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To: All Activists
From: Steve Holmer
Date: August 1, 2001

VOTE ALERT:  Energy Plan Threatens Arctic Refuge - National Forests

A vote is expected later this afternoon whether to open Alaska's Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.  This is going to be a
close vote so a final round of calls is urgently needed.

The House Republican leadership refused to allow the Rahall/Petri
amendment which would have removed harmful provisions to open up
National Forests and BLM lands to increased oil and gas drilling.  As a
result, this language is expected to remain in the energy bill.  This
makes a NO vote on final passage and defeating the energy bill essential
to stop these destructive provisions.

Please contact your Representative at 202/224-3121 right away and urge
them to:

SUPPORT the Markey-Johnson amendment to H.R. 4 to protect the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge from drilling.

Vote against final passage of the bill H.R. 4

This legislation would enact portions of the Bush energy plan, and would
harm the environment, threaten public health and fail to help consumers.
Instead of significantly increasing automobile and appliance efficiency
and setting standards for renewable energy generation, H.R. 4 will open
sensitive areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other
public lands to oil and gas drilling, and use at least $40 billion of
our tax dollars to subsidize polluting energy sources including oil,
coal and nuclear fuel.

Title II of the bill allows oil and gas drilling on Forest Service and
BLM lands with no environmental protections stronger than those provided
by applicable state laws which in many Western states amounts to a
virtual waiver of environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act.
  The Forest Service currently has the authority to limit oil, gas and
geothermal leasing on the National Forests.  However, the bill
undermines that authority by elevating these decisions to the
Undersecretary of Agriculture which would be Mark Rey if his nomination
is approved by the Senate.  

Title II also offers a multi-billion dollar royalty "holiday" to oil
companies that drill in the Outer Continental Shelf in addition to
millions of dollars in new subsidies to companies drilling on public
lands in the West.  The bill would also circumvent the recently-won
regulations forcing Big Oil to pay fair value for oil it takes from
federal and Indian lands.  The Maloney/Napolitano amendment would delete
this provision to make sure the oil industry can't continue
shortchanging the public on drilling fees.


Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator
American Lands
726 7th Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202/547-9105
202/547-9213 fax
mailto:wafcdc@americanlands.org
http://www.americanlands.org

To: All Activists
From: Steve Holmer
Date: August 1, 2001

Bush Plan Puts Roadless Areas at Risk - Comments Needed by September 10

Despite all the greenwashing, it has become clear that the Bush
Administration intends to rollback the roadless area protection rule.
The Administration has failed to defend the policy in court, and has
decided to throw out 1.6 million comments and start the entire process
over.  The Forest Service will be accepting scoping comments until
September 10 on a new roadless plan that listens to "local" people (i.e.
the timber industry).

The most recent news is that Chief Dale Bosworth is rapidly
back-tracking from his promise to personally review new roadless area
projects.  A new directive issued yesterday by the Chief gives Regional
Foresters discretion to allow for new projects in roadless areas.  In
addition, all National Forests with completed Forest Plan revisions
(such as the entire Pacific Northwest) are exempted from this additional
review.  This opens the door to a new wave of roadless area logging
projects.

To stop this attack on National Forest roadless areas there are a series
of actions that can make a huge difference at this critical time:

1.  Submit your comment by Sept. 10 to the Forest Service and try to
generate as many additional comments from friends, family and supporters
as possible.   See
http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/new_roadless_comments.htm for a
comprehensive comment letter prepared by Brian Vincent, American Lands'
California organizer.  Talking points to address the ten scoping
questions can be found at
http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/10_talking_points.htm  

Comments should try to answer to the ten scoping questions and must be
sent to: USDA Forest Service-CAT, Attention: Roadless ANPR, P.O. Box
221090, Salt Lake City, Utah 84122

2. Include as much place specific information as possible in your
comments.  Chief Bosworth said that these kinds of comments will receive
additional weight by the agency.   Please consider including a list of
every single roadless area on your nearby National Forest along with a
brief description about the important values found in each one.

3.  Send copies of your comments to your Senators and to your
Representative.  It is essential we keep Congress fully involved in this
process.  Also please send a copy to American Lands to help in our
public education efforts on the Hill and with the media.

4.  Please ask your Senators and Representatives who support forest
protection to submit an official comment in support of protecting all
roadless areas.   Thanks for all your efforts.

Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator
American Lands
726 7th Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202/547-9105
202/547-9213 fax
mailto:wafcdc@americanlands.org
http://www.americanlands.org

In Puerto Rico, virtually all coastal areas are reported
as threatened by development. Rincon is no exception.
Help us create a Nature Reserve to protect this unique
area.

You can take action on this alert either via email
(please see directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/trespalmas/wk8bxn2978xtdt

Help spread the word about efforts to protect Puerto
Rico's fragile coastline. Visit the web address below
and tell your friends to take action on this important
campaign!
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/trespalmas/forward/wk8bxn2978xtdt

We encourage you to take action by October 29, 2001

Protect Unique Caribbean Coastline

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

Save Tres Palmas in Rincon, Puerto Rico

***************************  
Action Network from Environmental Defense.  
Finding the ways that work.  
***************************  

A recent report by the World Resources Institute indicates
that nearly 60 percent of the earth's coastal areas
are threatened by human activity. In Puerto Rico, virtually
all coastal areas are reported as threatened by development
and the marine pollution it causes. In Rincon, Puerto
Rico pristine undeveloped coastlines such as the Tres
Palmas/Domes area are a primary attraction for thousands
of tourists who visit the area every year to surf,
snorkel, and enjoy the ocean.

However, the undeveloped land, unpolluted beaches,
clear waters and thriving reefs of this area are endangered
by proposed development projects that involve the urbanization
and/or the construction of high rise cement buildings.

In early 2001, a coalition of several local and national
environmental groups (Rincon's Ecological League, Surfers
Environmental Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, Northwest
Ecology League, the Caribbean Action Network and Environmental
Defense) was created to protect these unique resources.
The Coalition is proposing the creation of a Nature
Reserve (the equivalent of a Coastal Commonwealth Park)
which would preserve the 262 acres of land that stretches
from the Tres Palmas/Steps beach in Bo. Ensenada, Rincon
to the lands owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power
Authority in Bo. Puntas, Rincon.

See map of proposed reserve: http://www.surfrider.org/rincon/

A Coastal Reserve would prevent the kind of development
that would destroy the coastal and marine resources
that make this area an attraction for local residents
and tourists alike. Please respond to this action alert
as soon as possible and help us save this pristine
area from destructive resort developments.

Sincerely,

Ken Lindeman and Azur Moulaert
Oceans Program, Environmental Defense

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

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/trespalmas/wk8bxn2978xtdt   

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program, and edit the letter below as you wish. Do
not delete "-YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW-" and "-END
OF LETTER-". Please do not add your name and address
to your letter. Our system automatically does this
for you.  

We STRONGLY encourage you to make edits directly to
our sample letter below, and put the alert talking
points into your own words. An individualized letter
is worth ten computer generated letters. Of course,
hundreds of unedited letters will still create a large
impact, so please reply even if you don't have time
to personalize the letter.

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Rincon's Quality of Life Coalition


-------YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW---------

I support your request that the Tres Palmas through
Domes coastal area in Rincon, Puerto Rico be protected
from massive pending development by establishing a
Nature Reserve (equivalent to a Commonwealth Coastal
Park). This region of northwest Puerto Rico harbors
precious natural and community resources.

This coastline has some of the finest elkhorn coral
reefs in the region (candidate for the endangered species
list), sea turtle nesting sites, humpback whale mating
grounds, pristine beaches and valleys, and some of
the best surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. This area is
treasured by thousands of locals with deep ties to
the coastal land and water, and surfing and non-surfing
tourists who help fuel the local economy. This coastline
has a far greater value for Puerto Rico as a protected
area.

I support the protection of this treasure of the northern
Caribbean and support the various local and Commonwealth
efforts to create a Nature Reserve in Rincon.

-------END OF LETTER-------------------------

Natural Resources Defense Council's

LEGISLATIVE WATCH

August 2, 2001

Contents:

1) Legislative Watch
2) About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe
3) About NRDC/How to Contact Us

The information in this bulletin is also available on our website at
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp. The web version links to
the text of bills and congressional web pages. To take action on these
and other environmental issues, visit NRDC's Earth Action Center at
http://www.nrdc.org/action, where you can use our online activism
tools or subscribe to Earth Action, our biweekly activist bulletin.

1) LEGISLATIVE WATCH

This is a status report on congressional action on the environment. To
make new or updated sections easy to find, we've highlighted them
with:
= N O T E ! =

8/2/01

Congress is trying to wrap up several significant bills before
recessing for the month of August. The House approved the EPA funding
bill and harmful energy legislation that would open up the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, while the Senate is
considering the EPA and agriculture spending bills and will begin
committee consideration of a comprehensive energy bill.

...

Budget/Appropriations

= N O T E ! =
On 7/31, the Senate passed the $7.4 billion emergency agriculture
spending bill (S. 1246). The bill contains an additional $542 million
for wetlands, wildlife, and farmland protection.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/30, the House approved a $7.5 billion EPA funding bill (H.R.
2620) after amending it to prevent the Bush administration from
delaying or weakening the new tougher arsenic standard that was issued
in January. Language that would have hindered efforts to address
global warming was removed from the bill, but an amendment to restore
$25 million for the EPA's federal enforcement activities failed by a
vote of 188-214. The bill also undermines efforts to provide
protections against radon, pesticides, and hazardous wastes. The
Senate's EPA bill, which provides $7.8 billion for the agency,
including full funding for federal enforcement efforts and greater
investments in water quality than the House bill, will likely be
considered on the Senate floor before the August recess. Sen. Boxer
(D-CA) is expected to offer an amendment to maintain the stricter
arsenic standard.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/24, the House approved its Foreign Operations funding bill, H.R.
2506. The bill includes a $25 million cut in funding for the Global
Environment Facility, which provides grants for projects that combat
global warming and promote sustainable development worldwide. Funding
for the GEF in the Senate bill reported out of committee has been
increased only slightly above last year's levels.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/19, the Senate passed the Energy and Water spending bill, which
includes Sen. Stabenow's (D-MI) proposal to ban oil and gas drilling
in the Great Lakes for two years. In committee, the Senate improved a
provision inserted in the House bill by Rep. Latham (R-IA) that would
have blocked efforts to save three endangered species on the Missouri
River by preventing the federal government from releasing water in the
spring to restore more natural conditions (the Senate compromise would
allow water to be released in the spring). The House passed its
version of the energy and water bill on 6/28 by a vote of 405-15.
Among its troubling provisions, the bill authorizes $1 million in
studies on an expensive California water project that would destroy
environmental resources while failing to provide funds for
environmental restoration.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/18, the House approved funding (H.R. 2500) for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. House supporters of NOAA's
mission to protect the ocean environment were able to improve language
in a rider that undermined efforts to protect ocean wildlife and
habitats, but they were not able to remove the amendment completely.
Rep. Olver (D-MA) was successful in removing language from the bill
that hindered government efforts to address global warming. The Senate
is expected to take up its version of the bill after the August
recess. The Senate version cuts needed marine sanctuary funding, but
does not contain the language in the House bill restricting protection
of sensitive marine areas.

On 7/12, the Senate approved $18.5 billion to fund the Interior
department and related agencies. The bill, H.R. 2217, includes a ban
on oil and gas development in national monuments and bans funds for
even studying oil and gas development in sensitive coastal waters. The
Senate also rejected an effort by the House to prevent expanded
offshore oil and gas drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and
provided less funding for energy efficiency than the House bill; but
rejected a move to override environmental protections for endangered
species by depriving them of water from the Upper Klamath Lake. On
6/21, the House passed its version of the Interior bill by a vote of
376-32. In a great victory for the environment, the House repeatedly
rejected key anti-environment components of the Bush energy agenda.
Bipartisan amendments were approved to reverse Bush administration
policies that would have allowed oil and gas drilling within the
boundaries of national monuments, oil and gas development off the west
coast of Florida, and mining on public lands.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $60 billion for
transportation funding on 7/12 (S. 1178). On 6/26, the House approved
its transportation funding bill (H.R. 2299). For the first time in six
years, this bill does not include language blocking the federal
government from considering whether vehicle fuel economy standards
should be increased.

On 7/11, the House approved the fiscal year 2002 funding bill for the
Agriculture department by a vote of 414-16. The House removed a ban on
using federal funds to implement the Kyoto Protocol from the bill.
This ban had been used to obstruct government efforts to address
global warming. However, the bill does not contain funding for
important wetlands reserves, wildlife habitat, and farmland
conservation programs. Environmentalists would like to fully fund
these programs by adding $650 million.

On 7/10, the Senate approved nearly $7 billion in supplemental funding
for fiscal year 2001. This bill, S. 1077, contains $300 million in
financial assistance for low-income households struggling with high
power bills this summer. The House approved its version of the bill
(H.R. 2216) on 6/20.

On 5/6, Congress passed the Bush administration's tax cut bill, H.R.
1836. The bill authorizes a $1.35 trillion tax cut over the next
decade. Opponents of the cut maintain that the huge loss of government
revenue will make it impossible to adequately fund many important
environmental programs.

For a step-by-step guide to our annual odyssey through resolutions,
reconciliations and appropriations, see NRDC's budget process fact
sheet.

...

Campaign Finance Reform

On 7/12, the House rejected the campaign finance reform bill (H.R.
2356) introduced by Rep. Shays (R-CT) and Rep. Meehan (D-MA). The
Senate passed S. 27, Sen. McCain's (R-AZ) and Sen. Feingold's (D-WI)
campaign finance reform bill, on 4/2. Both bills would have banned
"soft money" donations from corporations to political parties, which
currently are not subject to federal limits. Huge soft money
contributions from wealthy corporations have made it easier for these
corporations to persuade members of Congress to attach
anti-environment riders to funding bills, and to gain special
exemptions from environmental laws and regulations.

...

Clean Air and Energy

= N O T E ! =
The House voted on its version of an energy bill (H.R. 4) in the early
morning hours of 8/2. The House passed four separate energy bills out
of four different committees, and combined them into one bill of more
than 500 pages that does little to create a sound, balanced energy
policy. Rather, this bill would provide tens of billions of dollars in
subsidies to coal, oil, gas and nuclear industries, open the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge and other sensitive areas to oil and gas
drilling, weaken environmental protections for other public lands, do
little to improve fuel economy standards, and starve renewable energy
and energy efficiency programs of needed funding.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/26, Sen. Jeffords (I-VT) held a hearing on dangerous power plant
emissions. EPA administrator Whitman indicated the administration's
support for regulating mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides
from power plants, but she disagreed with Sen. Jeffords' proposal to
regulate carbon dioxide at the same time. She also raised alarms by
suggesting that some modest controls on three pollutants could come in
exchange for Clean Air Act exemptions. Environmental groups support
controlling all four of the most damaging air pollutants from power
plants.

= N O T E ! =
Throughout July Sen. Bingaman (D-NM), the new chair of the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, held several hearings on
energy policy bills dealing with vehicle fuel efficiency standards,
energy efficiency, renewable energy in general, and hydroelectric
power in particular. Sen. Bingaman and the Senate Democratic
leadership have been more supportive of energy conservation measures
than their Republican counterparts, and unlike the Republican
leadership, the Democrats oppose drilling for oil and gas in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Sen. Reid (D-NV), the highest-ranking Democratic member of the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee in the Republican-controlled
Senate, gave up his chance to become chair of the committee when the
Democrats gained control so that Sen. Jeffords (I-VT) could have the
position. In his new role, Sen. Jeffords will have the opportunity to
move the bipartisan bill that he and Sen. Lieberman (D-CT) authored to
impose mandatory cuts on carbon pollution through committee. The
Jeffords-Lieberman bill, S. 556, has 16 cosponsors and new momentum.
The House bill, H.R. 1256, introduced by Rep. Boehlert (R-NY) and Rep.
Waxman (D-CA) on 3/27 has 112 cosponsors.

On 5/16, Rep. Camp (R-MI) introduced H.R. 1864, a bipartisan bill
aimed at making fuel-efficient hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles more
affordable, and saving consumers money at the gas pump. On 4/24, a
bipartisan group of ten senators led by Sen. Hatch (R-UT) and Sen.
Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced S. 760, a companion Senate bill with the
same goals. The bills link the amount of tax savings for each vehicle
to increased fuel efficiency, and would help decrease both carbon
dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming and the use of
petroleum fuels.

On 5/10, Rep. Olver (D-MA) and Rep. Gilchrest (R-MD) introduced H.R.
1815, a House companion bill to S. 804. Introduced by Senators
Feinstein (D-CA), Snowe (R-ME), Schumer (D-NY), and Collins (R-ME) on
5/1, S. 804 seeks to tighten corporate fuel economy standards for
sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The bill would require that
SUVs and other light trucks increase fuel economy to 27.5 mpg by model
year 2007, expand the current fuel economy standards to trucks
weighing between 8,500-10,000 pounds by 2007, and raise the fuel
economy of the federal government's fleet by 6 mpg. SUVs and light
trucks currently use 43 percent more gasoline per mile than the
average car.

NRDC's report, A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century,
outlines the components of an alternative energy policy -- one that
can meet the nation's energy needs without destroying wilderness or
rolling back environmental safeguards.

...

Clean Water

= N O T E ! =
In mid-July committees in both the House and the Senate considered
legislation to reauthorize a popular federal and state partnership
that provides water for urban and agricultural users, as well as for
wildlife and habitat restoration. Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep.
Calvert (R-CA), both of whom have introduced bills to support the
reauthorization (S. 976 and H.R. 1985), heard testimony emphasizing
that the bill should not support the construction of new dams without
appropriate review, and should not give agricultural water users
priority over the environment. Rep. Miller (D-CA) has introduced a
bill, H.R. 2404, which would reauthorize this program without harmful
anti-environment provisions. Environmentalists support the Miller
bill.

...

Global Warming

= N O T E ! =
On 8/1, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee considered the State
Department authorization bill. An amendment offered by Sen. Kerry
(D-MA) that urges the administration to continue to engage in
international negotiations to reduce global warming pollution passed
unanimously. The Senate bill is similar to the House-approved bill to
reauthorize the State Department that contains language, added by Rep.
Menendez (D-NJ), which urges the United States to reduce greenhouse
gases and continue to participate in international negotiations on the
Kyoto Protocol.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/18, Sen. Lieberman (D-CT), chair of the Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee, held a hearing on a bill (S. 1008) introduced by
Sen. Byrd (D-WV) and Sen. Stevens (R-AK) that creates a framework for
the United States to develop a comprehensive program to reduce
pollution that contributes to global warming. The bill is expected to
be considered on 8/2.

...

International Environmental Protections

On June 13, Rep. Crane (R-IL) introduced H.R. 2149, the Trade
Promotion Authority Act of 2001. This bill grants the president "fast
track," or expedited, authority to negotiate new trade agreements.
However, the bill prevents labor and environmental standards from
being addressed, and allows trade rules to directly challenge
legitimate public interest laws and regulations. The bill, supported
by the Bush administration, is similar to fast track legislation that
was rejected by Congress in 1997 and 1998, except that it provides
even fewer positive labor and environmental provisions, while offering
more restrictions on public safety and environmental protection. A
broad coalition of public interest organizations has voiced its
opposition to any fast track legislation that does not adequately
address environmental, labor, and social justice issues. The House is
expected to take the bill up after the August recess.

...

Public Health

= N O T E ! =
On 7/27, 19 Republicans joined 198 Democrats and one Independent to
support an amendment to the EPA funding bill (H.R. 2620) that would
ensure the implementation of the stricter arsenic drinking water
standard approved during the last weeks of the Clinton administration.
The tougher standard decreases permissible levels of arsenic in
drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 10 ppb. EPA administrator
Whitman suspended the new rule on 5/22.

On 5/22, the House unanimously approved H.R. 1831, a bipartisan bill
that exempts municipal solid waste and small quantities of hazardous
waste from Superfund liability. This bipartisan compromise legislation
moved swiftly through the House because it had the support of key
leaders on both the Commerce Committee and the Transportation
Committee.

On 5/3, Sen. Chafee (R-RI) introduced a bill (S. 830) that would fund
research into links between breast cancer and the environment. Rep.
Lowey (D-NY) introduced a House companion bill (H.R. 1723) on the same
day.

On 4/26, Sen. Boxer (D-CA) led six other Democratic senators in
offering S. 796, a bill designed to inform the public about the health
dangers associated with arsenic in drinking water. The bill also seeks
to inform people that the EPA has decided not to strengthen the
arsenic standards because of cost concerns.

On 4/25, by a vote of 99-0, the Senate approved a popular bipartisan
brownfields redevelopment bill (S. 350), introduced by Senators Smith
(R-NH), Chafee (R-RI), Reid (D-NV), and Boxer (D-CA). The bill
provides states with increased funding and authority to clean up
former industrial sites known as brownfields. The bill now moves to
the House, where its fate is uncertain. The Bush administration has
signaled its support for the bill, but with funding extremely tight,
finding money in the budget for brownfields clean-up may be difficult.

On 4/4, Rep. Waxman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1413, which would reinstate
the arsenic-in-drinking-water standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb)
issued by the Clinton administration in January and revoked by the
Bush administration in late March. This bill would also provide
funding for local water authorities to bring their systems into
compliance. With 173 cosponsors and the support of environmental and
public health groups, the bill's supporters are pushing hard to
quickly bring it to the floor of the House. In a move also applauded
by environmentalists, Rep. Sanders (I-VT) has introduced H.R. 1252, a
bill that would establish an arsenic-in-drinking-water standard even
lower than the 10 ppb standard in H.R. 1413.

...

Public Lands

= N O T E ! =
On 7/25, the House Resources Committee approved the controversial
Conservation and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 701). CARA would provide
funding for state and federal conservation and wildlife initiatives,
however, environmentalists do not support the bill in its present form
because it could create significant incentives for oil and gas
drilling off Alaska's coast. It also fails to ensure that the funds it
makes available would be used for environmental projects rather than
for roads and infrastructure. Moreover, a funding deal negotiated last
year by the Clinton administration and Rep. Dicks (D-WA) achieves many
of CARA's positive goals without the anti-environment provisions.

On 7/12, the Senate approved, by voice vote, the nomination of J.
Steven Griles to be second in command at the Department of the
Interior. Griles served in President Reagan's Interior department for
eight years. He is a lobbyist and a former industry official who is
expected to push for more industry resource extraction from, and less
environmental protection for, public lands.

On 7/10, the House approved H.R. 2131, a noncontroversial bill
introduced by Rep. Portman (R-OH) that reauthorizes a "debt for
nature" swap program that allows other countries to apply debt
payments to projects aimed at saving tropical forests. The Senate
could take up Sen. Lugar's (R-IN) version of this legislation, S.
1021, before the August recess.

On 6/7, Rep. Simpson (R-ID) introduced the National Monument Fairness
Act of 2001 (H.R. 2114), a bill seeking to curb the president's
ability to either designate new national monuments or expand existing
national monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act. This bill, which
would require congressional approval for monuments over 50,000 acres
in size, is opposed by the environmental community because it would
hinder swift presidential action to protect important public resources
that are threatened by development.

On 5/1, the House unanimously passed a substantially improved version
of H.R. 601, a bill that redesignates a portion of the Craters of the
Moon National Monument in Idaho as a preserve where traditional
hunting would be allowed. Environmentalists did not oppose the final
version of this bill, because it reflects an agreement that the
Clinton administration had reached with the local community, and it
ensures that the Interior Department retain oversight of hunting
there.

...

Regulatory Reform

= N O T E ! =
On 7/19, the Senate confirmed John Graham by a vote of 61-37 for a key
position within the White House that makes recommendations on
regulations. Sen. Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Lieberman (D-CT), Sen. Wellstone
(D-MN) and Sen. Kerry (D-MA) raised strong objections to his
nomination during floor debate. Environmental, labor, and consumer
groups opposed Graham's nomination because he consistently advocates
an ideological approach to regulation that is hostile to strong
environmental, health, and safety protections.

...

For information on the environmental voting records of members of
Congress, see the League of Conservation Voter's National
Environmental Scorecards at http://www.lcv.org/scorecards/index.htm

...........

2) About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe

NRDC distributes three bulletins by email. To subscribe to any or all
of them or to join our activist networks, go to
http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/subscribe.asp. If you already subscribe
and want to change your subscriptions or update your email address or
other information, go to http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/profileeditor
(or see the unsubscribe information below).

EARTH ACTION is sent biweekly and calls out urgent environmental
issues requiring immediate action. To unsubscribe from Earth Action,
send an email message to earthaction@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the
subject line.

LEGISLATIVE WATCH is sent biweekly when Congress is in session and
tracks environmental bills moving through the federal legislature. To
unsubscribe from Legislative Watch, send an email message to
legwatch@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the subject line.

The CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT is distributed monthly to
members of NRDC's California Activist Network and provides action
tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the state's
natural resources and the health of its citizens. To unsubscribe, send
an email message to wildcalifornia@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the
subject line.

...........

3) About NRDC/How to Contact Us

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental
organization with over 500,000 members nationwide and a staff of
scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to
protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and
healthy environment for all living things.

For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC,
please contact us at:

Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
NY, NY 10011
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General information: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
Email subscription questions: nrdcaction@nrdc.org
http://www.nrdc.org

Also visit:
BioGems -- Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

Welcome to the EarthNet News -- the largest student environmental newsletter in
the U.S.! Each week, we'll bring you legislative updates, corporate attacks on
the environment, and political, environmental, and campus news. Check out our
website at http://www.envirocitizen.org to take action on our alerts, find jobs
or events in your area, and learn about our campaigns on campus or in your
community. If you received this by mistake, please refer to instructions at the
bottom of the newsletter.   You may receive two editions of EarthNet News this
time.  Our listserv manager will address the problem this month and it
shouldn't happen again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EarthNet News
...a project of the Center for Environmental Citizenship

August 2, 2001  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come join the fray as summer heats up!  Protest HR 4, which will allow for
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and stop big corporations from
muzzling nonprofits and trammeling first amendment rights!  And check out our
job listings … you know us, you love us, and now you can come work with us here
at the Center for Environmental Citizenship (we currently have two fab
openings).  We also have a suggestion for what to do with your phat tax refund
that just might help to undo some of the damage Mama Earth's sustained lately.
And if that isn't enough for you, we STILL offer free Web-based
EnviroCitizen.com email at http://www.envirocitizen.org/mail

--Susie Gorden, EarthNet Editor
mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shadow Congress:  Stop HR 4!  
2. Corporate Corner:  Support Nonprofits & the First Amendment!
3. Quote of the Week
4. Glimmer(s) of Hope
5. Letter to the Editor
** An Interruption **
6. Eco-Exposure
7. Jobs, Conferences and Gatherings
8. Activist Phone Book & EarthNet News Info

SHADOW CONGRESS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've been following the summer's heated debates over energy, then you'll
know HR 4 is here and it ain't good!  The House approved this bill August 1,
which contains billions in tax breaks for the power industry and allows for
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR).  As Rep. Richard
Gephardt (D-MO) said during House debate, "The bill, much like the president's
energy program, takes us back to a different, much earlier era: to a 1950s'
world of big oil rigs and refineries."

But it's not too late!  Congress adjourns at the end of the week -- and then HR
4 heads to the Senate, who will begin debating the bill after Labor Day. Its
fate is still far from certain.  

TAKE ACTION NOW:  Write your Senator now to stop HR 4 and protect the ANWR,
sending letters from http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet

FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16582-2001Aug1.html;
http://www.alaskawild.org/arcticrefuge_intro.html


CORPORATE CORNER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you ever noticed that the organizations that are the most likely to work
against liberty frequently throw around the word freedom?  Well, the Frontiers
of Freedom (FF) is no different.  They're currently in a fight to revoke the
tax-exempt status of the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) -- an act that would
certainly bankrupt the organization.

Educating the public about for-profit misdeeds is a cornerstone for many
nonprofits -- including what you read here in "Corporate Corner."  But FF is
targeting RAN for the campaign they've waged against Boise Cascade Corporation,
one of the worst offenders in trafficking products from old-growth forests.
The issue is attracting big-time celebrity attention -- Bonnie Raitt and Julia
Butterfly Hill were arrested in Chicago last week and letters of support have
come in from Michael Stipe and Oliver Stone.  Join with them in protesting this
blatant first amendment attack!

TAKE ACTION NOW:  Write Charles Rossotti, Internal Revenue Service
Commissioner, to protect RAN's nonprofit status and first amendment rights!
Use the EarthNet Action Center at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet to make
your
views heard.

FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/old_growth/ran_boise_response.html;
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010726/re/people_raitt_dc_1.html;


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been
poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then you will find
that money cannot be eaten.
-- Cree Indian Proverb

GLIMMER(S) OF HOPE: Part Uno
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never underestimate the power of youth.  This spring, a community group in
Jamaica Plain, MA, a neighborhood of Boston, successfully lowered the voting
age for local elections to 16, arguing that youth are frequently the voice of
the parents in this largely immigrant neighborhood.  But the Hyde Square Task
Force didn't stop there.  They subsequently ran two 16-year-olds for the
community council -- electing both Kimberly Chacon and Oscar Vega.  Even more
incredibly, the two were the largest vote-getters in their areas for the spring
election.  Both are currently fighting to designate an empty lot as a community
center that would benefit local youth, instead of handing it over to big
developers who want to open a K-Mart.  Sounds like a fight worth winning!

GLIMMER(S) OF HOPE: Part Deux
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the news on the home front hasn't been great regarding the Kyoto Treaty …
The Bush administration's rejection of the climate change treaty didn't stop a
whopping 178 nations from signing on recently in Bonn, Germany.  While the U.S.
is still the single largest polluter, this amazing show of solidarity
represents a major step in recognizing the need to limit carbon emissions and
mitigate the effects of climate change.  Two cheers for the rest of the world!

AN INTERRUPTION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I now interrupt your regularly scheduled EarthNet News programming with an
important announcement.  You might be wondering what to do with that phat tax
refund you'll be receiving any day.  Well, it would be great if you'd consider
sponsoring our work at the Center for Environmental Citizenship.  And there's
no better time to do it!  Right now, we're one of the featured charities
sponsored by Give for Change, a program of Working Assets.  Donate online
(http://www.giveforchange.com) and Working Assets will match your $300 or $600
donation $ for $.  (We'll happily accept any amount, but they'll only provide
matching funds for $300 or $600.) If the money's already spoken for in your own
abode, think about other folks who might have enough spare cash to help us do
the important work of igniting youth power to protect the environment.

ECO-EXPOSURE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTV challenges young activists to fight for your rights and qualify for a
scholarship worth up to $50,000.  See if you're eligible and check out the
details at http://www.mtv.com/nav/intro_ffyr.html


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
And speaking of Kyoto…

To the Editor:

I would like to see Ford adopt the Kyoto Treaty. But our own President, and
therefore the nation, does not.  Yes, there are countries that are being
hypocritical about the Treaty.  They expect the U.S. to adopt it because we are
such a big consumer country.  Well, fellow Americans, we are!

Just take a look around you as you drive (alone) around: There are many SUVs
out there, blah-blah-valve, 4.0 or more liter, six-cylinder 4-wheel drive
vehicles that will NEVER touch a knobby, rutted, dirt or even gravel road.

One caveat: I drive a small pickup, which does NOT get the mileage of a Geo
Metro. But not only do I have a small, 2.5-liter manual transmission Dakota, I
don't even have air conditioning! And you know what else? I USE it the way a
pickup is built to be used: I haul recycled mulch from the dump to my herb
garden. I help people move (which is the curse of truck owners). I also combine
trips...never one trip to the grocery store and when it is a code RED day, I
never gas up and make trips as little as possible.

Okay, I'm sanctimonious. But when I see a Mercedes SUV, with a driver that has
one hand on the wheel and another on his/her cell phone, I ask myself "Why
don't you get something more gas efficient? And by the way, why don't you pull
off to the side of the road, cut your engine, and talk?

Back to the Kyoto Treaty: Well, what do you expect from a
Chump-Off-The-Old-Blockhead? But I believe that we should have adopted Kyoto
and set a good example for ourselves and the world.

-- Clay Teunis, Environmental Journalism Academy, Alumnus '99

Got something to say?  Send your letters to mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and purpose.


JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
------------------------------
These are a sampling of the over 200 environmental and activist jobs and
internships listed at www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/index.asp!

The Center for Environmental Citizenship is searching for a Training Director
(http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=3114) AND a Development
Director
(http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=3068).

The Student Conservation Association seeks conservation leaders for paid
internships in Hawley, MA.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=3057

The Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition is looking for a Field Organizer in
Asheville, NC.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=3189

The Northwest Jewish Environmental Project is hiring a Program Director in
Seattle, WA.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=3164


CONFERENCES, GATHERINGS AND VIEWINGS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All events listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/index.asp

WHAT: "In the Light of Reverence," a documentary about environmental
protection and Native American religious freedom
WHERE: Nationally broadcast on PBS              
WHEN:  August 17, 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=858

WHAT: International Action Camp
WHERE: Chicago, IL
WHEN:  August 18 - August 24, 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=814

WHAT: Globalization and the Environment: Prospects and Perils
WHERE:  Anaheim, CA
WHEN:  August 24 , 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=823


ACTIVIST PHONE BOOK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121
White House Comment Line: 202.456.1111
EarthNet Action Center: http://congress.nw.dc.us/cec
White House Address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500
Senate Address: US Senate, Washington, DC 20510
House Address: US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
**Look up e-mail addresses in a comprehensive congressional directory at
http://congress.nw.dc.us/cec/congdir.html or http://www.vote-smart.org/ce

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write your own short articles for submission to EarthNet. We are particularly
interested in articles about student activism on your campus. The email
accounts for EarthNet News are:
For general comments: mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
For article submissions or ideas: mailto:submissions@envirocitizen.org
Submit Jobs/Internships/Volunteer listings at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/add.asp.
Submit Events at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/add.asp.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe to our listserv, EarthNet News, go to
http://www.envirocitizen.org/subscribe.html, or send an email to
mailto:earthnet-request@earthsystems.org with the subject subscribe

In this Post :

1. Amazon Watch, Project Underground, Rainforest Action Network Press Release
2. U'wa communique in English and Espanol

For background info on the U'wa struggle check out http://www.ran.org
http://www.amazonwatch.org www.moles.org or the U'wa own website at
http://www.uwacolombia.org


AMAZON WATCH  * PROJECT UNDERGROUND *¨RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   August 1, 2001

CONTACTS:
Atossa Soltani, Amazon Watch -  (202) 256-9795
Patrick Reinsborough, Rainforest Action Network (415) 305-7246
Carwil James, Project Underground (510) 705-8981


Colombia's U'wa Tribe and Supporters Celebrate Oxy's Failure
to Find Oil

End to Oil Drilling on the Tribe's Ancestral Land and
Total De-Militarization Urged

The news long awaited by the Colombia's U'wa tribe and their thousands
of supporters around the world has finally arrived: the Los
Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum (OXY) announced Friday that it has
failed to find oil at the Gibraltar 1 well site on the tribe's ancestral
land in Northeastern Colombia. The company has begun removing equipment
from the site, a positive turn of events for the valorous non-violent
resistance campaign waged by the U'wa, an indigenous community of 8,000
who live high in the Andean cloud forests.

Since OXY received drilling rights in 1992 to the Siriri block (formerly
known as Samoré), the project has been embroiled in controversy and
condemned by environmental and human rights groups worldwide.

The announcement by OXY comes as thousands of U'wa are taking part in a
traditional three month spiritual retreat for fasting, meditation,
teaching, singing, and prayer. The U'wa Werjayas (spiritual leaders) and
Karekas(medicine people) have been praying for months and using
traditional rituals to "hide the oil" from OXY's drill.

While the U'wa called this development a "cultural triumph," the tribe
pointed out that their ancestral land is still threatened by oil
exploration by the Spanish company Repsol, who is just beginning
exploratory drilling in the Capachos 1 block.  "This is a battle that we
have won, but the war continues, because the U'wa territory is not only
Gibraltar 1," said Roberto Perez, President of the U'wa Traditional
Authority in a communiqué released today.

"The blood spilled from the three North Americans indigenous activists
and other supporters who were killed, the loss of our U'wa children in
the violent evictions, the humiliations of the armed forces, the cries
of the U'wa children and elders in the peaceful mobilizations, the
challenge to resist the aggressions by the Colombian State and OXY, will
not go unpunished. It will be a bittersweet memory that will remain in
the minds of those who participated directly an indirectly in the most
difficult moments
of this process," said Perez.

The U'wa have become a symbol of resistance to oil exploration and
corporate led globalization for thousands of supporters around the
world.  Over the last 5 years, the U'wa resistance has inspired a
massive international solidarity movement that has captured headlines
with hundreds of peaceful demonstrations.  More recently, the U'wa and
their supporters been organizing to stop U.S. military aid to Colombia,
of which OXY is an influential proponent.

Using tactics ranging from blockades at the drill site, lawsuits,
shareholder resolutions, letter writing campaigns, banner hangs, and
non-violent civil disobedience, the U'wa along with environmental and
human rights activists have confronted Occidental and its major
shareholders including Fidelity Investments, former Vice-President Al
Gore and Alliance Capital/Sanford Bernstein.


"This is an important victory and a real milestone in the larger
struggle to win recognition and respect for indigenous peoples rights
around the world.  Unfortunately, until we address our societies
addiction to fossil fuels by transitioning to renewable energy sources,
the world's remaining pristine ecosystems and traditional cultures will
continue to be threatened by unscrupulous oil corporations," said Kevin
Koenig, campaigner for Amazon Watch.

This is yet another blow to Oxy's operations in Colombia which have
suffered significant losses this year.  The company's Cano Limon field
and pipeline have been paralyzed since February 17 as a result of more
than 110 guerrilla bombings on the company's pipeline so far this year.  
In addition, OXY's private security contractor, AirScan, was recently
implicated in one of Colombian Military's worst civilian massacres
putting OXY in the center of yet another controversy. AirScan guided
Colombian military's attack on the Santo Domingo village that killed 12
civilians including 9 children.

The U'wa Communique (in English and Spanish) follow this release.

###

ASSOCIATION OF U'WA TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES
DECREE No. 1088 of 1993

January 7, 1997 Resolution of Registry No. 003
General Office of Indigenous Affairs. Ministry of the Interior


COMMUNIQUE TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY


GIBRALTAR 1, CULTURAL TRIUMPH
THE U'WA WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND OUR MOTHER EARTH
EL KERA CHIKARA = SACRED TERRITORY

Cubará, July 31, 2001

Recently, the U.S multinational company Occidental of Colombia (OXY)
publicly recognized the negative results regarding the expected
petroleum bonanza of Gibraltar 1.

For the U'wa, after doing a meticulous study of our origin, our history
and of the flagrant violations of our great laws committed by the
Colombian state and OXY, we knew this news months before.  For our
highest traditional authorities WERJAYAS, defenders of the landmarks of
the world, it's a battle that has been won, but the war continues
because the U'wa territory is not only Gibraltar 1.  Our territory is
more extensive, covering five Colombian states (Casanare, Arauca,
Boyacá, Santander and North Santander) and part of
the Venezuelan territory, today known as the state of Merida.

We say that it is only one battle and more await us, for today, the
Sacred U'wa territory remains threatened by the petroleum exploration
project BLOQUE CAPACHOS I, in the jurisdiction of the Tame - Arauca
municipality, carried out by the SPANISH PETROLEUM MULTINATIONAL REPSOL
EXPLORACIÓN COLOMBIA, S.A.  The indigenous reserve of Angostura, which
is home to U'wa (with 3,200 hectares), Macarieros (40 hectares) and
Payeros (the last of the Sikuani ethnic group with 94 hectares) are all
being affected.

The National Government's administrative procedures for the BLOQUE
CAPACHOS I, headed by the Minister of the Environment and the Ministry
of the Interior (under the direction of the General of Indigenous
Affairs), secretly moved ahead ignoring the process of consultation and
agreement with the U'wa and Sikuani communities, as we are the ones that
are directly affected by the project. This is the same obscure and
deceptive process that moved ahead in Gibraltar I.

In the face of this event, the U'wa will inform our highest authorities
to make decisions in how to act materially and spiritually to resist
this project.

The knowledge inherited from our ancestors and the spiritual
communication with the eternal father SIRA that we zealously preserve
and practice today, allows us to reaffirm our vision and cultural
mission, which we are obligated to defend with dignity.  THE RESPECT FOR
THE LIFE OF MOTHER EARTH AND ALL THAT EXISTS UPON HER.

It is also right to say that in this first defense we were accompanied
unrestrictedly by the social sectors from the state of Arauca, Cubará
(Boyacá) and Toledo (North Santander), the indigenous brothers of
Colombia and all Colombians who felt and observed powerlessly the
physical and verbal aggressions we were subjected to in search for
respect of our sacred rights.

The blood spilled of the North Americans indigenous women and activist
who were killed, the loss of our U'wa children in the violent evictions,
the humiliations of the armed forces, the cries of the U'wa children and
elders in the peaceful mobilizations, the challenge to resist the
aggressions by the Colombian State and OXY, will not go unpunished.  
They will be a memory with a bittersweet taste that will remain in the
minds of those who participated directly and indirectly in the most
difficult moments of this
process.  The vigilant and zealous spirit of our martyrs strengthens us
to reaffirm the process of defense of our Historical Patrimonial
Millennial Rights.  Moreover, we highlight the international support
that we have counted on with their moral, ethical, spiritual and
economic solidarity to resist against the invasion of our sacred spaces.

We invite all our friends of Colombia and the World to continue their
solidarity with the U'wa people in our second phase of resistance
against petroleum companies and the Colombian State that continue to
ignore our territorial and cultural rights.  The U'wa have always
respected that which belongs to others, but the government and
multinational corporations continue to violate our rights.

Finally, we insist that the Colombian Government comply with the
recuperation and legalization of the united U'wa Reserve.

Cultures with principles cannot be bought.

U'WA TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES


Roberto Pérez Gutierrez
President of U'wa Traditional Authority
U'wa Association

Office of Cabildo Mayor U'wa  Telefax  0978 892326

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE EARTH, HELP US DEFEND IT

------------------------
Espanol

COMUNICADO A LA OPINIÓN PÚBLICA
Cubará, Julio 31 de 2001

GIBRALTAR: TRIUNFO CULTURAL

LOS U´WA SEGUIREMOS DEFENDIENDO A NUESTRA MADRE TIERRA

EL KERA CHIKARA : TERRITORIO SAGRADO


Recientemente la empresa multinacional estadounidense de petróleo
Occidental de Colombia, OXY, reconoció públicamente los resultados
desalentadores frente a la expectativa de la bonanza petrolera de
Gibraltar I, en territorio sagrado U´wa.

Para los U´was luego de hacer un estudio minucioso de nuestro origen de
nuestra historia y de la flagrante violación de nuestras leyes mayores,
de los derechos fundamentales consagrados en la Constitución Política de
1991 y las leyes internacionales, por parte del Estado Colombiano y de
la Oxy, meses antes conocíamos esta noticia, lo cual nos tranquilizó y
nuestra noble actitud fue retirarnos de la protesta pacifica para
continuar con nuestros ayunos sagrados de purificación y meditación.  
Para nuestras máximas autoridades tradicionales Werjayas sostenedores de
los mejores del Corazón del Mundos, es una batalla que se gana pero la
guerra del conocimiento por defender la vida de la madre tierra y de
nuestros hermanos riowa continua
porque el territorio U´wa no solo es Gibraltar I, nuestro territorio es
mas extenso, tiene espacio geográfico en cinco departamentos de Colombia
(Casanare, Arauca, Boyará, Santander y Norte de Santander) y parte del
territorio venezolano, hoy territorio del Estado de Mérida.

Decidimos que es solo una batalla y nos esperan muchas mas, pues hoy, el
territorio sagrado U´wa sigue amenazado con el proyecto petrolero BLOQUE
CAPACHOS I, en jurisdicción del municipio de Tame - Arauca, adelantado
por la Multinacional petrolera Española REPSOL EXPLORACION COLOMBIA SA.  
En el desarrollo de este proyecto se están afectando los resguardos
indígenas de Angostura de la etnia U´wa, Macarieros y Puyeros de la
etnia Sikuani que de por si ya ha sido destruida en su mayor parte con
el proyecto de explotación petrolera de Caño Limón en Arauca, que
adelanta la Oxy.

Los tramites administrativos del BLOQUE CAPACHOS por parte del Gobierno
Nacional en cabeza del Ministro del Medio Ambiente y el Ministerio del
Interior, a través de la Dirección de General de Asuntos Indígenas se
adelanto escondida, desconociéndose el proceso de consulta y
concertación con los Pueblos U'WA y Sikuani quienes somos los directos
afectados con este proyecto.  Es el mismo proceso oscuro y engañoso que
se adelanto en Gibraltar I.

Frente a este hecho los U´was informaremos a nuestras máximas
autoridades para tomar decisiones de cómo actuar material y
espiritualmente para contrarrestar este proyecto.

La sabiduría heredada de nuestros ancestros y la comunicación espiritual
con el padre eterno Sira que hoy celosamente conservamos y practicamos,
nos permiten reafirmar nuestra visión y misión cultural que estamos
obligados a defender con dignidad.  EL RESPETO POR LA  VIDA DE LA MADRE
TIERRA Y TODO LO QUE EXISTE SOBRE ELLA.

También es bueno decir que en esta primera defensa nos acompañaron
irrestrictamente los sectores sociales del departamento de Arauca, de
Cubara (Boyacá) y Toledo (Norte de Santander), los hermanos indígenas de
Colombia y todos los colombianos que sintieron y observaron impotentes
las agresiones físicas y verbales a loas que fuimos sometidos por buscar
el respeto de nuestros derechos sagrados.

La sangre derramada de los tres indigenistas norteamericanos, la perdida
de nuestro niños U´wa en los desalojos violentos, las humillaciones de
la fuerza publica, el llanto de los niños, niñas y ancianos U´wa en las
movilizaciones pacificas, el reto por contrarrestar las agresiones del
Estado y de la Oxy no quedaran impunes, será un recuerdo con sabor
amargo y dulce que quedara en la mente de los que participamos directa e
indirectamente en los momentos mas difíciles de este proceso.  El
espíritu vigilante y celoso de nuestros mártires nos fortalece para
reafirmar el proceso de defensa de nuestros derechos históricos
patrimoniales milenarios.
Así mismo es de resaltar el apoyo internacional con quienes hemos
contado con la solidaridad moral, ética, espiritual para resistir frente
a la invasión de nuestros espacios sagrados.

Invitamos a todos nuestros amigos y amigas de Colombia y del Mundo a
continuar solidarizándose con el pueblo U´wa en nuestra segunda etapa de
resistencia contra las petroleras y el Estado que están desconociendo
nuestros derechos territoriales y culturales.  Los U´wa siempre hemos
respetado lo ajeno, pero el gobierno y las empresas multinacionales
siguen violando nuestros derechos.

Finalmente queremos exigir al Gobierno Colombiano el inmediato
saneamiento del Resguardo Unido U´wa.

Las culturas con principios no tienen precio

AUTORIDADES TRADICIONALES U´WA

Roberto Pérez Gutiérrez
Presidente Cabildo Mayor
Asociación U´wa

SOMOS LOS HIJOS DE LA TIERRA, AYÚDANOS A DEFENDERLA

ASOCIACION DE AUTORIDADES TRADICIONALES U'WA
(Decreto 1088 de 1993 Resolución de Registro No. 003 de 1997 Dirección
General de Asuntos Indígenas Ministerio del Interior)
Oficina Cabildo Mayor U'wa  Calle 4 No. 3-53 Centro de Desarrollo
Comunitario
Telefax  0978 892326
Cubará Boyacá

RAFI
Rural Advancement Foundation International
www.rafi.org  |  rafi@rafi.org

News Release - 3 August 2001

USDA Says Yes to Terminator

It's official. The US Department of Agriculture announced this week that
it has concluded negotiations to license the notorious Terminator
technology to its seed industry partner, Delta & Pine Land (D&PL). As a
result of joint research, the USDA and D&PL are co-owners of three
patents on the controversial technology that genetically modifies plants
to produce sterile seeds, preventing farmers from re-using harvested
seed. A licensing agreement establishes the terms and conditions under
which a party can use a patented technology. Although many of the Gene
Giants hold patents on Terminator technology, D&PL is the only company
that has publicly declared its intention to commercialize Terminator
seeds. (for details, see "2001: A Seed Odyssey" RAFI Communique,
January/February 2001, www.rafi.org)

"USDA's decision to license Terminator flies in the face of
international public opinion and betrays the public trust," said Hope
Shand, Research Director of RAFI. "Terminator technology has been
universally condemned by civil society; banned by international
agricultural research institutes, censured by United Nations bodies,
even shunned by Monsanto, and yet the US government has officially
sanctioned commercialization of the technology by licensing it to one of
the world's largest seed companies," explains Shand.

"USDA's role in developing Terminator seeds is a disgraceful example of
corporate welfare involving a technology that is bad for farmers,
dangerous for the environment and disastrous for world food security,"
adds Silvia Ribeiro of RAFI. Terminator has been universally opposed as
an immoral technology because over 1.4 billion people, primarily poor
farmers, depend on farm-saved seeds as their primary seed source.

Michael Schechtman, Executive Secretary to USDA's Advisory Committee on
Agricultural Biotechnology, made the official announcement regarding the
licensing of Terminator at the Committee's August 1 meeting. The
38-member Advisory Committee, established during the Clinton
administration, was created to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on
issues related to growing public controversy over GM technology. Because
of overwhelming public opposition to USDA's involvement with Terminator,
the issue became a top priority for the Advisory Committee. USDA
officials admitted last year that the Agency had the option of
abandoning patents on Terminator, but chose not to do so. Although many
members of the Biotech Advisory Committee urged the USDA to abandon its
patents and forsake all further research on genetic seed sterilization,
the USDA steadfastly declined. The official statement released by USDA
this week states that the Agency "had a legal obligation" to license the
technology to D&PL.

In a lackluster attempt to quell its critics, the USDA pledged to
negotiate licensing restrictions on how the Terminator technology could
be  deployed by Delta & Pine Land. "In the end, the restrictions
negotiated by USDA are meaningless," concludes Michael Sligh, RAFI-USA's
Director of Sustainable Agriculture, and member of the Biotech Advisory
Committee. According to Sligh, "USDA's promotion of Terminator
technology puts private profits above public good and the rights of
farmers everywhere." Sligh spearheaded efforts amongst Advisory Board
members who urged the USDA to abandon Terminator.

USDA places the following conditions on D&PL's deployment of
Terminator:

_ The licensed Terminator technology will not be used in any heirloom
varieties of garden flowers and vegetables and it will not be used in
any variety of plant available in the marketplace before January 1,
2003. (RAFI's comment: In other words, Terminator will not be
commercialized, at the earliest, until 2003 - only 17 months from now.
To suggest that USDA is protecting heirloom varieties from genetic seed
sterilization technology is ludicrous. There's no money to be made on
genetic modification of heirloom vegetables and flowers. The seed
industry aims to engineer seed sterility in major crop commodities -
especially those crops that have not been successfully hybridized on a
commercial scale such as soybeans, rice and wheat.)  

_ USDA scientists will be involved in safety testing of new varieties
incorporating the GM trait for seed sterility, and a full and public
process of safety evaluation must be completed prior to regulatory
sign-off by USDA.(RAFI's comment: Can USDA play a role in both
developing and regulating this technology? Is it a blatant conflict of
interest for the agency to conduct a biosafety review of a product in
which it holds a financial interest?)

_ All royalties accruing to USDA from the use of Terminator will be
earmarked to technology transfer efforts for USDA's Agricultural
Research Service innovations that will be made widely available to the
public. (RAFI's comment: "Technology transfer" is a very broad concept.
Terminator seeds in every foreign aid package? More paper clips for ARS
patent lawyers?)

USDA concludes that Terminator "is a valuable technology." Ironically,
the agency promotes Terminator as a "green" technology that will prevent
gene flow from transgenic plants.

"We reject the notion that Terminator is a biosafety bandage for GM
crops with leaky genes, but even if it were, biosafety at the expense of
food security is unacceptable," concludes RAFI's Silvia Ribeiro.

Last year the FAO's Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and
Agriculture concluded that Terminator seeds are unethical. When heads of
state meet at FAO's World Food Summit Five Years Later in Rome, 9-15
November, they will have the opportunity to re-affirm that finding, and
recommend that member nations ban the technology. In keeping with its
image as a rogue, isolationist state in international treaty
negotiations on global warming and biological weapons, the US also
appears to stand alone on Terminator.

           ********

Delta & Pine Land (Mississippi, USA) is the world's 9th largest seed
corporation, with revenues of $301 million in 2000. The company has
joint ventures and/or subsidiaries in  North America, Brazil, Argentina,
China, Mexico, Paraguay, South Africa, Australia, and China.

RAFI is an international civil society organization based in Canada. We
are dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
and to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to
rural societies.   

For further information on this news release:
Hope Shand, RAFI:  hope@rafi.org,
919 960-5223
Michael Sligh, RAFI-USA (member of USDA's Ag Biotech Advisory
Committee),: msligh@rafiusa.org   (919) 542-1396

Update: Congress Votes to Open Arctic Refuge to Oil
Drilling.
By Passing Energy Bill, Congress Turns It's Back on
Conservation.

On Wednesday night, the U.S. House of Representatives
passed a massive energy bill that fails to promote
a clean and secure energy future for the U.S. Despite
faxes from over 4,000 Clean Car Campaign Action Network
activists urging Congress to oppose the bill unless
it was improved, the energy bill's passage amounts
to a giveaway to big oil companies and the auto industry.

***************************
YOU CAN HELP IMMEDIATELY BY SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT
ACTION NETWORK:
Visit http://actionnetwork.org/ct/3dqD.H51uqJb/
and invite your friends and family to take action online
for the environment. There is no time like the present.
***************************

BAD ENERGY BILL PASSES HOUSE:
Specifically, the energy bill would open the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most pristine
wilderness areas on the planet, to oil drilling, and
would ease restrictions on oil drilling on other public
lands. It also would give away over $30 billion in
tax breaks to the oil, gas and nuclear industries.
What the bill will NOT do is meaningfully address energy
conservation. Tax credits for fuel-efficient vehicles
were not improved as we had hoped, thereby not assuring
that public health will be protected or that large
amounts of the credits will not flow to inefficient
vehicles. Also, auto industry supporters defeated an
amendment to increase the fuel efficiency standard
for SUVs from 20.7 mpg to 27.5 mpg. Raising fuel efficiency
standards would reduce U.S. oil consumption by up to
1 million barrels a day. That's more than three times
the amount of oil per day that would be extracted from
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  

THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER:
While passage of the energy bill was a defeat for American
consumers and the environment, the fight to adopt a
balanced energy policy is not over. The Senate next
takes up the energy debate this fall; be assured the
Clean Car Campaign will alert you when your help is
needed.

***************************
AGAIN, YOU CAN HELP BY SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT ACTION
NETWORK:
Visit http://actionnetwork.org/ct/3dqD.H51uqJb/
and invite your friends and family to take action online
for the environment. Every activist makes a difference.
***************************

HOW DID YOUR REPRESENTATIVE VOTE?
Arctic Drilling ("AYES" opposed Arctic Drilling - "NOES"
supported Arctic Drilling)
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2001&rollnumber=317)

Fuel Efficiency Standards for SUVs ("AYES" supported
increased fuel efficiency standards - "NOES" opposed
increased fuel efficiency standards)
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2001&rollnumber=311

Final Vote on Energy Bill ("AYES" supported final Energy
bill - "NOES" opposed final energy bill)
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2001&rollnumber=320

****************************
* WILD ALERT
* Monday, August 6, 2001
****************************

Ignoring public opinion and a multi-year public process, the Bush
Administration has ordered the National Park Service to re-open its
decision to phase out snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National Parks.   Please tell the Park Service to uphold the existing
policy -- http://www.wilderness.org/takeaction/?step=2&item=573  The
comment period is extremely short, ending August 14th.

ADMINISTRATION BACKPEDDLING
This past July, the Bush Administration backed away from its
commitment to protect Yellowstone and Grand Teton from the damage
caused by snowmobiles, by settling a lawsuit brought by the
International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. As a result, the
Park Service has been ordered to re-open its decision to phase-out
snowmobiles -- and reconsider speculative advances in "cleaner"
and "quieter" snowmobile technology.  

To do this, the National Park Service is required to prepare
a "Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement" (SEIS) to
solicit "more public comment." Industry's strong endorsement of this
process confirms the Bush Administration's determination to keep
snowmobiles *in* the park.

This maneuver sets aside 10 years of scientific analysis, a 3-year
process to collect public input, 22 public hearings, and the
involvement of 65,000 people who took time to become involved it the
process.

COMMENT PERIOD IS ONLY 15 DAYS LONG
The SEIS will be completed in just 15 months and the first
opportunity to voice your opinion is right now, before August 14,
2001.  (The comment period only opened on July 31st.)

TAKE ACTION
Please write to the Park Service (sample letter below) and tell them
to uphold the existing policy to phase-out snowmobiles from
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  Send a message from
http://www.wilderness.org/takeaction/?step=2&item=573 or send your
comments directly.  

**It's important to PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGE so the Park Service
counts them as individual responses.**  Tell the Park Service that:

- You object to the NPS plan to conduct a Supplemental EIS on winter
use at Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
- Ten years of study have proven that snowmobiles harm wildlife and
threaten public health and safety.
- Uphold the existing plan and begin implementing it immediately.

Send your comments to:
Winter Use Plan, Superintendent's Office
Grand Teton National Park, P.O. Drawer 170
Moose, WY 83012
EMAIL: yell_winter_use@nps.gov (insert "Attn: Winter Use Plan" in the
subject line and include your name and address)


***SAMPLE LETTER***

I care deeply about the future of Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National Parks.

I object to the National Park Service's plan to conduct a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on winter use of
snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.  I believe that in 10
years of study, scientists and professional land managers proved that
snowmobiles are harming wildlife and threatening public health and
safety. Please uphold the existing plan and immediately begin to
implement the well-researched decision of the Park Service to phase
out snowmobiles from these parks.

Sincerely,


***************************************************************
For a full list of Action Items, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm

***************************************************************
An archive of past Wildalerts can be found at
http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm

***************************************************************
WildAlert is an email action alert system brought to you by The
Wilderness Society to keep you apprised of threats to our wildlands --
in the field and in Washington.  WildAlert messages include updates
along with clear, concise actions you can take to protect America's
last wild places.  You are welcome to forward Wildalerts to all those
interested in saving America's wildlands.

FEEDBACK: If you need to get in contact with the owner of the list,
(if you have trouble unsubscribing, or have questions about the list
itself) send email to <action@tws.org>.

TO SUBSCRIBE: If you have been forwarded this message and would like
to subscribe to the list, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/forms/subscribe.htm or send a message to
wildalert@tws.org with 'SUBSCRIBE' in the subject line.

Founded in 1935, The Wilderness Society works to protect America's
wilderness and to develop a nation-wide network of wild lands through
public education, scientific analysis and advocacy.  Our goal is to
ensure that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water,
wildlife, beauty and opportunities for recreation and renewal that
pristine forests, rivers, deserts and mountains provide. To take
action on behalf of wildlands today, visit our website at
http://www.wilderness.org

========================================
Natural Resources Defense Council's

CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT

NRDC's California Activist Network was formed to mobilize and provide
action tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the
state's extraordinary wealth of natural treasures and the health of
its citizens.

August 7, 2001
========================================
In This Issue:

--Action alerts--

1. Urge your representative to oppose the Army's expansion into
endangered California desert tortoise habitat

2. Tell the Bush administration to uphold the rule preserving
California's -- and the nation's -- last wild national forests

======================================================
You will also find these alerts in NRDC'S Earth Action Center, which
includes tools for taking action easily online, at
http://www.nrdc.org/action

(Please do not reply to this message; see the instructions below for
how to unsubscribe or contact NRDC with questions or comments.)

=============
Action alerts
=============

1. Urge your representative to oppose the Army's expansion into
endangered California desert tortoise habitat

Last week the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to
the Defense department spending bill that would give the U.S. Army
110,000 acres of public lands and critical desert tortoise habitat for
expanded tank training exercises. The bill would add this area to the
Army's sprawling 642,000-acre Fort Irwin National Training Center in
California's Mojave Desert.  

The proposed expansion area includes 45,000 acres of Wilderness Study
Areas -- home to desert bighorn sheep, sacred Native American sites
and part of the historic Old Spanish Emigrant Trail -- that would be
sacrificed to tank maneuvers. Tanks would also overrun irreplaceable
habitat for the threatened desert tortoise -- California's state
reptile -- including thousands of acres designated as "critical" for
its survival. What's more, the bill would "fast-track" the expansion,
giving these lands to the Army before it complies with environmental
laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the
Endangered Species Act.

The bill will be sent to the House floor shortly after Congress
returns from its August recess.

== What to do ==
Send a message to your representative urging him or her to oppose this
devastating legislation and to demand that environmental laws be
complied with before any expansion is authorized. If you live in Rep.
Susan Davis' district (CA-49), please thank her for raising concerns
in the Armed Services Committee over the legislation's process and
timing for transferring land to the Army for the Ft. Irwin expansion.

== Contact information ==
You can email or fax your representative directly from NRDC's Earth
Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. If you prefer to call
your representative, the Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

2. Tell the Bush administration to uphold the rule preserving
California's -- and the nation's -- last wild national forests

This past January the outgoing Clinton administration adopted a
landmark rule banning logging and roadbuilding in over 58 million
acres of wild roadless areas in our national forests -- including
more than four million acres here in California. Since then, however,
the Bush administration has launched a stealth attack on the largest
nationwide public land conservation decision in America's history.
First, Bush officials delayed implementing the roadless rule, then
they refused to defend a lawsuit brought by industry and its allies
challenging the rule. Now, while proclaiming its commitment to
wilderness values, the administration has started a formal process to
gut the rule by allowing individual national forests to opt out of it,
one roadless wildland at a time. That would turn back the clock to the
old piecemeal decision process that allowed millions of pristine acres
to be developed every decade.

Our forest wildlands serve as vital habitat for threatened and
endangered species, provide priceless recreational opportunities, and
ensure clean drinking water. The roadless rule currently protects all
roadless areas from damaging activities including logging, mining and
oil and gas development. If the administration's proposed change goes
forward, however, millions of acres of our last wild lands will be at
risk -- including Alaska's Tongass rainforest, the heart of the
world's largest remaining temperate rainforest, and some of
California's own national forests. Already efforts are underway to
punch new roads and logging cuts into roadless portions of Los Padres
and Six Rivers national forests, and other national forests here are
likely to see similar attacks soon.

An official comment period on the proposed rule change is currently
underway; comments must be received by September 10th.

== What to do ==
Send a message to the Forest Service before the September 10th comment
deadline, insisting that the rule be implemented -- and defended --
as it now stands.

== Contact information ==
You can send an official comment directly from NRDC's Earth Action
Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. Or use the contact information
and sample letter below to send your own message, and please include
your own reasons why protecting these last wild forest lands from
logging, mining and drilling is important to you.

Roadless ANPR Comments
USDA-Forest Service - CAT
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, Utah 84122
Fax:  801-296-4090
Email:  roadless_anpr@fs.fed.us

== Sample letter ==

Subject: Roadless ANPR comments - Preserve the current rule protecting
California's last wild n