers to energy exploration and is laden with special

interest provisions that have angered groups on the right and left.

Organizations ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (read their letter

to Congress here) to the National Wildlife Refuge Association have expressed

their opposition to this package. In addition, the non-partisan

Congressional Research Service has released a report (read report here)

calling the package “controversial.” The coalition letter opposing the bill

is here. Detailed background on the bill is here.

“The Senate should devote its full attention to our economic crisis, not a

lower-priority and controversial lands bill. It’s unlikely anyone within

the current administration or President-elect Obama’s transition team is

looking to this bill to get our economy moving again,” Dr. Coburn said.

“Congressional leaders have claimed that this bill is non-controversial and

should pass automatically with no debate, no amendments and no recorded

votes. Yet, more than 100 groups on the left and right find the bill

controversial. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has issued a

report that calls the package controversial. Yesterday, the Washington Post

ran a lengthy piece describing a controversial road project slipped in the

bill by the Alaska congressional delegation. And now we have learned that

the Interior Department’s Inspector General is investigating potential

illegal coordination between bureaucrats and lobbyists in promoting this

bill,” Dr. Coburn said.

Egregious bills and provisions contained in the omnibus lands package

include the following:

a.. A bill (S. 2229) that takes about 8.8 trillion cubic feet of natural

gas and 300 million barrels of oil out of production in Wyoming, according

to the Bureau of Land Management. The energy resources walled off by this

bill would equal our domestic natural gas production for 15 years.

b.. A bill (S. 27) that would spend $1 billion on a water project designed

to save 500 salmon in California. At $2 million a head, each salmon would

be worth far more than its weight in gold.

c.. A bill (S. 2359) to spend $3.5 million to celebrate the 450th birthday

of St. Augustine Florida in 2015.

d.. A bill (S. 2875) that spends $4 million to protect livestock from

wolves.

e.. A bill (S. 1969) that spends $250,000 to help bureaucrats decide how

to designate Alexander Hamilton’s boyhood home.

f.. A bill (S. 2220) to spend $5 million on botanical gardens in Hawaii

and Florida.

g.. A bill (S. 1680) to spend $3 million on a “road to nowhere” through a

wildlife refuge in Alaska.

John Hart, Communications Director

Don Tatro, Press Secretary

john_hart@coburn.senate.gov

Don_Tatro@coburn.senate.gov

202-228-5357; (cell) 202-679-1029

202-224-5971; (cell) 202-236-5325

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The omnibus land grab turning tens of millions of acres into wilderness and setting up an expanded system of Federally sponsored land use controls targeting private property is continuing to move through Congress. Harry Reid used the newly expanded left-liberal majority to override a filibuster on Sunday as bill supporters dishonestly downplay the impact. This is just the beginning.

From the viro PUBLIC LANDS NEWS BULLETIN #1: January 12, 2009:

OMNIBUS LANDS BILL BEGINS A PERILOUS TREK THROUGH CONGRESS

In a crucial vote the Senate yesterday (January 11) opened the way for

debate this week on a huge, 161-bill omnibus lands bill by defeating a

filibuster. Bill supporters from both parties hope to give the bill final

Senate passage this week.

Bill critic Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) invoked a cloture procedure that

forced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to come up with a threefifths

majority, or 60 votes, to defeat a filibuster. Reid did and the vote

was 66-to-12.

Coburn’s goose was cooked when three western Republican senators not

only took to the Senate floor to endorse the bill, but also took issue with

the substance of the Oklahoman’s arguments. For instance Coburn said the

bill would bar future oil and gas development of 300 million barrels of oil.

He was apparently referring to a provision that would forbid future leasing

in the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

But Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a bill supporter, said, “None of

the wilderness in this bill will affect oil and gas development. One bill

does restrict oil and gas development but that is supported by the Wyoming

senators and that would affect five million barrels of oil, not 300 million.”

The bill, newly numbered to S 22 and sponsored by Senate Energy

Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), contains 161 individual measures.

It would designate 2.2 million acres of wilderness, designate three new

national parks, designate several national trails, designate more than 1,000

miles of wild and scenic rivers, and designate 10 national heritage areas, to

name a few items.

On the Senate floor January 7 Coburn blasted the measure. “The

decision by Senate leaders to kick off the new Congress with an earmark-laden

omnibus lands bill makes a mockery of voters’ hopes for change,” he said.

“This package represents some of the worst aspects of Congressional

incompetence and parochialism.”

He complained that S 22 would cost $10 billion at a time when the

nation was headed toward a $1.8 trillion annual deficit, would tie up energy

resources and would trample on private property rights. As to the private

property issue Coburn said, “The eminent domain impacts whether it would be

from wilderness areas, national wild and scenic rivers, or national trails

will have a major impact on anybody living close or somewhat in proximity to

any of these designations because they are in fact impacted.”

Among others Sen. Ken Salazar (...D-Colo.), the Obama administration’s

choice for Secretary of Interior, wants Congress to approve the omnibus lands

bill before he leaves the Senate.

“While there is great anticipation for the new beginning on January 20

(when President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in), there is still work that

must be done for the State of Colorado in the coming days in the U.S.

Senate,” said Salazar. He then listed among his top priorities nine

Colorado-centric bills that are in the 161-bill measure, such as designation

of most of Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness.

The omnibus bill is opposed by a wide range of interests, beginning

with western House Republicans and including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,

private property rights advocates, powered recreation advocates, and

conservative think tanks.

The Heritage Foundation led the campaign against the bill with a widely

distributed position paper. “The lands bill removes public land that would

be available for recreational, commercial, and private ownership use by

designating such land as wilderness areas, heritage areas, conservation areas

and wild and scenic rivers,” said author Nicolas Loris. “Furthermore, the

bill places restrictions on existing federal property.”

...

(no link)

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And more coming under the guise of "stimulus", which term now means any imaginable government spending:

PUBLIC LANDS NEWS BULLETIN #1: January 12, 2009:

STIMULUS PROJECTS WILL BE LARGELY UNREVIEWED BY CONGRESS

President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are playing

high stakes political poker now as they attempt to write an $800 billion (and

climbing) economic stimulus bill. By definition the bill is expected to

include huge amounts of money for public lands programs.

For one thing Congressional committees are not providing detailed

previews of projects. The Senate Energy Committee held one hearing last

month to listen to a handful of recommendations, but will hold no mark-ups.

Instead in the Senate, said an energy committee staff member, the

Democratic leadership will simply assemble a bill and present it on the

Senate floor. “The status is our recommendations will be dealt with on the

floor. There will be no further committee action,” said the staff member.

By some accounts Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Speaker

of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) intend to assemble a brief stimulus bill

of some 15 pages. It will simply give broad instructions to agencies to

spend the $800 billion-plus. Reid and Pelosi will use recommendations from

Obama to shape their bills.

Indeed, on January 6 Reid and other leading Senate Democrats introduced

two bare-boned bills (S 1 and S 2) that they intend to be used as a vehicle

to implement the stimulus legislation. S 1 has only six lines such as

“modernize the nation’s infrastructure” and “provide tax relief.”

...

(no link)

(You already know what they mean by "tax relief" as government spending.)

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Washington Times article on the landgrab:

Massive lands bill clears filibuster

2 million acres set aside on vote of 66-12

Tom LoBianco

Monday, January 12, 2009

Senate Democrats flexed their new legislative muscle Sunday, using the first vote of the new Congress to break a Republican filibuster from the previous session of Congress, and advance a wide-ranging land-conservation measure.

The omnibus land bill would preserve more than 2 million acres of land, establish new layers of bureaucracy in the Bureau of Land Management, and designate former President Bill Clinton's childhood home a national historic site.

A handful of Republican senators, led by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, bristled at the Sunday vote called by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"When the American people asked Congress to set a new tone, I don't believe refusing to listen to the concerns of others was what they had in mind," Mr. Coburn said in a statement. "The American people expect us to hold open, civil and thorough debates on costly legislation, not ram through 1,300-page bills when few are watching."

But a large number of more-liberal Republican lawmakers, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, sided with the Democratic majority to move the lands bill forward.

The 66-12 vote to end the filibuster was buoyed by 11 Republicans who voted with Democrats.
The first vote of the Senate in the 111th Congress also marks a key victory for Mr. Reid over Mr. Coburn.

Mr. Coburn's allies in the Senate said the land bill, which is composed of 160 separate land measures considered in previous Congresses, is being rammed through the Senate with little debate.

"I smell the same stale air of good old boy, backslapping, lobbyist-driven politics," said Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican. "This is not the greatest deliberative body in the world. This is the greatest chokehold body in the world."

Full article

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Energy and Environment Dailyarticle:

7. PUBLIC LANDS: In rare Sunday vote, Senate moves past Coburn's filibuster

on omnibus

(01/12/2009)

Noelle Straub, E&E reporter

In a rare Sunday session designed to rebuke one senator for his delaying

tactics, the Senate yesterday voted overwhelmingly to move forward with an

omnibus package of more than 160 public lands, water and resources bills.

The 66-12 vote easily overcame a filibuster by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.),

who was trying again to prevent the Senate from taking up the measure that

had slipped from the schedule last year due largely to his objections.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said the

package, S 22, "reflects possibly the most significant conservation

legislation passed by the Senate in the past decade."

Negotiations will take place through today with Coburn over whether he will

insist the Senate hold a second procedural vote before taking up the

1,294-page bill, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said. If Coburn demands

a vote on adopting the motion to proceed, normally done by voice vote but

requiring a simple majority if any senator asks for a roll call, it will

likely take place today, Reid said.

House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said the omnibus

would pass the House soon if the Senate approves it. "It will come back here

and we will do something quick over here to pass it," he said Friday, adding

that it will not need to go back through committee.

Coburn said yesterday was the first time in 40 years the Senate held a vote

on the first weekend of a new session. Reid regularly threatens to keep the

Senate in over the weekend as a way to encourage senators to cut deals more

quickly, but yesterday was one of the rare instances where he carried

through with the threat.

The package was set to come up during a lame-duck session in November. But

Reid, running short on time, opted instead to hold it and promised to bring

it up as the "first or second" actions taken by the new Congress. Coburn had

threatened to filibuster the package if it came to the floor, saying the

legislation would increase government spending and curtail energy

development.

Coburn wanted votes on some of the dozen amendments he hoped to offer last

week, but Reid denied him the chance. If Reid had allowed votes on four or

five amendments, the Senate could have completed final action on the bill

Friday, Coburn said.

The bill would designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine

states, establish three new national park units, a new national monument,

three new national conservation areas, more than 1,000 miles of national

wild and scenic rivers and four new national trails. It would enlarge the

boundaries of more than a dozen existing national park units and establish

10 new national heritage areas.

It would also authorize numerous land exchanges and conveyances to help

local Western communities, address water resource and supply issues, and

includes provisions to improve land management, such as the Forest Landscape

Restoration Act.

It includes some contentious measures, such as proposals to codify the

26-million-acre National Landscape Conservation System and allow

construction of a road through Alaska's Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

Fiscal, property rights objections

Coburn outlined his objections in speeches on the Senate floor Friday and

yesterday. The majority of the items in the bill are parochial and not

priorities for the country given other pressing problems Congress should be

addressing, he said.

"It's time for us to refocus on the important things in this country, and

that is not our next election," he said.

Coburn said the bill authorizes $10 billion to $12 billion in new spending

and contains 45 earmarks at a time of huge deficits. Through wilderness

designations and other protections, the bill puts 1.3 trillion barrels of

oil and 9.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas permanently off-limits,

Coburn said.

Most of the measures in the omnibus also lack specific prohibitions on

government use of eminent domain and therefore "trample" property rights,

Coburn said. No new units should be added to the National Park Service when

it has a $9 billion maintenance backlog and cannot maintain the properties

it already has, he said.

He specifically singled out a provision that would prohibit future

development of oil and gas on 1.2 million acres in the Wyoming Range.

That prompted Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso, who authored the

measure, to take to the floor and dispute the statistics and assertions

Coburn made.

No power lines or transmission lines can be built across a wild and scenic

river, hampering energy development, Coburn added. He also objected to

specific provisions, such as $3.5 million to commemorate the 450th

anniversary of St. Augustine, Fla., and $12 million for the Smithsonian

Institution to build a new orchid greenhouse.

Bingaman strongly disagreed with Coburn's charge that the package is not a

priority, saying it resolves major land and water policy issues that have

been contested for many years.

The legislation contains roughly an equal mix of Democratic bills,

Republican bills and measures with bipartisan sponsorship, Bingaman said. He

added that 159 of the bills were approved by his committee during the

previous Congress, almost all by a unanimous vote.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the top Republican on the panel, also

defended the bill, saying it represents a huge commitment of time and effort

by the committee and that especially for states with a large amount of

public lands, such legislation is "necessary for the day-to-day functioning

of the Western economy."

Murkowski: "In the West, simple transactions often take literally an act of

Congress."

The bill maximizes energy development while protecting natural resources,

she said. Almost all the wilderness designations are in national parks or

other areas already managed with restrictions, so it would not further

curtail energy development, and the "significant amounts of funds"

authorized by the bill depend on the oversight of the appropriations

committees and president's budget requests, she added.

Senior reporter Ben Geman contributed.

Here is how they voted on the filibuster. Vote on full bill will come later

this week.

(No link)

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Maine Property Rights News

January 17, 2009

Senate Passes Omnibus Land Grab Bill 73-21

Maine Senators Snowe and Collins Oppose Private Property

The tone of the new more anti-private property government in Washington was set this week when the Senate passed the omnibus Federal land grab bill S22 by an overwhelming majority that included Maine's Senators Snowe and Collins. The grab bag of over around 160 bills left over from last year that failed to move in the previous Senate covers tens of millions of acres including "Heritage" controls and acquisition targeting private property and millions of acres of Federal land to be locked up from extracting oil, natural gas and other natural resource.

The bill was the first to move through the Senate this year, ruthlessly pushed by a cloture vote cutting off discussion last Sunday. It contains well over 1,000 pages. The "omnibus" approach was used by the Senate leadership to "package-deal" numerous controversial bills into one bill to avoid careful examination of the large volume and avoid the risk of opposition to pet projects sponsored by politicians in each state scratching each others' backs. Snowe and Collins sponsored one section targeting the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, ME for absorption by the National Park Service after the agency goes through the formality of "studying" what it already plans to get.

Snowe and Collins were not the only Republicans to refuse, as described by Washington analyst R J Smith in an email, "to stand on any sort of principle and [instead] simply wash along with the never-ending move to socialist land ownership of the nation and the closing down of the entire resources base -- oil, gas, coal, minerals, forest products and livestock -- and the loss of all the jobs and wealth created by those industries."

He reports that the counts for three votes in the Senate (the first two being to cut off discussion) were:

The first cloture vote (1/11/09) was 66 Aye; 12 Nay; 20 Not Voting.

Second cloture vote (1/14/09) was 68 Aye; 24 Nay; 6 Not Voting

The final vote (1/15/09) was 73 Aye; 21 Nay, 4 Not Voting

On the final vote 21 Republicans voted against the land grab; 19 for it, and with 1 not voting. The opposition in the Senate was led by Sen. Coburn (OK-R).

Only 11 Republicans, wrote R J Smith,

voted correctly -- Nay -- all the way through the two cloture votes and the final vote -- led by the heroic Mr. Coburn. Everyone who still believes in a free and prosperous society should personally thank all of them starting with Coburn. [Any Senator or Congressman can be reached at (202) 224-3121.]"

Coburn - OK

Brownback - KS

DeMint - SC

Grassley - IA

Inhofe - Ok

Isakson - GA

Johanns - NE

McCain - AZ

Sessions - AL

Shelby - AL

Thune - SD

Another 8 Republicans voted correctly on the second cloture vote and on the final vote.

Burr - NC

Chambliss - GA

Cornyn - TX

Ensign - NV

Hutchinson - TX

Kyl - AZ

McConnell - KY

Vitter - LA

And on the final vote two more Republicans voted Nay.

Graham - SC

Roberts - KS

Sadly, 19 Republicans voted against all of the principles of a free society and for pork before principles, socialized land before a free society, and entropy before energy security and economic growth. The Brits have a word for these folks who just care about their own pork or park: Jack Men. 'I'm all right, Jack. I've got mine. Screw you.'

It was especially sad to see both GOP senators in the following states vote against principle and freedom: ID, ME, MS, TN, UT and WY.

The Omnibus Public Land Mismanagement Act of 2009 now heads to the House where Rep. Rahall (D-WV) promises to move it quickly to the floor for a vote, bypassing any action in the Natural Resources Committee. Many of the 160+ bills in the Omnibus have never had hearings in either house and one wonders if there are any members who are able to name even a handful of the disastrous bills in this monster...

You can't maintain a free society based upon socialist land ownership and locked-up land at that. Without property rights, no other rights are possible. Isn't 50+% of America owned by government at all levels enough? In fact, too much?

Myron Ebell, Director, Energy & Global Warming Policy for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, sounded a similar theme critizing Republicans for voting against the principles they claim to represent:

http://www.openmarket.org/author/myron-ebell/

Land Grab Bill: Senators Check Principles at the Door

by Myron Ebell

January 17, 2009

Tags: Congress, conservative, Energy, Environment, federal spending, natural resources, oil, pork, pork barrel, property rights, republicans, Senate, spend

I have heard several Republican congressional leaders say that the party has learned its lesson from their disastrous losses in the past two elections. From now on, it’s back to being the party of limited government, fiscal discipline, lower taxes, and against pork barrel spending.

Sounds good, but Senate Republicans have blown their first opportunity to demonstrate that they mean what they say. The first bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brought to a vote in the 111th Congress is the omnibus land grab bill that was blocked in the waning days of the last Congress by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). It was re-introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as S. 22. It contains around 160 titles. Lots of new National Parks, Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Trails, and National Heritage Areas. Plus making official a whole new designation of public land lockups for the Bureau of Land Management called Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. And withdrawing 1.2 million acres from the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming from future oil and gas production–an area with high gas potential.

The Senate voted on Thursday 73 to 21 to pass this monstrosity. Twenty-one Republicans voted against it, but nineteen Republicans (and all 54 Democrats who voted) voted for it. This first vote suggests that it’s going to be business as usual for many Republican Senators in the 111th Congress. Talk about shrinking government and reducing federal spending. Talk about increasing domestic energy production. Talk about stopping pork barrel spending. And then vote the other way.

The twenty-one Senators who voted against S. 22 were:

Brownback (Ks.), Burr (NC), Chambliss (Ga.), Coburn (Okla.), Cornyn (Tex.), DeMint (SC), Ensign (Nev.), Graham (NC), Grassley (Ia.), Hutchison (Tex.), Inhofe (Okla.), Isakson (Ga.), Johanns (Neb.), Kyl (Az.), McCain (Az.), McConnell (Ky.), Roberts (Ks.), Sessions (Ala.), Shelby (Ala.), Thune (SD), and Vitter (La.). They should be congratulated.

If you hear any of the nineteen Republicans who voted for the land grab bill talk about getting back to the basic conservative principles of less government, lower spending, and protecting property rights, have a good laugh.

S. 22 now moves to the House of Representatives.

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The Omnibus Land Grab failed to pass the House Wednesday when Polosi tried to ram it through under a suspension of rules. But that required a 2/3 majority that the viros didn't get, slowing them down in this continuing battle.

The New York Times

The Caucus

The Politics and Government Blog of The Times

MARCH 11, 2009, 4:16 PM

Public Lands Bill Defeated in House

By KATE PHILLIPS

For now, the mega-public lands bill that would have greatly expanded public wilderness areas, parks and miles and miles of public trails, is stalled. House Republicans managed to maintain enough opposition to the omnibus measure to defeat the measure earlier today in a vote requiring two-thirds of the House members, by 282-144.

House Democratic leaders had brought the bill to the floor under suspension of the rules, as a way to keep the opposition from altering the legislation through amendments. But getting two-thirds remained dicey. Democrats tried to persuade Republicans (and conservative Democrats) that the bills were gun-friendly by the insertion of an amendment that would have prohibited any effort to close lands in the omnibus to hunting and fishing, but many Republicans still believed the legislation did not include enough gun rights protections (see below).

Three Democrats voted no; 34 Republicans voted with Democrats; and six did not vote. It fell two votes short of passage.

Beyond guns, the House Republican leadership had complained all along that the total size of the bill was extraordinary, and would cost billions of dollars. It also opposed the legislation on the grounds that many pieces of the omnibus, totaling more than 150 bills that would have created new national parks, expanded the boundaries of existing one, created monuments or “heritage areas” and nationalized trails, had never been thoroughly examined in the House.

Republicans also objected to the Democrats’ decision to pursue the vote through a suspension of the rules, contending that the procedure should be used mainly for renaming post offices or ceremonial items as opposed to something as massive as this bill. In addition, private land rights came into play as well as concerns that closing off so much land would affect energy resources...

Full article

The "gun amendment" is typical of the pragmatic strategies in Washington to buy off enough votes for what they want and then come back for the rest later when the unprincipled sell-outs are left in a minority and no longer have to be bought off. The NRA was such an entity in this case.

The Times article goes on to say that another strategy under consideration is for the Senate to re-attach the bill to something else that is harder to stop. Sen. Majority Leader Reid has in fact been threatening that and was already considering it as the preferred tactic. They don't want a simple majority vote because they don't want it subject to any weakening amendments.

The National Center for Public Policy Research

For Release: March 12, 2009

Contact: David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or e-mail dalmasi [at] nationalcenter.org

Statement of Senior Fellow R.J. Smith on the Defeat of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (S. 22) on the House Floor Wednesday

"The Democrat leadership's omnibus land lock-up bill to shut down oil, gas and coal exploration and production in the midst of a recession and a domestic energy shortage -- and to prevent the public from using their lands by placing tens of million more acres in restrictive non-use categories -- was narrowly defeated Wednesday by a bipartisan group of 141 Republicans and three heroic Democrats.

We are still finding out how bad the Omnibus is. We knew the section of the Omnibus with the prohibition on gathering fossils gave the federal government the authority to seize people's vehicles and equipment, but the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences believes the language actually gives the federal government the authority to seize private lands as well. So if you had some pretty pieces of petrified wood or a few trilobites or a tiny fish skeleton on your fireplace mantle -- the federal government might be able to seize your ranch or farm or home.

And yet there were 282 votes for this monstrosity. One of the real dangers of rolling 170+ individual bills into one 1,294-page, 9-inch thick omnibus. I would bet NO ONE ever read it all. Who knew what evils lurked in there? One would hope if there had been hearings and mark-ups and committee votes on all the individual components, plus full debate on the House floor -- that far fewer Congressmen would have voted for such a destructive draconian piece of legislation.

The major concern with the bill is the vast expansion of every sort of federal land ownership, including new and expanded National Parks, National Trails, National Heritage Areas, National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, National Preserves, National Historical Parks, National Historic Sites, and more.

It would also create 82 new Wild and Scenic Rivers including over a thousand miles of rivers.

It would also create millions of acres of new Wilderness Areas.

In addition, S. 22 would give legislative authority and statutory permanence to the National Landscape Conservation System. The NLCS was created by decree in June 2000 by then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. It effectively removed at least 26 million acres from BLM multiple-use management, giving these lands near-Wilderness status. Federal bureaucrats and environmentalists have longed to give this new land-management system official designation, placing it on a par with the National Park System and preventing future secretaries from opening the lands to even necessary and vital energy exploration.

This massive omnibus bill would lock up millions of acres of land at the height of an economic recession and at a time the U.S. is struggling to improve energy security. Instead of creating jobs and increasing resources, energy supplies and wealth, it would destroy them. It will shut down cattle grazing, mining, timber harvest, energy exploration and production and recreation.

And it would add another $10-12 billion of federal spending.

Hundreds of millions of barrels of recoverable oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas would be locked up. It would kill a vital new liquefied natural gas terminal/port in Massachusetts so that Congressman Barney Frank -- who frequently rails against oil companies for pushing energy prices higher -- won't have it spoil his view.

The omnibus would create a new coastal and estuarine conservation program as well.

It also includes provisions providing global warming and climate change programs on public lands.

Under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, it would make it a federal crime to collect or pick up fossils or fossilized rocks on any federal lands. It would become a federal crime for school children to collect fossilized sharks' teeth. And in a scary twist it would extend civil asset forfeiture, permitting the government to seize ownership of all vehicles and equipment used in the gathering of any fossilized material.

Please remember to take the time to THANK your members who voted to kill this monster. This bill was painted in every liberal newspaper as an effort to 'preserve' our future -- instead of properly viewed as an effort to prevent America from having a future.

Now it is time to thank the Congressmen who have been fighting this for months and many of the individual bills in the omnibus for years.

And don't just thank the Republicans who voted correctly. 141 Republicans voted 'nay.' But 34 voted for the Omnibus. Nearly 20% of the GOP went south. But what we really need to do is make a special effort to give some thanks and support to the THREE Democrats who voted 'nay.' THREE strong Democrats voted against the Omnibus and word on the Hill is that the Democrat leadership is coming down on them like a ton of bricks. The Omnibus would have passed without their principled and statesmanlike stance.

They are: Dan Boren (OK-2), Jim Marshall (GA-8) and Colin Peterson (MN-7)

Please take the time to contact their offices and thank them for their courageous and pro-America vote. Voting for needed jobs, resources and energy during the recession.

And if you live in their districts or have friends or contacts in their districts -- call their district offices and talk with the district directors or press people and thank them. And write some letters to the editor of their local newspapers. Or call in on a talk show.

We will likely need their support again. And it is very unpleasant being in a minority of three against the rest of the party.

Finally this bill and the urgency and pressure to pass it says a lot about the Congressional leadership. Remember last fall when gasoline prices were high and the leadership of the Congress was running for cover talking about opening up the public lands, opening up the offshore fields, opening up oil shale, etc?

And they were also talking about creating a spirit of bipartisanship.

Well look at the Omnibus. Locking up not only millions of acres of oil, gas and coal-rich lands -- but closing an LNG terminal in New England and knowingly ending leasing on land with known deposits of 300 million barrels of oil and 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

And then trying to force all the Democrats to toe the line and support the Omnibus and then giving major grief to the three who showed some bipartisan spirit -- and also voted for principles and against all the pork in the Omnibus."

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Doesn't sound very encouraging if it only failed by two votes and the main opposition was because gun rights were not sufficiently guaranteed. Such pragamatic oppositon will ultimately fail.

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Doesn't sound very encouraging if it only failed by two votes and the main opposition was because gun rights were not sufficiently guaranteed. Such pragamatic oppositon will ultimately fail.

The only amendment allowed by Pelosi for consideration under the "suspension of rules" was the gun amendment in order to buy off enough mostly Democrat pro-gun rights votes. That is how ruthless and cynical the manipulations are in Washington. It came up in the form of gun rights in this case because denial of hunting rights in rural areas is one of the problems caused by government ownership of the land and preservationism -- because viros want to ban hunting along with all other recreational and commercial uses of the land beyond their own wilderness hiking. This is why the government is pandering to hunters in regions where the viros want more land -- until after they get it and can then lock it up against hunters and others when it is too late to do anything about it because the Federal agencies have so much power and the local populace is by then disenfranchized.

Most political battles in Washington are fought by jockeying for position like this in pressure group warfare among all kinds of professional lobbyists (like viros) and local political interests, temporarily pandering to and peeling off those groups with enough votes who bother to organize against them despite being outgunned by the pros. People don't follow, let alone organize against, threats that they don't perceive as directly affecting themselves in the present and near future because politics is not their interest and they have enough problems taking care of their own lives. The vast majority of the country has no idea what is going on in Washington, what it is causing, what the threats are, and what is already in place -- timed to take effect later after no one remembers or knows who was responsible and how things got the way they are.

It has been like this for a long time. When the government is run by Democrats, who are normally much more statist and activist by inclination, the problems become much worse and more immediate. When it gets like this all you can do is try to slow them down in their manipulative games and minimize the accelerating damage while statism continues to become worse; Federal authority is rarely repealed later no matter who is in Washington because there are never enough limited government conservatives even when Republicans are in power.

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