NLCS Land Grab of 26,000,000 million acres of Federal land
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    Roady
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    NLCS Land Grab of 26,000,000 million acres of Federal land

    by Roady » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:46 pm

    From: "Land Rights Network" <alert>

    Date: March 10, 2008 1:17:44 AM MDT
    Subject: Updated, House Vote on 26,000,000 NLCS BLM Acres Wed. 3-12
    Reply-To: alert@landrights.org

    Land Rights Network

    American Land Rights Association
    PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604
    Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

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

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

    Updated, House Vote on 26,000,000 NLCS BLM Acres Wed. 3-12

    This Wednesday is the big vote on the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) (HR 2016)

    If NLCS (HR 2016) passes, it will hurt your state and community.

    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.

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

    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 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.

    -----See statement at the bottom of this e-mail by National Parks Subcommittee Ranking Minority Member Rob Bishop.

    The Democrats Are Now In Charge And They Are Deliberately Trying To Give As Late A Notice As Possible For Each Committee Action.

    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. 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) 225-0-425 -- 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: josh.albert@mail.house.gov

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

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

    House Natural Resources Committee

    Rep. Bishop is the Ranking Minority Member on Parks Subcommittee -- Here is Rep. Rob Bishop's Opening Statement from June 7, 2007 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 the June 7th 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 June 7th Hearing.

    Ranking Member Rep. Rob Bishop's (R-UT) 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.h ... ndex.shtml

    # # #



    Steve Hansen

    Director of Communications

    Republican Staff

    U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources

    1329 Longworth HOB

    Washington, D.C. 20515

    (202) 225-7749
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