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Northern Arizona is graced with nearly 3 million acres
of some of the most rugged, remote and wildly beautiful
public land in the lower 48 states. Known as the Arizona
Strip, the region includes two National Monuments: Grand
Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs. How wild the Strip
remains will depend on the kind of management plan that's
set in place. That, in turn, depends on what the managing
agency hears from all of us. That process is underway.
Unfortunately, some of the alternatives under consideration
would diminish the Strip's primitive splendor.
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released their
preliminary management alternatives and is accepting comments
on them, but only through Monday, July 7, 2003. Please
take a few moments today to tell the agency you'd like
the Arizona Strip managed for its wild beauty, its wildlife,
and its wealth of archaeological resources and that planning
alternative A comes closest to ensuring that result.
You can take action immediately from http://ga1.org/campaign/strip_tws
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THANK YOU!
Your opinion will help shape the future of the Arizona
Strip and we thank you for taking the time to voice it.
A more detailed discussion follows, as well as a sample
letter to the BLM. You can draw from both if you'd like
to write your own comments. We hope you will. All comments
matter; personal comments matter most. And no one's words
are as good as yours, so please use them where you can.
If you'd like more information, you can find photos and
details at http://ga1.org/ct/m7a4MzE1tp1J/ or http://ga1.org/ct/mpa4MzE1tp1D/
Thanks for being part of WildAlert, our online community
of wilderness advocates!
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BACKGROUND
ARIZONA STRIP: Where the American West Endures
The Arizona Strip encompasses 2.8 million spectacular
acres on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. A measure
of their grandeur is the fact that within them lie two
of America's newest National Monuments: the 1,014,000-acre
Grand Canyon-Parashant and the 293,000-acre Vermilion
Cliffs. Both were set aside to permanently protect their
diverse biological, geological, and archeological treasures
and their remote and undeveloped spaces.
This remoteness is the major reason the area's biological,
scientific and historic resources survive today. The Strip
contains archaeological artifacts from human use and activity
that reach back 11,000 years, including ancestral Anasazi
pueblo villages, southern Paiute sites, and irreplaceable
rock art images, burial sites, and caves. Its geological
record spans nearly 2 billion years and includes dinosaur
tracks and plant fossils. The Strip contains 265,600 acres
of wilderness, great tracts of roadless lands, critical
watersheds for the Grand Canyon, and a richness of wildlife
that ranges from the very swift, the pronghorn, to the
very deliberate, the desert tortoise.
PLANNING FOR A GENERATION AND BEYOND
The BLM and NPS are now writing management plans for the
Arizona Strip and are seeking public comment on early
draft management options. The plans will cover both National
Monuments, as well as the 1.7 million acres of BLM-managed
land between the two monuments. This planning process
will provide the framework for BLM and NPS management
on these lands for the next 15 to 20 years. Decisions
made now will have a profound impact on the area for decades.
The draft management options include four possible alternatives.
They range from one that, while imperfect, at least emphasizes
conservation to others that portend expanded roads, grazing,
and motorized use that will significantly damage the sensitive
lands and other resources of the Strip and change its
character for all time. We need your help to ensure that
the management plans preserve the rich natural beauty
of this area.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Please ask the BLM to protect the values that led to the
creation of these National Monuments in the first place.
Ask the agency to adopt conservation measures that will
limit motorized recreation to appropriate roads and that
will implement the citizen-proposed management area plan.
Tell the BLM that its "Alternative A" comes closest to
meeting these conservation goals.
You can send this message to the BLM immediately from
http://ga1.org/campaign/strip_tws
If you'd like to draft your own comments, we've included
the major points in the sample letter below. Please feel
free to draw from it. If you've been fortunate enough
to visit the lands of the Arizona Strip, please say so
in your comments!
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CONTACT INFO (SAMPLE LETTER IS BELOW)
Diana Hawks, Planning Coordinator
Arizona Strip BLM
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
Email: Arizona_Strip@blm.gov
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You can take action on this alert via the web at:
http://ga1.org/campaign/strip_tws/inbx8bzajwet
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
http://ga1.org/campaign/strip_tws/forward/inbx8bzajwet
We encourage you to take action by July 8, 2003
Help Preserve Arizona Strip's Wild Character!
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:
http://ga1.org/campaign/strip_tws/inbx8bzajwet
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Planning Coordinator Diana Hawks
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the preliminary
draft management alternatives for the Arizona Strip.
The final plan must ensure the long-term preservation
of the irreplaceable scenery, wildlife, and remoteness
of the BLM's Arizona Strip Planning Area, which includes
the Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs National
Monuments. As a general matter, I believe that planning
alternative A comes closest to my vision for these important
public lands. I urge you to adopt it as your preferred
alternative and I offer the following specific comments.
Please implement the citizen-proposed transportation network
that would restrict motorized recreation to the appropriate
designated open roads in the Monuments and reduce road
density in non-Monument sections of the planning area.
Leave all roads unpaved and maintained only at current
levels.
Please also adopt the citizen-proposed "management area
plan." This plan calls for preservation and enhancement
of wilderness and primitive characteristics where they
exist in the Monuments. It also calls for management of
general Monument lands for maximum protection for the
Monument's objects. And it calls for management of lands
outside the monuments to restore ecosystem health and
promote biodiversity and sustainable landscapes.
Again, I urge you to select as your preferred alternative
one that incorporates these actions. The preliminary alternative
that comes closest to meeting these criteria is Alternative
A. I thank you for this opportunity to comment.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
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If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
up for The Wilderness Society at:
http://ga1.org/wilderness/join.html?r=l1a4MzE1NpaEE
Thank you for taking ACTION, Care2's eco-alerts newsletter.
Care2 finds the most important environmental alerts,
supported by the world's leading environmental nonprofit
organizations, to empower you to help our environment.
Check it out!
1. Wildlife Habitat Under Attack!
2. New-- Daily Action Site! From Care2.com
3. Eco-Tips: Reduce Waste
4. Inspirational Quote
*****************************************************
1. Wildlife Habitat Under Attack!
The Department of the Interior (DOI), headed by Interior
Secretary Gale Norton, has launched a devastating attack
on our nation's wilderness and other special places. That
means more drilling, mining, and road construction --
destroying critical wildlife habitat and beautiful wilderness
areas! Thus far, Interior Secretary Norton has ignored the
public outcry on this issue, but she cannot ignore the
U.S. Senate. Please write your Senators today and ask
them to take action.
The DOI's Bureau of Land Management oversees a
quarter of a billion acres of beautiful & ecologically diverse
federal lands including deserts, mountains, forests, redrock
canyon country and more! Much of this wilderness -- home
to many threatened species -- lacks permanent protections.
Sign this petition and urge your U.S. Senators to force the
DOI to reverse anti-wilderness, anti-wildlife actions.
SIGN NOW! http://www.care2.com/go/z/6381
2. New Daily Action Site -- From Care2.com
Sometimes it isn't always easy to make the time to take
action on behalf of the environment. Care2.com now
offers you a "one-click" opportunity that will help bring protect
the environment, human rights, health and more.
Each day, the daily action site provides one suggestion
to the team of thousands of daily action participants. One
day is an "eat vegetarian" day, the next day is to get informed
about the Bush Administration's Forest policy.
On an individual level, it takes 2 minutes. Collectively,
it means change on a global level.
Check it out, and find out what you can do today...
http://www.care2.com/go/z/6382
3. Eco-Tips: Reduce Waste
Waste disposal is a complex problem, but unlike many other
environmental issues, individuals can make a significant impact!
Take some of these steps to reduce your household waste
(From the NRDC):
1. Buy products made with recycled content and packaged in
recyclable materials.
2. Participate in curbside recycling program by properly
separating recyclables from other garbage.
3. If there is no curbside pick-up of recyclables where you live,
learn where you can take items to be recycled and make the
effort to go there.
4. Support more ambitious recycling initiatives in your community.
5. Learn about and avoid products that contain hazardous contents.
6. Bring your own cloth bags to local stores, and keep a ceramic
mug for water or coffee at work rather than using paper or plastic
foam cups.
7. Tell store managers and manufacturers who are making good
environmental choices that you recognize and appreciate their
efforts.
8. Buy in bulk -- you can purchase larger quantities with less
packaging.
9. Reduce organic waste by composting food scraps and yard waste.
10. Donate old clothing to homeless shelters, thrift stores, etc.
4. Inspirational Quote:
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
~ William James
To SUBSCRIBE, e-mail: care2-alerts-subscribe@australia.care2.com
For contact information, go to:
http://www.care2.com/aboutus/contact.html
To: All Activists
From: Faith Campbell, American Lands' Invasive Species Program Director
Date: July 1, 2003
Sign On to Comments to USDA: Demand Strong Regulations to Prevent
Introductions of Foreign Insects and Disease that Threaten Forests and Trees
Most of the foreign or exotic insects that threaten our forests enter the
country by hitchhiking on crates, pallets, or other forms of packaging made
of wood. Examples of recent introductions on wood packaging include the
Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer. The US Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is now
accepting comments on a proposed rule that would only partially protect our
forests from bioinvasion while simultaneously exacerbating damage to the
stratospheric ozone layer that protects us from damaging ultraviolet
radiation.
The closing date for the comment period is July 21st. American Lands has
prepared a sign-on letter, which you can find at
www.AmericanLands.org/proposal-comment_letter.htm. The deadline to sign on
is July 15th. We encourage you to send your own letter, which you can base
on either the sign-on letter or the background information provided at
www.AmericanLands.org/aphis_proposal1.htm.
Send an original and 3 copies of your letter to:
Docket No. 02-032-2,
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
If you send your own letter we would like to receive a copy. Please e-mail
it Faith Campbell at phytodoer@americanlands.org.
Points to Make Your Letter:
* It is crucial to halt introductions of forest insects via the pathway of
wood packaging. The guidelines adopted by the International Plant
Protection Convention (which APHIS' proposal would adopt) represent an
important improvement over current situation. However, the IPPC guidelines
have several flaws:
- they are not sufficiently effective to protect North America's
invaluable forests
- they will result in a major increase in use of the
fumigant methyl bromide, which damages the stratospheric ozone layer and
threatens workers' health.
* APHIS should specify in the regulation that by 2014, the agency will
require all incoming packaging to be made from materials other than solid
wood (boards). Such alternative materials include fiberboards and
particleboards, metal, plastic, fiberglass, etc. Crates, pallets, and other
packaging made from these alternative materials will not harbor forest
pests, will be easy to verify as being in compliance, and will not
necessitate use of environmentally damaging fumigants such as methyl
bromide.
* Requiring shippers to convert to packaging made from alternative materials
is the only strategy that achieves all three national goals at stake in this
rulemaking: accommodating rising trade volumes, protecting forests from
exotic pests, and protecting the stratospheric ozone layer.
* Canada has already implemented the IPPC standard. It is crucial that the
two countries work closely to curb the numerous introductions in the Great
Lakes region. These introductions have included the Asian longhorned beetle
in Chicago; emerald ash borer in Detroit, Windsor, and Toledo; pine shoot
beetle in Cleveland and elsewhere; Hylurgops palliatus in Erie, PA; and
Hylurgus ligniperda, a red haired pine bark beetle, in Rochester, NY.
* APHIS needs to quickly promulgate the separate rulemaking to close the
loophole, which allows untreated wood packaging to enter the country from
Mexico. Pests from Mexico threaten forests throughout the "lower 48"
states.
For the full text of the sign-on letter, see
www.AmericanLands.org/proposal-comment_letter.htm
For more extensive background on the threat to our forests from pests that
hitchhike on wood packaging, see www.AmericanLands.org/aphis_proposal1.htm.
For more information, contact: Faith Campbell, Ph.D., Director of the
Invasive Species Program, American Lands, phytodoer@aol.com, 202-547-9120.
PROTECT OUR WILD AND PRISTINE FORESTS
We need your help to urge Congress to pass legislation to
permanently protect roadless and unspoiled national forestlands.
A dramatic tug-of-war over these lands has been underway for
years, with the fate of brown bears, wolves, bald eagles, salmon,
and old-growth forests hanging in the balance.
The Clinton administration had made these lands largely off-limits
to logging though its Roadless Area Conservation Rule. But under
renewed industry pressure, the U.S. Forest Service recently announced
plans that will undermine the rule, which had set aside nearly 60 million
acres of remaining wild places in our national forests.
Learn more and send a personalized message urging your members
of Congress to cosponsor roadless area protection legislation.
Greenpeace's Positive Energy
June 22 - 28, 2003
v. 3.21
"It's heating up here," so it's time for the Greenpeace Clean Energy Now! weekly good news update.
Inside this edition:
- Historic "Climate Change Action Plan" Becomes Law!
- NY Governor Uses the Power of the Pocketbook and Purchases Wind for the State
- Bush Gets an F on LCV's Environmental Presidential Report Card
++ Historic "Climate Change Action Plan" becomes Law!
On Thursday June 26th, Maine's Governor John Baldacci signed a state law - the first in the nation - to set specific goals and a timeline to reduce carbon dioxide pollution. The law will create a "climate change action plan" by July 2004 to reduce carbon dioxide levels to 1990 levels by 2010, to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and eventually by as much as 80 percent. (Greenpeace similarly advocates a reduction to some 80% below 1990 levels, based on projections by top climate scientists, and sets a more rapid timeline in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change.)
Members of Maine's congressional delegation have become increasingly frustrated waiting for the feds to set enforceable standards, so instead they decided to do it themselve's setting the bar nationally for other states to follow.
To learn more about the first-of-its kind Climate Change Act, cut and paste this (admittedly very long) link:
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ME)
++ NY Governor Uses the Power of the Pocketbook and Purchases Wind for the State
Moving forward on his 2003 State of the State Address promise to ensure that at least 25 percent of the electricity purchased in the state by 2013 is generated from renewable resources, New York Governor George Pataki and the NY Power Authority have agreed to purchase of up to 50 MW of electricity (enough for some 50,000 homes) from projects to be built in western New York and the Finger Lakes region. Starting January 1, 2005, Chautauqua Windpower and Windfarm Prattsburgh will provide the state with wind energy for a 10-year period, dramatically reducing the state's global warming and air pollution while increasing the state's energy security and providing a much needed economic boost to the region.
To read more about NY state's clean energy purchases, go to: http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=4573
++ Bush Gets an F on the League of Conservation Voters Environmental Presidential Report Card
The bad news is the environment is suffering. The good news is the word is getting out. This month the League of Conservation Voters released its 2003 Presidential Report Card, and not surprisingly - Bush has failed on the environment. Over the past year Bush has announced the "Healthy Forests" and "Clear Skies" initiatives to cover up the Bush Administration's agenda of allowing industry to increase their profits at the expense of environmental protection and public health. This is a critical report card for Bush and clearly demonstrates that his weakness on environmental issues could severely hinder his bid for re-election in 2004.
Check out the Report Card at: http://www.lcv.org/alerts/alertsMain.cfm?AlertID=22&ORGID=RCHome
The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our web site,
http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news
about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and
renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.
Help Greenpeace spread the word. Forward this e-mail on to other caring individuals.
Want to do more? Become a Greenpeace member today!
To give online, go to:
https://www.greenpeaceusa.org/join2/list.htm
To: All Activists
From: American Lands Alliance & National Forest Protection Alliance
Date: July 3, 2003
Talking Points for National Call-In Day to the Senate (July 16)
Your participation is urgently needed for the National Call-In Day as the
so-called "Healthy Forests Restoration Act," HR 1904, is moving fast in the
Senate with full Agriculture committee mark-up of the bill scheduled after
the July 4th Congressional recess. It is up to us to call on our elected
leaders to stand up and protect forests and to stop the reckless assault on
our National Forests pushed forward by the Bush Administration and many in
Congress. Senators must block HR 1904 from moving forward this year in the
Senate.
Frankly, many Senators have bought into the Administration's rhetoric that
it is environmentalists that cause fires due to appeals and litigation
rather than decades of Forest Service mismanagement. Many Senators have
signaled their willingness to vote to cut out our rights to comment on
projects on our public lands, to appeal projects, and to seek redress in the
courts for environmentally degrading and illegal projects. It is the Forest
Service that continues to violate the law by illegally logging our national
forests, building miles of new roads, and suppressing over 98% of fires
across the landscape -- all activities that continue to increase fire risks
and exacerbate restoration needs. It is the Forest Service's illegal
activities, all counter to any notion of "forest health" that will continue
to go unchecked if the Senate passes this legislation.
We need to step up the pressure. Please mark your calendars, participate,
and activate all of your networks for the National Call in Day on July 16.
National Call in Day -- July 16, 2003 - The goal of the National Call in
Day is to get as many calls as we possibly can to the Senate to block
efforts to pass the Bush Administration's Healthy Forests Initiative.
You and your members can call the Senate toll free at 1-800-839-5276. To
find your Senator go to
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.
Please ask your Senator to Oppose HR 1904. Tell them about the damaging
effects this legislation will have on the ground in our National Forests.
Tell them that H.R. 1904 will:
1. Not ensure any increased protection for communities at risk from fires.
Protecting communities and lives must be the top priority for fire
legislation.
2. Focus on logging in the backcountry miles away from communities at risk.
3. Will take away your democratic right to participate in decisions about
how your public lands are managed.
4. Interfere with the Independent Judiciary by restricting our democratic
rights to seek redress in the court involving grievances with the federal
government for damaging "forest health" projects. This bill shifts the
balance to favor the timber industry over citizens.
In addition please tell Senators to:
1. Support community protection by requiring that fuels projects be
concentrated to the Community Protection Zone to provide community and
firefighter protection. Government research has found this is the only
proven method to protect homes and communities.
2. Direct at least 85% of the National Fire Plan hazardous fuels budget to
grants for states and funding to local communities to provide funds to
ensure community and homeowner protection in the Community Protection Zone.
Research has shown that 85% of the lands within the Community Protection
Zone are State, tribal, county and non-industrial private lands.
3. Oppose any fire legislation that excludes environmental analysis, limits
public participation and citizen's rights to appeal projects, takes citizens
rights to challenge illogical or damaging hazardous fuels projects, and use
of goods for services contracts which allow logging companies to be given
trees instead of cash as payment for fuels reduction logging on public
lands.
For more background information, fact sheets and materials please go to:
http://www.americanlands.org/activist_materials_packet.htm. (Scroll to down
to New Fact Sheets on Bush Admin Attacks)
Many Senate offices are still undecided on HR 1904 - they need to hear from
us loud and clear.
Please activate your networks and help make this call in day a success!!
P.S. Stay tuned for more details next week on the National Day of Truth
scheduled for July 23, 2003.
Thank you.
Lisa Dix
National Forest Program Director
American Lands Alliance
ldix@americanlands.org
Ph: 202-547-9105; Fax: 202-547-9213
In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill that
lacks a renewable electricity standard (RES), a provision that would
ensure an increase in generation of clean renewable energy like wind
and solar. The House's failure to take this step toward a cleaner
energy future is disappointing. An RES would save consumers money on
their utility bills, create jobs, spur rural economic development,
and improve our energy security. Encouraging the use of renewable
energy would also reduce air pollution and heat-trapping gases that
threaten public health. Over the next few weeks, renewable energy
will become a focal point of the Senate energy debate. Senator
Bingaman (D-NM) is planning to introduce an RES amendment that would
require ten percent of our electricity to come from renewable sources
by 2020. Please urge your senators to insist that any energy bill
emerging from the Senate include a strong RES.
TAKE ACTION
To personalize your letter, or to learn more about this campaign,
visit: http://www.ucsaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=2724
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Dear Senator,
I am writing to urge you to support a renewable electricity standard
in the upcoming debate on the energy bill.
A strong RES would diversify our energy supply and increase our
energy security, while protecting consumers from volatile fossil fuel
prices. A study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
shows that an RES of 20 percent by 2020 would reduce the demand for
natural gas and lower natural gas prices, offsetting slight
electricity price increases and causing virtually no net change to
total consumer bills.
Increasing our reliance on renewable energy would also boost the
economy. According to the DOE, wind energy alone could provide $1.2
billion in new income for farmers and rural landowners and create
80,000 new jobs by 2020. In addition, the RES would reduce the air
pollution and emissions of global warming gases that threaten our
health and the well being of our planet.
Please help us move toward a cleaner energy future by insisting that
any national energy legislation include a strong RES. Also, I
urge you to oppose attempts to include trash burning in the
definition of clean renewable energy. Please let me know your
position on this important issue.
Sincerely,
[your name and address will be inserted here]
In 2000, Congress promised the American people it would
commit substantial resources to purchasing and protecting
open space in this country. Congress created the Conservation
Trust Fund to provide $2 billion per year over six years
for everything from neighborhood parks and bike paths
to state parks and national wildlife refuges. But this
year Congress is poised to break that promise, and may
act soon after it returns from the July 4th recess.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote
on a bill that slashes this land conservation funding
by over $500 million. Time is short and regular mail
won't arrive in time. Please take a moment today to phone,
fax or email your U.S. Representative and urge him or
her to support an amendment to fully fund the Conservation
Trust Fund at $1.56 billion in the Interior Appropriations
Bill. You can take action immediately from http://ga1.org/wilderness/home/
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Thanks for helping us restore critical funding for open
space protection across the United States! More background
information follows in this message, as well as a sample
letter you can draw from if you'd like to write your own
comments. And we hope you will! Your own comments are
always the best and personalized messages are powerful.
If you'd like more information, you can find it at http://ga1.org/ct/Sda4MzE1g1aK/OurIssues_Budget.
Thanks for being part of WildAlert, our online community
of wilderness advocates!
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BACKGROUND: THE CONSERVATION TRUST FUND
This summer, millions of Americans are heading outdoors
to take advantage of recreational opportunities made possible
by our nation's unequaled system of local, state, and
federal public lands. These close-to-home recreation areas
are where, just a few days ago, we celebrated the birth
of our nation with picnics and fireworks displays. These
are places where we enjoy family reunions and vacations,
and experience the outdoors through the remarkable variety
of public places that help make America what it is.
This extraordinary system of public lands and recreation
areas owes a great debt to federal conservation funding
programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) and the Forest Legacy program. LWCF includes a
state matching grant program that has provided support
for more than 39,000 state and local parks, and a federal
program that creates and enhances national parks, forests
and wildlife refuges. The Forest Legacy program provides
funding to states and towns to prevent healthy forests
from being chopped up by development.
These programs work. They allow the federal government
to better manage its public lands. They assist states
with much-needed funding to leverage state, local and
private dollars to provide local outdoor recreation opportunities,
to protect wildlife habitat and clean drinking water supplies.
CONGRESS TURNS ITS BACK
In 2000, with overwhelming bipartisan support in both
the House of Representatives and the Senate, Congress
created the Conservation Trust Fund, a six-year commitment
to provide $12 billion for LWCF, Forest Legacy, and a
range of other conservation and historic preservation
programs. This year, however, Congress has abandoned the
Conservation Trust Fund. The House of Representatives
has proposed cutting this funding by over $500 million,
crippling the ability of states and communities to protect
valuable open space, and of the federal government to
add lands to our national parks, forests, and wildlife
refuges.
Even during times of war and crisis, Americans have always
found the money to continue to invest in our natural heritage
for future generations. With sprawl development consuming
open space at record rates, we cannot falter in our commitment
now. We need the federal government to keep its promise
and fully fund the Conservation Trust Fund. What so recently
was touted as a visionary program for maintaining America's
natural heritage is rapidly becoming a dream deferred.
TAKE ACTION
The House of Representatives is voting on the Interior
Appropriations Bill (the portion of the federal budget
that funds much of the Conservation Trust Fund) as early
as the week of July 7th. Please call, fax or email your
Representative today and urge him or her to keep the promise
of the Conservation Trust Fund and do everything possible
to restore full funding at its authorized level of $1.56
billion in the Interior Appropriations Bill.
You can send this message to your Representative immediately
http://ga1.org/wilderness/home/ . If you'd like to
draft your own, we've included the major points in the
sample letter below. Please feel free to draw from it.
CONTACT INFORMATION
You can find numbers, addresses and other information
for your Representative at http://ga1.org/ct/S1a4MzE1g1aD/House
**********************************
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Rep. _______:
This summer, millions of Americans are heading outdoors
to take advantage of recreational opportunities made possible
by our nation's unequaled system of local, state, and
federal public lands. We urge you to protect and enhance
these world-class resources by keeping the promise of
the Conservation Trust Fund. Please do everything in your
power to restore the Conservation Trust Fund to its dedicated
level of $1.56 billion in the House Interior Appropriations
bill when it comes up for a vote in the coming days.
The public lands and recreation areas available to all
Americans could not have been acquired and maintained
without federal conservation funding programs like the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and Forest Legacy.
For almost forty years, such programs have provided the
funds needed to create more than 39,000 state and local
parks and over seven million acres of protected open space
throughout America's national parks, forests and wildlife
refuges.
In 2000, with the creation of the Conservation Trust Fund,
Congress promised all Americans that it would make sure
that our nation would always reserve enough money to address
its most pressing conservation, wildlife and recreation
needs. The Congress pledged to dedicate an average of
$2 billion per year over six years in funding for LWCF,
Forest Legacy, and other critical conservation work. Unfortunately,
the Administration's most recent budget proposal provides
only a fraction of the dollars needed for the Trust Fund.
Funding levels in the House Interior Appropriations bill
are far worse, cutting over $500 million of the $1.56
billion promised for FY 2004.
We desperately need the Conservation Trust Fund to protect
those places that make our communities livable: our children's
playgrounds, our drinking water supplies, wildlife habitat,
the places we go to spend time with our families. Please
act now to keep the promise of the Conservation Trust
Fund in the Interior Appropriations bill.
Thank you for your leadership on this issue. I look forward
to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[your name and address]
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WORDS TO INSPIRE
"God bless America! Let's save some of it!"
--Edward Abbey
The Senate is slated to take up S. 925, the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act of 2004 (State Department Authorization
Act) on the floor of the Senate tomorrow--Wednesday July
9. At that time, they are expected to debate an amendment
from Sen. Barbara Boxer to repeal the Global Gag Rule.
Contact your Senators NOW to express your support for
the Boxer provision!
You can take action on this alert either via email (please
see directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/GGR/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/GGR/
We encourage you to take action by October 1, 2003
Senate to Vote on Global Gag Rule
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/GGR/ee3bx2r783b3j
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Senators
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to urge your support for the Boxer amendment
during debate on S.925 - the State Department Authorization
bill. The amendment will repeal the harmful and undemocratic
global gag rule that undermines family planning programs
throughout the developing world. It will also ensure that
U.S. foreign assistance programs reflect our values of
free speech, democratic participation and the right to
full and complete health care information.
The global gag rule bars overseas family planning providers
from using their own money to provide information to patients
about the availability of safe, legal abortion in their
own countries. It forces health care providers to make
an impossible choice: they must either violate basic medical
ethics by promising to deny full information to their
patients or they must sacrifice desperately needed funding
and upplies. The global gag rule is denying women all
around the world access to family planning services. It
is undermining efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS,
it is eroding access to contraceptives and, far from reducing
abortion, it is making unsafe abortion more likely.
The global gag rule also bars recipients of U.S. family
planning aid from engaging in policy discussions about
the abortion laws in their own countries. Such a restriction
would be unconstitutional here in America. The Boxer amendment
sets a simple standard: restrictions we do not dare impose
on Americans should not be imposed on those who live outside
our borders.
Please take a stand in defense of free speech, democracy,
and voluntary family planning. Vote "Yes" on the Boxer
amendment.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
up for Population Connection (formerly ZPG) Email Action
Network at:
http://actionnetwork.org/populationconnection/join.html?r=c1qUq8d1UcJBE
From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
To: ACLU Action Network Members
Date: July 8, 2003
As Congress returns from its Independence Day break, now is the perfect time to remind our Representatives and Senators that we must continually defend the liberties and rights enshrined in our founding principles. One recent attack on these rights was the USA PATRIOT Act, a bill that Congress adopted just 45 days after the September 11 tragedies. This sweeping legislation undercuts many important checks and balances on government law enforcement and intelligence powers.
The PATRIOT Act and other post-9/11 government actions have created a groundswell of opposition from all parts of the political spectrum. Resolutions opposing the PATRIOT Act have been passed in 136 communities and three states. Taken together, these municipalities and states represent about 16.5 million people.
Instead of properly addressing the failure of law enforcement to identify and respond to threats to our safety, the Administration and Members of Congress rashly passed legislation that infringes on our freedoms and rights. The PATRIOT Act and other government actions need proper review and must be brought into line with the Constitution.
Click here for more information about the PATRIOT Act, the resolution movement and to send a free fax to your Members of Congress:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=13081&c=206
****************************************************************
For more information on other issues and the latest news, please visit our website at http://www.aclu.org
Help Strengthen the ACLU's Voice in Congress... Click below to become a card-carrying Member or donate today!
http://www.aclu.org/contribute/contribute.cfm?ORGID=AA02
If you are not already on our mailing list and would like to subscribe to the ACLU Action Network Updates, click http://www.aclu.org/team/member.cfm
To find out what more you can do to protect your civil liberties, please visit http://www.aclu.org/action
A Bi-weekly Update from
Defenders of Wildlife: 1. NO FENCES: Barriers between theUnited States and Mexico are reconsidered
2. CANADA LYNX: No increased
protection
3. COUNTING SEA OTTERS: Numbers increase, but more research needed 4. Help Save the Lives of Alaska's
Wolves
5. WINDPOWER: Wildlife must be taken into account
More than 25 national and regional
conservation groups, including Defenders, called on Interior Secretary Gale
Norton and other federal officials to assess the impacts of planned extensive
wind power development in the Appalachian mountain range on migratory birds. The
groups urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop appropriate criteria
for the windpower facilities within the guidelines of the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act, which makes it illegal to kill migratory birds.
"Wind power should be a part of
our energy future, but it won't live up to its environmentally friendly
reputation if we're not careful about how and where we build it," said
Mike Senatore of Defenders. "If we do it right, we'll have another source
of clean energy. If we do it wrong, we'll kill hundreds of thousands of
migratory birds every year." For more information, visit
http://www.defenders.org/releases/pr2003/pr062403.html
.
6. Help Support Funding for Conservation Programs In 2002, Congress created an innovative
new program to help farmers and ranchers protect wildlife habitat, reduce the
use of harmful pesticides and run their farms in a more environmentally friendly
manner. The Conservation Security Program, which provides payments to farmers
and ranchers for implementing a wide range of conservation practices on their
land, will receive absolutely no funding in Fiscal Year 2004 under a House bill
passed on June 25. But, there is still a chance to secure funding for this
program in the Senate. Please go to
http://www.denaction.organd click on alert # 241 to send a fax to your senator.
And to see the latest cartoon by Bruce Plante go to:
http://www.defenders.org/den/cartoons/DefendContrustfund.jpg.
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS? Just send an E-mail from your old address to:
Changeaddress@defenders.org
and put only your new e-mail address in the subject line. If you no longer have access to your old address
send an e-mail to DEN@Defenders.org
and in the text part of the message give us your "old" and "new" addresses. DENlines is a bi-weekly update of Defenders of Wildlife, a leading national conservation organization
recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and
its habitat. It is known for its effective leadership on endangered species
issues, particularly predators such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders
also advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species
before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit
501(c)(3) organization with more than 400,000 members and supporters. To
unsubscribe, send an e-mail to denlines@den.defenders.org
and put the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Defenders of Wildlife
Copyright Defenders of Wildlife 2003
Working to Save Wildlife and Wild Lands
NO FENCES:
Barriers between the U.S. and Mexico are reconsidered
CANADA LYNX:
No increased protection
COUNTING SEA
OTTERS:
Numbers
increase, but more research needed
HELP SAVE ALASKA'S
WOLVES
WINDPOWER:
Wildlife
must be taken into account
HELP SUPPORT FUNDING FOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
DEN members to the rescue again! Last
winter, you sent more than 1,500 faxes to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
the Department of Homeland Security telling them to scrap their proposed plan
for a massive "security" barricade on the Mexican-Arizona border.
Environmentally, the plan would have been a disaster, especially for border cats
and an endangered bat species. Agency officials claim to have scrapped the
original plan and are going back to the drawing board. According to Jim Caffrey,
facilities director for the Border Patrol, the agency got "a little carried
away." However, in May the Border Patrol released four new documents
detailing expanded operations in Arizona, one of which calls for more than 40
miles of fencing that cuts through prime jaguar habitat. It appears that the
agency is now trying to implement projects in a piecemeal fashion to avoid
similar public scrutiny, and so Defenders continues to watch these projects
closely. For more information, visit
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/local/7_1_03border_wall.html
.
In response to a successful lawsuit by
Defenders, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reconsidered its decision to
list the lynx as threatened rather than endangered, a status that would offer
the species more protection. Unfortunately, FWS recently announced it will not
recognize the lynx as an endangered species in any portion of its range.
"So few lynx have been located in huge tracts of former habitat -- the
Great Lakes and Northeast -- that they seem to clearly warrant endangered
status, or at least a closer reexamination than the Fish and Wildlife Service
gave them," said Defenders' Mike Leahy. For more information, visit
http://www.defenders.org/den/fwslynx.html
.
The spring census of California sea
otters counted 2,505 of the lovable creatures -- the first increase since 2000
-- but scientists warned that they need a better understanding of the long-term
declines of this population. "The spring census results are the first good
news for the California sea otter in many years, but we still are not any closer
to understanding the bigger picture, which is why this species has declined over
the past seven years and recently suffered a record number of strandings,"
said Jim Curland, Defenders' marine program associate. "We still need
substantial research to pinpoint and address the root causes for this species'
long-term decline." To urge Interior Secretary Gale Norton to fund more
research, visit
www.saveseaotters.org
.
Your help is urgently needed to help save Alaska's wolves. Governor Frank Murkowski has reinstated public
"land-and-shoot" as part of a renewed effort to conduct more
widespread wolf control over huge areas of central Alaska. It's a barbaric
practice where airplanes are used to chase down and kill wolves. Already, DEN
readers have generously responded by contributing more than $26,000 and
generating more than 30,000 petitions to help restore the ban. Thank you! Please
send your petition to Murkowski and help with an online tax-deductible donation
today. When you make a donation of $25 or more we'll send you a Defenders of
Wildlife tote bag with our thanks. Go to
http://www.defenders.org/den/akdonate.html for more information.
1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
July is time for fireworks, fishing trips, beaches, and family barbeques. What better way to honor these traditions than by ensuring that America's oldest way of life, fishing, is preserved for the future? Help protect America's fish and fishermen by sending a fax to your Representative today asking him/her to cosponsor the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2003," H.R. 2621. Doing so will help ensure an abundant supply of ocean fish for summer barbeques in years to come.
Send a fax to your Representative asking him/her to cosponsor the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2003"
http://www.politicaloutreach.com/AA.asp?ID=104
On June 26, 2003 Congressmen Allen (D-ME) and Delahunt (D-MA), along with 9 other ocean conservation champions introduced the Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2003, H.R. 2621, a bill that establishes standards for Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) programs. IFQs grant fishermen exclusive access to a certain percentage of the fish in a fishery before the fish are caught. The Marine Fish Conservation Network (Network) is concerned that privatizing this public resource will facilitate the corporatization of our ocean fisheries with potentially devastating impacts on coastal communities. We are equally concerned that poorly regulated IFQs will do little to improve the conservation of ocean fish.
The Fishing Quota Standards Act contains national standards that, at a minimum will:
· Promote the conservation of ocean fish by providing additional and substantial conservation benefits to the fishery.
· Limit the duration of IFQ programs and quota shares to 7 years.
· Provide for a fair and equitable initial allocation of quota shares.
· Ensure that IFQ programs and shares are reviewed and renewed only if they are meeting or exceeding the conservation requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. If not, they must be revised or revoked.
· Define and prohibit the excessive consolidation of quota shares.
Please fax your U.S. Representative http://www.politicaloutreach.com/AA.asp?ID=104 and ask him/her to cosponsor the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2003."
To learn more about IFQs and to view a complete listing of the Network's proposed IFQ standards, visit http://www.conservefish.org/site/capitolhill/ifqindex.
Yellowstone National Park bison, the only wild, free roaming bison to continuously occupy their native habitat in the United States, are in jeopardy. Today's bison are descended from the 25 survivors who were protected in Yellowstone after the near extermination of America's buffalo in the late 19th century.
This spring, Yellowstone National Park officials, assisted by the Montana Department of Livestock, rounded up 231 wild bison hovering near or just outside the northern park border and sent them to slaughter. Sadly, the agency charged with protecting park resources, and whose official seal is the buffalo, participated in this event.
Take Action >> Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on an amendment, offered by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), to prevent the slaughter of Yellowstone bison by the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service within Yellowstone National Park and on adjacent federal lands. Please write to your representative today, and urge him/her to vote "Yes" on Rahall's amendment to the 2004 Interior Appropriations bill to protect the Yellowstone National Park bison herd.
http://www.npca.org/aa.asp?ID=333
Thank you for your time and dedication to helping enhance and protect our national parks for present and future generations,
NPCA Grassroots Staff
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* National Park Lines is a publication of the National Parks Conservation Association's Park Action Network. To learn how you and your friends can become more involved in national park advocacy, contact our grassroots staff at TakeAction@npca.org. Take action! Tell your friends! Just go to http://www.npca.org/takeaction.
Comments? Suggestions? Tell us how we can improve. Write TakeAction@npca.org.
Visit us online at http://www.npca.org.
Urge your Senators to block William Pryor's lifetime nomination
to a federal appeals court that decides the fate of your
environmental safeguards. Based upon his extreme record
as Alabama's Attorney General, William Pryor is opposed
by a record number of national environmental groups. He
sided with corporate polluters, and was the only State
attorney general to file challenges to the constitutionality
of key Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act safeguards.
If confirmed, he would be able to enact his own extreme
political agenda through the courts. (For more information
about Pryor's record, watch NOW with Bill Moyers TONITE,
July 11 at 9 pm EST - check PBS local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html).
Please E-mail your Senators' offices using this form,
or call their offices (Capitol 202-224-3121) today and
ask them to oppose William Pryor's nomination.
You can take action on this alert either via email (please
see directions below) or via the web at:
http://ga0.org/campaign/pryor/w5niwb2f783ebb
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
the importance of the Pryor nomination.
http://ga0.org/campaign/pryor/forward/w5niwb2f783ebb
We encourage you to take action by July 30, 2003
Oppose Nominee Pryor, Featured Friday on Bill Moyers'
NOW!
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:
http://ga0.org/campaign/pryor/w5niwb2f783ebb
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Senators
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
Please oppose the confirmation of Alabama Attorney General
Bill Pryor, a lifetime nominee to the Eleventh Circuit
Court of Appeals who has an extreme anti-environmental
record. Bill Pryor sided with corporate polluters by failing
to crack down on clean water violations and by opposing
EPA's enforcement of the Clean Air Act against pollution
that harms downwind States. Bill Pryor was the only State
attorney general to challenge the constitutionality of
key Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act safeguards.
When the Judiciary Committee asked Bill Pryor about environmental
issues, he failed to answer questions and gave evasive
responses.
Senators have a constitutional advise-and-consent duty
to ensure that lifetime federal judges will interpret
the law fairly. Unfortunately, Bill Pryor's record and
testimony do not reflect that he would be a fair and impartial
judge in deciding on corporate challenges to decades of
environmental progress.
Please do not allow Bill Pryor to be confirmed to a lifetime
position on the very important 11th Circuit Court of Appeals,
which decides the fate of environmental and other safeguards
in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
up for Earthjustice at:
http://ga0.org/earthjusticeaction/join.html?r=cp1aAPE1yu-rE
In January 2003, the Bush Administration revived a 137-year-old
loophole - known as R.S. 2477 - to allow special interests
to convert old livestock trails, footpaths, even streambeds
on our public lands into paved highways. Private interests
could use this loophole to plow a spider web of roads
through National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, National Forests,
Wilderness Areas and potential wildlands. This amounts
to a massive giveaway of the special places Americans
cherish.
But Congress will soon debate a proposal to stop the giveaway
of our public lands - and your Representative needs to
here from you NOW. Write or call today and ask him or
her to support the Udall Amendment to the Interior Appropriations
bill. Your action is needed by July 16.
You can take action on this alert either via email (please
see directions below) or via the web at:
http://ga0.org/campaign/udall2/w5niwb24783ewn
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
http://ga0.org/campaign/udall2/forward/w5niwb24783ewn
We encourage you to take action by July 16, 2003
Support Rep. Udall's RS2477 Amendment
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:
http://ga0.org/campaign/udall2/w5niwb24783ewn
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Congressperson
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I write today to urge you to support the Udall Amendment
to the Interior Appropriations bill to stop the giveaway
of our public lands.
Earlier this year, the Interior Department issued a rule
to make it easier for special interests and local governments
to make bogus rights-of-way claims across our public lands
under a Civil War-era law known as R.S. 2477. By reviving
the R.S. 2477 loophole, which was repealed in 1976, the
Interior Department could permit special interests to
convert old, abandoned routes, livestock trails, and streambeds
into paved highways across National Parks, National Wildlife
Refuges and other special places- all without environmental
review or meaningful public input. This will damage streams
and rivers, wildlife habitat, and wilderness values.
Natural treasures at risk from this loophole include Utah's
Canyonlands National Park, the Grand-Staircase Escalante
National Monument, migratory waterfowl habitat in Colorado's
Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge, Dinosaur National
Monument, and California's Mojave National Preserve.
Please support Representative Udall's common-sense amendment
to help safeguard America's special places by stopping
the administration from using the obsolete R.S.2477 loophole.
Help stop the giveaway of our public lands by voting FOR
the Udall amendment.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
up for Earthjustice at:
http://ga0.org/earthjusticeaction/join.html?r=571aAPE1yu-pE
As you know, this administration is attempting to hand over potentially thousands of National Park Service jobs to private contractors - jobs that are now filled by historians, biologists, archaeologists, interpreters, and others whose roles are critically important to protecting the parks and serving the public. Many thanks to those of you who voiced your concerns about this effort to the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress.
GOOD NEWS! Concerns about what this will do to our national parks led the House Appropriations Committee to put language in the Interior Appropriations Bill that would prevent this effort from moving forward during the coming year. BAD NEWS! Unfortunately, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) or other members of Congress may attempt to remove this bipartisan park protective language from the bill when it reaches the floor of the House next week. In addition, currently the Senate Interior Appropriations bill does not yet protect the Park Service from outsourcing, although Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) intends to offer an amendment on the Senate floor that would put this park protective language into the bill.
TAKE ACTION >> Please visit http://www.npca.org/aa.asp?ID=334 to write to your representative and urge them to block any attempts to remove this language when the bill reaches the House floor. Also urge your senators to support the Reid Amendment to protect Park Service employees and the national parks.
Thank you for your time and dedication to helping enhance and protect our national parks for present and future generations,
NPCA Grassroots Staff
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* National Park Lines is a publication of the National Parks Conservation Association's Park Action Network. To learn how you and your friends can become more involved in national park advocacy, contact our grassroots staff at TakeAction@npca.org. Take action! Tell your friends! Just go to http://www.npca.org/takeaction.
Comments? Suggestions? Tell us how we can improve. Write TakeAction@npca.org.
Visit us online at http://www.npca.org
Support Stronger Energy Bill!
What¹s At Stake:
Higher Fuel Economy Standards and Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Senate will be debating a potentially harmful energy bill and we need
your help right now! The Senate energy bill (S 14) does not go far enough
to reduce oil consumption and decrease air pollution.
The Senate has approved 99-1 an amendment sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu
(D-LA) requiring President Bush to find ways to reduce U.S. oil consumption
by 1 million barrels per day by 2013 (though the means by which he will
accomplish this remain uncertain).
However, the bill does nothing to increase fuel efficiency for vehicles nor
decrease industrial greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. It
also includes criteria that the Department of Transportation (DOT) must
consider before updating fuel economy standards, which will delay
implementation (the DOT needs greater impetus here, not less, as evidenced
by their recent paltry increase of 1.5 mpg for SUVs and light trucks.) The
bill would also falsely credit auto companies with fuel savings by assuming
that the ³duel-fuel capable vehicles² they produce run on ethanol 50 percent
of the time (a dubious assumption), thereby avoiding the need to install
better technology.
We can create a better energy bill by asking our Senators to support
amendments that will be introduced soon after Congress returns from recess.
An upcoming amendment by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Kerry (D-MA)
would raise fuel standards to a new average of 34 mpg for both cars and
light trucks (each now at 27.5 mpg and 20.7 mpg respectively). According to
the Union of Concerned Scientists, this amendment alone would save 33
billion gallons of oil by 2012. In contrast, the DOT increase would only
conserve 11 billon gallons by that time.
In addition, Senators McCain and Lieberman (D-CT) will introduce an
amendment that would cut global greenhouse gas emissions from industry
sources at the lowest possible cost, using emissions caps and trading, and
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) are expected to
introduce their own amendments on increasing fuel economy.
Let your Senator know that we want an energy bill that reduces our
dependence on foreign oil, while protecting our health and the environment!
Action
Call or write, or fax your Senators thanking them for their support of
Senator Landrieu¹s amendment to reduce oil consumption. Urge them to
continue to support the McCain-Kerry, Feinstein and Durbin amendments that
would raise fuel economy standards and to vote for the McCain-Lieberman
amendment on greenhouse gas emissions. Please send letters to the Senators¹
district offices, since mail is very slow in reaching their Washington, DC
offices. To find their offices, call the Capitol Switchboard at
202-225-3121 or visit us at www.2020vision.org and select the ³Contact Govt²
icon.
Take action online at http://www.2020vision.org
--------------------------
20/20 Vision
1828 Jefferson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202)833-2020
Fax: (202)833-5307
Web: http://www.2020vision.org
"20 Minutes a Month to Save the Planet"
To: All Activists
From: Lisa Dix, American Lands Alliance
Date: July 14, 2003
Emergency Calls Needed: Roadless, NFMA Amendments to be Offered on House
Interior Appropriations Bill
There is a push in the House of Representatives to offer two important
forest amendments, a Roadless amendment and National Forest Management Act
amendment, on the Fiscal Year 2004 (FY04) Interior Appropriations Bill.
Debate on the House Interior Appropriations Bill will likely begin on the
House Floor Wednesday July 16, 2003, with votes occurring Thursday July 17,
2003 and possibly Friday July 28, 2003.
All of us have been activating our networks to participate in the Senate
National Call in Day on July 16, 2003 around the bad Senate fire bill (HR
1904), and we should still get as many calls as possible to the Senate
because we do expect action in the Senate during the week of July 21, 2003.
However, please consider also helping to generate calls to the House of
Representatives for the next three days to urge support for the Roadless
Amendment and the National Forest Management Act Amendment.
First, the Roadless spending limitation amendment will prohibit the Bush
Administration from using any funds to make changes to the Roadless Rule, as
they have recently proposed. This means that the Bush Administration would
be unable to move forward with their plans to allow Governors to exempt
protections for roadless areas in the lower 48 states and would prohibit the
Administration from removing Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests
from the Roadless Rule.
Second, there will be a National Forest Management Act (NFMA) amendment,
sponsored by Tom Udall (D-NM) that would prohibit the Bush Administration
from spending any funds to gut the National Management Act Regulations.
This amendment would retain the current level of public participation,
scientific input and wildlife protections in forest planning as found in the
1982 regulations adopted under the Reagan Administration.
Please Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 (the Capitol Switchboard)
and ask to speak to the Environmental Staff. Please tell the Environmental
Staff that you would like your Representative to:
* Vote Yes on the Roadless and the Udall National Forest Management Act
spending limitation amendments.
Other proactive environmental Amendments on House Interior Appropriations
Bill include:
* Protect Wild Buffalo in Yellowstone: The Rahall amendment stops the
National Park Service and Forest Service from senselessly slaughtering
Yellowstone buffalo and helps to ensure that agencies pursue non-lethal
means of managing the herds.
* Stop the Land Grab of America's Wild Places: The Udall amendment prevents
special interests from claiming the right to build roads across federal
land, threatening national treasures such as the Mojave National Preserve,
and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
* Protect Wildlife Refuges: The Blumenauer-Thompson-Shays amendment
prohibits growing crops on the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge that
heavily consume water, use particularly toxic pesticides, and provide no
benefit to wildlife.
* Fund Environmental Reviews: This amendment provides essential funding to
help ensure that the renewal of grazing permits follows adequate
environmental analysis as required by the National Environmental Policy Act,
preventing damage to streams, grasslands, and forests.
* Protect Yellowstone from Pollution: The Holt-Rahall-Shays amendment
protects human health and wildlife by reducing air pollution and engine
noise through replacing snowmobiles with snowcoaches according to the
National Park Service's previous plan.
* Restore the Groundbreaking Conservation Trust Fund - This amendment
provides dedicated money for state and federal parks, forests, and wildlife
habitat and refuges by restoring the fund to its appropriate level of $1.56
billion, preventing crippling cuts of about one-third overall.
* Stop Corporate Influence: The Kucinich amendment withholds the salary of
Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles, who is receiving $284,000 annually
from his former lobbying firm while making regulatory decisions that benefit
his former industry clients.
Lisa Dix
National Forest Program Director
American Lands Alliance
ldix@americanlands.org
Ph: 202-547-9105; Fax: 202-547-9213
This week, the House of Representatives will be voting
on the Department of Interior spending bill for 2004.
The Bush administration has been weakening existing protections
and funding for National Parks, National Forests and wildlife.
However, PRO-environmental members of Congress will be
offering a package of amendments that will protect our
environment. This package includes amendments that protect
Yellowstone National Park, National Forests, other public
lands and wildlife. Urge your Representative to vote in
favor of these critical amendments.
You can take action on this alert via the web at:
http://ga0.org/campaign/interiorapprops/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
http://ga0.org/campaign/interiorapprops/forward/
We encourage you to take action by July 17, 2003
Help Protect Our Wild Places Now
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:
http://ga0.org/campaign/interiorapprops/
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Congressperson
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I urge you to support an FY 2004 Department of Interior
appropriations bill that preserves America's most precious
national treasures. Crucial to this goal will be passage
of a set of amendments that will address wide-ranging
threats to existing protections. Please vote yes on these
safeguards for our national parks and forests, and our
nation's wildlands and wildlife.
PROTECT OUR PARKS!
Rahall Amendment to Protect Wild Buffalo in Yellowstone:
Stops the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service
from senselessly slaughtering Yellowstone buffalo and
helps to ensure that agencies pursue non-lethal means
of managing the herds.
Holt-Rahall-Shays Amendment to Protect Yellowstone from
Pollution: Protects human health and wildlife by reducing
air pollution and engine noise through replacing snowmobiles
with snowcoaches according to the National Park Service's
previous plan.
SAVE OUR FORESTS!
Amendment to Protect Roadless National Forest Areas: Saves
the roadless rule -- which preserves 58 million acres
of our wildest national forest lands and protects water
quality, recreation, and wildlife habitat from attempts
by the Forest Service to riddle it with exemptions for
Alaska and other states.
Tom Udall Amendment to Uphold Sound National Forest Management:
Maintains requirements for wildlife protection, public
participation, scientific input, and environmental reviews
in the management of our national forests (under the National
Forest Management Act -- NFMA) by stopping recently proposed
radical revisions that would gut the 1982 NFMA regulations
adopted by President Reagan.
PRESERVE OUR WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE!
Blumenauer-Thompson-Shays Amendment to Protect Wildlife
Refuges: Prohibits growing crops on wildlife refuges that
heavily consume water, use particularly toxic pesticides,
and provide no benefit to wildlife, thereby helping to
protect places like the National Wildlife Refuges in the
Klamath River Basin.
Amendment to Help Complete Grazing Reviews: Provides essential
funding to help ensure that the renewal of grazing permits
follows adequate environmental analysis as required by
the National Environmental Policy Act so as to prevent
damage to streams, grasslands, and forests on public lands.
Thank you for considering my views.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
up for Earthjustice at:
http://ga0.org/earthjusticeaction/join.html?r=hp1aAPE1yuJoE
BATTLE TO PROTECT AMERICA’S RAINFOREST HEATS UP ON TWO FRONTS
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE –
Today the Bush administration bowed to corporate special interests and moved to strip America's Rainforest from the landmark Roadless Rule. A public comment period is open through August 14, 2003.
ON CAPITOL HILL –
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote, as early as tomorrow, on a Roadless Amendment to keep the Roadless Rule intact!
TAKE ACTION:
1. Tell the Bush Administration you oppose their plans to exempt the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska from the Roadless Rule. Send an email today online: www.akrain.org! (Information about alternative ways to comment is included at the bottom of this alert.)
2. Call (1-800-839-5276 or 202-224-3121) your U.S. Representative and ask them to vote YES on the Roadless Rule Amendment to protect America’s rainforest in Alaska!
THE ISSUE:
Today, the Bush administration took the first procedural swipe at the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule by proposing to strip protections from America’s rainforest in Alaska – fully one-quarter of the lands protected by the Rule. The official notice appeared in the Federal Register and kicks off two, simultaneous 30-day public comment periods on the administration’s proposed exemptions of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska from the Roadless Rule.
The Rainforest comment periods are the first opportunity the public has to officially comment on the Bush administration's attempts to gut the Roadless Rule. The administration is also expected, later this year, to propose to allow state governors to apply for exemptions from the Roadless Rule in their states. During development of the Rule, 2.2 million public comments were received in favor of enacting the conservation policy. More Americans took part in this rulemaking process than in any other federal rulemaking in history. Yet despite pledges to uphold the Roadless Rule, the Bush administration is moving to dismantle it.
In anticipation of the Roadless Rule exemptions, the administration has already been planning for more industrial-scale logging in the Tongass. It has already scheduled close to 50 timber sales in roadless areas protected the Rule. These sales would effectively take the best of what’s left in the Tongass. Over 70 percent of the biggest and best trees have already been clearcut in the Tongass.
In Congress – Members of the U.S. House of Representatives will, as early as tomorrow, have the opportunity to vote in support of the popular Roadless Rule. Leaders in the House are expected to offer an amendment to the Department of Interior Appropriations Bill that would limit the Bush administration’s ability to undermine the Roadless Rule.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO COMMENT ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSALS:
Be sure to send copies of your letters to each address listed so that it will be counted for each of the two simultaneous official comment periods!
EMAIL:
* roadlesstnf@fs.fed.us
** roadlessanpr@fs.fed.us
MAIL TO:
* Roadless TNF, Content Analysis Team, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 22810, Salt Lake City, UT 84122
** Roadless ANPR, USFS Content Analysis Team, P.O. Box 22777, Salt Lake City, UT 84122
FAX:
* (801) 880-2808
** (801) 880-3311
*Addresses for comments on the proposed temporary regulation of the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule
**Addresses for comments on the advanced notice of public rulemaking proposing to permanently exempt the Tongass from the Roadless Rule and extend the exemption to include the Chugach National Forest.
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Chief Dale Bosworth,
I strongly support the Roadless Area Conservation Rule as it was issued in January 2001 and oppose the proposed exemptions of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests, our nation’s two largest national forests, from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
The Roadless Rule, a landmark conservation policy, has the overwhelming support of the American people. Safeguarding our wild forests from road building, commercial logging, mining and drilling benefits everyone including those who hunt, fish, hike, camp and recreate on these public lands. To exempt America’s rainforest – one-quarter of our nation’s roadless forests – from protection is unwarranted and unwanted.
Please accept this as my official comment opposing the proposed temporary exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule and the advance notice of proposed rulemaking to make permanent the Tongass exemption and extend it to the Chugach National Forest (36 CFR Parts 219 and 294).
Sincerely,
***
Thank you for taking action! If you have any questions please contact Laurie Cooper (laurie@alaskacoalition.org).
What’s At Stake
Bush’s so-called “Healthy Forests Initiative,” which would open more public land to logging and roll back environmental laws, is making its way to the Senate right now!
Commercial logging is the number one threat to our 192 million acre National Forest system. Yet, the Bush administration continues to advance a forest fire plan which would allow increased corporate logging.
The plan, which passed the House as H.R. 1904, would cut trees on 20 million acres of federal land, while failing to protect those homes and communities that are most at risk. In fact, scientists have found that logging large, fire-resistant trees miles away from at-risk communities, which the plan calls for, can actually increase the danger of forest fires.
In addition, the plan allows the U.S. Forest Service to approve logging and burning practices without conducting environmental reviews and would eliminate the right of citizens to appeal potentially harmful logging projects. Worse, it would scale back judicial review and meddle with the courts' ability to check the administration’s senseless logging policies.
Take Action!!!
The Senate is expected to vote on its version of the Bush plan fairly soon. American Lands Alliance is sponsoring a national call-in day on July 16th calling on the grassroots to speak out against this so-called "Healthy Forests Restoration Act.”
***Contact your Senator on July 16 at this toll free number: 1-800-839-5276.
Tell him/her to oppose the bill as it would facilitate unnecessary logging of our pristine forests, eliminate citizen participation and scale back judicial review. Tell him/her to support sensible forest fire policies that don’t subsidize corporate loggers and that protect communities and homes without needlessly jeopardizing remote forests and the ecosystems they support.
Take Action Online!
http://capwiz.com/vision/issues/alert/?alertid=2853561&type=CO
To: All Activists
From: Lisa Dix, American Lands Alliance
Date: July 17, 2003
Please Call Today: House Votes Expected on Roadless
and NFMA Amendments
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on amendments to the
Interior Appropriations bill today (July 17th) including the Roadless
Amendment and the National Forest Management Act Amendment. There are
several Representatives that have said they are still on the fence about
these two amendments, especially the Roadless Amendment. Please take a
minute and call your Representative because a call today from you today
could seriously help these Members of Congress to vote the right way. If
you have time today to make more than one call please consider calling other
Representatives in your State. To find a list of Representatives in your
State go to: http://clerk.house.gov/members/olm108.php
Please Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 (the Capitol Switchboard)
and ask to speak to the Environmental Staff. Please tell the Environmental
Staff that you would like your Representative to:
* Vote Yes on the Inslee-Davis-Tauscher Roadless Amendment to the Interior
Appropriations Bill.
* Vote Yes on the Udall National Forest Management Act Amendment to the
Interior Appropriations Bill.
BACKGROUND
Roadless Amendment. There will be a Roadless Amendment, offered by
Representatives Inslee (D-WA), Davis (D-FL) and Tauscher (D-CA), prohibiting
the Bush Administration from using any funds to make changes to the Roadless
Rule, as they have recently proposed. This means that the Bush
Administration would be unable to move forward with their plans to allow
Governors to exempt protections for roadless areas in the lower 48 states
and would prohibit the Administration from removing Alaska's Tongass and
Chugach National Forests from the Roadless Rule.
National Forest Management Act Amendment. There will be a National Forest
Management Act amendment, offered by Tom Udall (D-NM), prohibiting the Bush
Administration from spending any funds to gut the National Management Act
Regulations. This amendment would retain the current level of public
participation, scientific input and wildlife protections in forest planning
as found in the 1982 regulations adopted under the Reagan Administration.
Other proactive environmental Amendments on House Interior Appropriations
Bill will include:
* Stop the Extension of the Fee Demo Program. The Defazio amendment
eliminates the 2-year extension of the fee demo program.
* Stop the Land Grab of America's Wild Places: The Udall amendment prevents
special interests from claiming the right to build roads across federal
land, threatening national treasures such as the Mojave National Preserve,
and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
* Protect Wild Buffalo in Yellowstone: The Rahall amendment stops the
National Park Service and Forest Service from senselessly slaughtering
Yellowstone buffalo and helps to ensure that agencies pursue non-lethal
means of managing the herds.
* Protect Wildlife Refuges: The Blumenauer-Thompson-Shays amendment
prohibits growing crops on the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge that
heavily consume water, use particularly toxic pesticides, and provide no
benefit to wildlife.
* Fund Environmental Reviews: This amendment provides essential funding to
help ensure that the renewal of grazing permits follows adequate
environmental analysis as required by the National Environmental Policy Act,
preventing damage to streams, grasslands, and forests.
* Protect Yellowstone from Pollution: The Holt-Rahall-Shays amendment
protects human health and wildlife by reducing air pollution and engine
noise through replacing snowmobiles with snowcoaches according to the
National Park Service's previous plan.
Lisa Dix
National Forest Program Director
American Lands Alliance
ldix@americanlands.org
Ph: 202-547-9105; Fax: 202-547-9213
RECENT VICTORIES
* Prevented Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Your tens of thousands of messages helped convince the U.S. Senate to oppose a back door attempt to open the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas development. Some members of Congress had tried to include revenues from leasing the refuge in the 2004 budget bill as a way to move the United States closer to drilling in the refuge. With your continued support, we're confident that Congress will heed the public and make sure drilling in the refuge isn't introduced in any other way.
* Improved Water Flows in the Everglades
Earlier this year, Congress approved a measure that will help restore ecological water flows in the Everglades. That project is essential to the $8 billion federal-state partnership to restore the Everglades, but had been stalled for years over a land buyout dispute. WWF activists helped convince policy makers to approve an approach that reduces the amount of land to be purchased by the government, while still providing flood protection for area residents and achieving substantial restoration of historic water flows so critical to Everglades restoration. You should be proud!
* Restored Funding for Tennessee Wetlands, Parks, and Farmland
The Tennessee General Assembly rejected a proposal to permanently divert funds for protection of wetlands, parks, and agricultural lands, and instead agreed to divert the funds for only four years and restore $3.5 million for these programs. WWF activists like you sent more than 200 letters opposing the plan.
Thank you! To learn about your other successes, go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=26681&l=3192
OTHER WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
* Invite your friends to join WWF's Conservation Action Network
We offer free online postcards so you can easily tell your friends about the Network. Visit http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=26681&l=3193 to send our e-postcards.
* Stop Misguided Forest Fire Legislation--For U.S. Activists Only
Oppose forest fire legislation that would waive environmental laws and open up 20 million acres of our national forests to logging.
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=26681&l=3195
Again, thank you for working with WWF to be a force for nature.
_____________________________________________________________________
Direct any questions about the WWF Conservation Action Network to
actionquestions@takeaction.worldwildlife.org
_____________________________________________________________________
The Conservation Action Network is sponsored by World Wildlife Fund-
US. Known worldwide by its panda logo, WWF is dedicated to
protecting the world's wildlife and the rich biological diversity
that we all need to survive. The leading privately supported
international conservation organization in the world, WWF has
sponsored more than 2,000 projects in 116 countries and has more
than 1 million members in the United States. WWF calls on everyone
-- government, industry, and individuals -- to take responsibility by
taking action to save our living planet.
World Wildlife Fund
1250 Twenty-fourth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.worldwildlife.org
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org
Action Alert - Emergency Calls to Congress Needed
Congress is voting soon on Yellowstone buffalo, snowmobiles and roadless
area protections.
Please Call the U.S. Capitol at 202-224-3121, ask to speak to your Congress
person's office (the operator can find your Representative if you give them
your ZIP code.)
Or
Email comments can be sent by using the internet: click on
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and follow the instructions.
Ask that your Representative support the following amendments to the
Department of Interior Appropriations bill. Please request that they:
* Vote yes to protect wild buffalo in Yellowstone: The Rahall amendment
stops the National Park Service and Forest Service from slaughtering
Yellowstone buffalo when they cross out of the park to calve and feed.
* Vote yes to protect Yellowstone from snowmobile pollution: The
Holt-Rahall-Shays amendment protects human health and wildlife by reducing
air pollution and engine noise by replacing snowmobiles with snowcoaches
according to the National Park Service's original scientific plan.
* Vote yes on the Inslee-Davis-Tauscher Roadless Area Protection Amendment,
which would prohibit the Administration from using any funds to make changes
to the Roadless Rule, as they have recently proposed. This means that the
Administration would be unable to move forward with their plans to allow
Governors to exempt protections for roadless areas in the lower 48 states
and would prohibit the Administration from removing Alaska's Tongass and
Chugach National Forests from the Roadless Rule.
================================================================
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Working to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations
MEMBERSHIP
By becoming a member of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition you can
help shape the future of the Greater Yellowstone region. Go to:
http://www.greateryellowstone.org/home_join.html
================================================================
TO SUBSCRIBE to the Greater Yellowstone New Bytes visit:
http://www.greateryellowstone.org/home_activist.html
or send a message to saveylstn@greateryellowstone.org
with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
RiverCurrents: July 18, 2003
The weekly newsletter for the river community
Brought to you by www.AmericanRivers.org
-----------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"It's science and species be damned."
--Latham and Watkins attorney David Hayes on the
Army Corps and Bush administration's stance on
Missouri River dam operations
(Greenwire, 7-16-03, subscription required:
http://www.eenews.net)
-----------------------------------------------------
This week...
Special edition: The battle to save our nation's
longest river
-----------------------------------------------------
TAKE ACTION
Save rivers from misguided and harmful navigation
and flood control projects -- tell Congress that the
Army Corps of Engineers must have greater accountability
for protecting rivers.
<http://amriversaction.ctsg.com/wac/>
-----------------------------------------------------
FEATURE STORY
Showdown on the Missouri
A long-running water conflict on our nation's longest
river came to a head this week. On July 12 a judge
ordered the Army Corps to lower river levels to aid
endangered species.
Now, the Bush administration and the Corps are
distorting science and flouting the court order, at
the expense of wildlife and the regional economy.
Learn more about this significant case:
<http://www.amrivers.org/missouririver/071803.htm>
-----------------------------------------------------
WHAT NEWSPAPERS ARE SAYING
Editorials support river restoration:
"...in this case, the interests of endangered species
and conservatives ought to coincide. This isn't just
about endangered species. The real issue is whether
the Missouri is a river or a government-protected
franchise."
--Missoulian, July 17:
<http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2003/07/17/opinion/opinion5.txt>
"...on the eve of the 200th anniversary of Lewis and
Clark's historic journey, Americans can begin to hope
for a better future for the river that carried the
expedition westward."
--New York Times, July 16:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/16/opinion/16WED3.html>
Read more editorial clips:
<http://www.amrivers.org/docs/editorialbitesNEW.pdf>
-----------------------------------------------------
ON THE RADIO
Listen to Chad Smith, director of American Rivers'
Nebraska office, talk about the Missouri River
and the Army Corps.
(Note: this interview is from 2002, when the Missouri
was named America's Most Endangered River)
Listen:
<http://www.amrivers.org/missouririver/radio.htm>
-----------------------------------------------------
JOIN OR DONATE
We're working hard for healthy rivers and river
communities across the country. You can help by
joining or donating today:
<https://radlib.com/ar/>
-----------------------------------------------------
ABOUT RIVERCURRENTS
RiverCurrents is a weekly summary of river news and information as
reported by media outlets and other sources across the country. The
inclusion of a story or point of view in RiverCurrents does not
necessarily indicate endorsement by American Rivers. Unless American
Rivers' position is clearly indicated, stories or points of view
expressed in RiverCurrents are solely those of the groups and
individuals named and not those of American Rivers.
If you have comments or suggestions, please send them
to asouers@amrivers.org
From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
To: ACLU Action Network Members
Date: July 22, 2003
1) Support the Freedom to Read
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, FBI gained the power to search your library and book-buying records without probable cause of any crime or intent to commit a crime. It also stops librarians and booksellers from telling you that this search has even occurred.
The FBI has been aggressively using these new powers without providing Congress with explanations about its activities. A University of Illinois survey shows libraries were targeted at least 175 times in the year after 9/11 -- yet the FBI refuses to explain how or why.
In response to these invasions of our civil liberties, a bipartisan group of Representatives have introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill that would restore many key checks and balances. This amendment will be voted on in the coming days and deserves our strong support.
Take Action! Click here for more information and to send a free fax to your Representative:
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=13184&c=110
2) Stop the Government Super-Snoop Plan
In a surprise development, the Senate has adopted legislation that would completely block funding for the Pentagon's infamous Terrorism Information Awareness program (formerly known as Total Information Awareness or TIA).
The Senate's ban was adopted as part of the 2004 defense spending bill. To become law and end the program that would indiscriminately track the daily activities of Americans, the ban must survive a joint House-Senate conference committee.
Opposition to the program has been unusually strong from across the political spectrum. Groups as disparate as the American Conservative Union and the ACLU have advocated against the development of this super-snoop system that would inevitably identify thousands of innocent people as potential terrorists. Yet the Bush Administration is threatening a veto of the defense bill if TIA is defunded.
Click here to get more information and send a free fax to your Members of Congress urging them to support a complete ban on TIA:
http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=13187&c=39
****************************************************************
For more information on other issues and the latest news, please visit our website at http://www.aclu.org
Help Strengthen the ACLU's Voice in Congress... Click below to become a card-carrying Member or donate today!
http://www.aclu.org/contribute/contribute.cfm?ORGID=AA02
If you are not already on our mailing list and would like to subscribe to the ACLU Action Network Updates, click http://www.aclu.org/team/member.cfm
To find out what more you can do to protect your civil liberties, please visit http://www.aclu.org/action
Wyoming Introduces FLAWED Draft Wolf Plan!
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and Department have introduced the Draft Wolf
Management Plan. The Department will be responsible for management; the
Commission has determined the classification of wolves within the
state.
Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, Wyoming has decided to
leave out sufficient public commenting and limit public input to two meetings to
be held in Sheridan, Wyoming on July 28, from approximately 2:05 p.m. to 2:35
p.m. and on July 29 from approximately 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Within these two
hours of possible oral commenting, the Commission will also be discussing many
other issues, not simply focusing on wolf management. This is the extent of
public commenting that they are allowing. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE!
The Fish and Game Department has announced that there will be no written comments
collected. However, I urge you to submit letters of "opinion" on their plan and
the way they are skirting the legal issues of public review. They are barely
sliding by with the two short public meetings and calling that a comment period.
Please let the Wyoming Game and Fish Department know that this is NOT
ACCEPTABLE.
Talking points to argue the plan:
…
Wyoming has committed to maintaining at least 15 packs of wolves statewide
including the National Parks, Parkway, National Elk Refuge and potentially the
Wind River Indian Reservation. Wyoming defines a pack as an adult and female
wolf producing pups. Of these 15 packs, 7 packs will be maintained outside the National Parks and Parkway
. With recent control actions, there are only 4 producing packs that truly reside outside of the Park (Washaki, Sunlight
Basin, Absaroka and Greybull River). The alpha male of the Green River pack was
killed last week for a calf depredation, that pack can no longer be counted as a
pack, they are not reproducing since the female is alone now with pups. The
Teton Pack resides mainly in the Teton Wilderness, the Gros Venture pack is not
producing anymore, and the Beartooth pack resides in the N. Absaroka Wilderness.
The requirement of 7 producing packs outside of the park is simply NOT
BEING MET!
…
>From the date wolves are delisted, they will be able to be shot on sight outside
of the Park and adjacent wilderness areas, as long as 7 packs manage to survive
in these areas. Wolves in Wyoming will be managed under a dual-classification of
trophy game inside the park and contiguous wilderness areas, and as predators
outside of this safe zone, wolves in Wyoming will be legally hunted throughout
the entire state. The only difference is that a permit will be required inside
certain wilderness area. Wolves have only been on the ground in Wyoming since
1995, they reside in less than 2% of their native territories in the US.
How can wolves possibly be at a level to survive with unregulated killing?
…
Currently, Wyoming state law may not provide Wyoming Game and Fish the authority
to even implement this plan. The law and the plan do not agree on several
issues. One section of the law calls for a minimum of 15 packs statewide "or"
seven packs outside parks. That could be interpreted to mean that 15 packs
inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton; and none outside. This would conflict with
the plan. Contrary to the law, the plan states that once trophy status was
expanded (if pack numbers fell below 7 outside the Park) it would remain
permanent and deemed necessary to maintain a viable wolf population, which is
required by federal law. But that interpretation conflicts with state law, which
requires Game and Fish commissioners to regularly monitor wolf numbers and
withdraw trophy game protection once the population rebounds to seven packs.
State legislators are not scheduled to meet until after the first of next year
to possibly change the state law. How can this plan be legal if it
conflicts so greatly with state law?
Please let Wyoming officials know that this plan is NOT ACCEPTABLE!
You do not need an invitation to submit written public comments; they need to hear our opinions!
Contact information:
Brent Manning, Director
WYOMING GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT
5400 Bishop Boulevard
Cheyenne, WY 82006
(307) 777-4600
Fax:: (307) 777-4699
Bill Wichers, Deputy Director
WYOMING GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT
5400 Bishop Boulevard
Cheyenne, WY 82006
(307) 777-4600
Fax:: (307) 777-4699
Jerry Sanders, President
WYOMING GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
405 Upper French Creek
Buffalo, WY 82834
Ralph Morgenweck, Regional Director
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
PO Box25486
Denver, CO 80225
(303) 236-7920
Dave Freudenthal
GOVERNOR OF WYOMING
State Capitol, Room 124
Cheyenne, WY 82002
governor@state.wy.us
Phone: 307-777-7434
Copy to:
Ed Bangs
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
100 North Park Avenue, Suite 320
Helena, MT 59601
Ed_Bangs@fws.gov
Donna Bettinger
U.S. Contact Scandinavian Joint Action For Wolves
http://www.fellesaksjonenforulv.org/engelskesider/English.htm "The Lone Wolf of Langedrag"
http://community-2.webtv.net/Sno_4_Ever/The_Lone_Wolf/
On July 15, the Bush administration released its proposals
to open the ancient rainforests of Alaska by exempting
them from the protections of the Roadless Area Conservation
Rule. This move which marks the first step in gutting
protections for our last wild forests will allow 50 logging
projects to move forward in Alaska's Tongass rainforest,
the world's largest coastal temperate rainforest.
These two proposals are the result of a deal cut between
the Bush administration and the State of Alaska last month
involving a lawsuit the state brought against the Roadless
Rule. This deal, brokered in-part by Undersecretary of
Agriculture and former timber industry lobbyist Mark Rey,
would remove one-quarter of the national forests protected
by the roadless rule.
We need your help to let the Bush administration know
that American's still want full protection of their roadless
national forests, and that they won't give it up without
a fight. Please make sure you click on both links below
and send both letters.
The first proposal would temporarily exempt the Tongass
National Forest from the roadless rule and open it's ancient
rainforests to bulldozers and chainsaws. Click on the
link below to send Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth
a letter objecting to the temporary exemption. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tnf/ibsxwb4q783bk7
The second proposal would make the temporary exemption
for the Tongass permanent and extend it to Alaska's other
national forest, the Chugach. Click on the link below
to send Chief Bosworth a letter in support of keeping
the Tongass and Chugach protected for future generations
to enjoy. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tongass_chugach/ibsxwb4q783bk7
Both comment periods end on August 14, 2003 so please
comment today. If you have a couple of extra minutes please
personalize the letters and include the reasons why protecting
Alaska's roadless areas is important to you.
For more information on Alaska's National Forests, including
America's Tongass rainforest please visit http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Z1aY2cE1hu-a/.
Please forward this message to all your friends and family
and encourage them to comment also. Thank you for your
continued support and stay tuned to your email because
our national forests continue to be at risk by the Bush
administration.
Sincerely,
Tiernan Sittenfeld and Robert Vandermark
Co-Directors, Heritage Forests Campaign
--------------------------------------------------
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
http://action
