Good Legislation from our Friends


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American Land Rights Association - Land Rights Network
PO Box 400 - Battle Ground WA 98604
Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973 - Email: <alra@pacifier.com> -
http://www.landrights.org
Legislative Office: 508 First St SE - Washington DC 20003
Phone: 202-251-3473 - Fax: 202-543-7126 - Email: hardimanmike@aol.com

Good Legislation from our Friends


There are some good things happening in Congress.

Many of our friends in Congress are introducing bills that will help
property
owners and will promote Wise Use of federal lands.

Here are FIVE examples:

Congressman Mac THORNBERRY of Texas is currently putting together a bill

to protect private property rights when land acquisition funds are spent

from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Congressman Thornberry has been a champion for private property rights

since his first day in Congress, and this is his latest effort and we
should
support him.

LWCF has provided many good things over the many years it has been in
existence,
from swing sets to swimming pools. However, it has also been
used by federal
and state governments as a tool to threaten land owners
with condemnation,
and then, in combination with endangered species
listings, buy their land
for a fraction of its value.

Thornberry plans to add property rights protections to LWCF so it sticks
to
its traditional role of promoting recreation projects and is not hijacked

by power-hungry government agents. These include:

-----Protection of inholders of private property that are located adjacent

to federal lands.

-----It would prohibit restricting use of private land just because it is

located adjacent to federal lands. All other laws still must be followed,

but the government scam of proclaiming "buffer zones" and prohibiting use

of private property would no longer be allowed.

-----No condemnation. Condemnation using LWCF funds would be prohibited.

Government agents will still have many tools to threaten and harass
innocent
citizens, but one of their most powerful weapons would be taken
away.

There are other good provisions as well, such as notification to affected

areas, attempting land exchanges and other alternatives to acquisition.

The bill has not been introduced yet. It does not have a number.

Congressman Thornberry will introduce it soon.

TELL your Representative in Congress to cosponsor the THORNBERRY
property
rights bill!


Congressman Richard POMBO of California plans to reintroduce a bill which

would amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to improve the ability of

individuals and local, State, and Federal agencies to prevent natural flood

disaster.

The new bill would allow flood control districts and other entities to

maintain and repair existing levees without having to pay exorbitant
"mitigation"
fees - in other words, extortion money - to environmental
groups or government
agencies.

Pombo first introduced this bill after flooding killed three people in

California in early 1997. Levees were stopped from being repaired because

of endangered Elderberry beetle habitat!!! That's right - it was habitat,

there were not even any beetles there!!! The Endangered Species Act
strikes
again!

Government agents demanded outrageous "mitigation" fees because the beetles

could potentially be disturbed if they ever decided to live there. The

cost
of mitigation frequently exceeded the cost of the repair!!! For example,
a
$100,000 repair job might be subject to an ADDITIONAL $150,000
"mitigation" fee paid out to an agency, or to individuals or groups favored

by an agency.

Pombo will introduce the bill soon, it does not have a number yet.

TELL your Representative in Congress to cosponsor the POMBO endangered

species reform bill!


Congressman George RADANOVICH of California has introduced HR 472. This

has some similarities to the Pombo bill, because it will exempt some
routine
maintenance and operations from the Endangered Species Act. Here's
the
story:

It seems that the Washington, DC area Woodrow Wilson Bridge needs repairs

very badly. The bridge crosses the Potomac River as part of Interstate
95,
and is a major artery in the Washington, DC area for carrying commuter

traffic.

However, there is a little problem. The Endangered Species Act (ESA).

There are endangered sturgeon in the river, and endangered eagles in the

trees. So the Maryland and Virginia congressmen representing the area

decided to get an exemption to the ESA for the Wilson Bridge repair.

It seems that environmental groups were demanding outrageous amounts of
-
you guessed it - "mitigation" extortion money to repair damaged habitat,

and it would make bridge repair too expensive.

Here's the catch - the same six Washington, DC area congressmen that seek

the ESA exemption for their project, ALL voted AGAINST any exemption
to
save lives in California by allowing levee repair!

So Congressman Radanovich introduced HR 472, which will allow limited
exemptions
for both the Wilson Bridge and other similar projects across the
country.
So far, the six congressional hypocrites from the DC area have
not signed
onto the Radanovich bill.

TELL your Representative in Congress to cosponsor the RADANOVICH
endangered
species exemption bill, HR 472!


Representative Mike SIMPSON of Idaho has introduced HR 601, which will

restore hunting access to 600,000 acres of land grabbed by Bill Clinton
in
his closing days in office. The Clinton land grab was a gigantic expansion

of Craters of the Moon National Monument, and shut off access to hunting.

Simpson already sponsored a hearing on the bill in the House Resources

Committee, and hopes to move it quickly. When introducing the bill he

said, "My bill ... ensures that Idahoans can continue to enjoy hunting and

are not locked out of traditional hunting areas."

TELL your Representative to cosponsor HR 601 to restore hunting in the

Craters of the Moon Monument Land Grab!


Senator Craig THOMAS of Wyoming, another true CHAMPION during his many

years as a congressman and now Senator, has introduced a GREAT bill.

S. 322 proposes to limit federal land acquisition in all states in which
25
percent or more of the land is already owned by the feds. This bill
is
VERY good news for all the western states whose biggest landlord is
the
federal government. The feds will not be allowed to grab more land
without
disposing of other federal land of equal value.

TELL your Senator to cosponsor S. 322, the THOMAS "no net gain" of
federal
lands bill.

With friends like these in Congress and many allies in the administration

like Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman,

we have good opportunities if we work at it.


REMINDER - Any Congressman or Senator may be called at the CAPITOL
SWITCHBOARD
-(202-224-3121). You may write your Senator at:
Honorable _________ US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. Your Congressman's

address is Honorable _______ US House of Representatives, Washington, DC

20515.

You don't need a room number.

Keep your letter to one page. One subject. Make it simple.




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WELNDMN!WELNDMN!WELNDMNWELNDMN!
ahh screw it call me Mark :D
No matter what you do or say someone will take it too seriously