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: 202-210-2357 - Fax: 202-543-7126 - Email: landrightsnet@aol.com

CARA Land Grab Hearing: Some Heroes!

The first shots of the CARA war in 2001 were fired Wednesday!

A hearing on HR 701, the CARA Condemnation and Relocation Act, was held in
the House of Representatives Resources Committee.

We are outnumbered again, as we were last year, but we have HEROES who
are fighting for us in support of private property rights and wise use of
the federal lands. First, the bad guys:

BAD GUYS: The money grubbing sellouts sponsoring this mess are the same
as they were last year - Congressmen "Slick Willy" Tauzin of Louisiana and
Don Young of Alaska. And guess who gets most of the money out of the
bill-you guessed it, Louisiana and Alaska!!!

Slick Willy Tauzin and Don Young have cut a deal with the enviros. They
hand over a billion dollars per year for land acquisition, plus $200
million more for grant money to the leftwing enviros. And the enviros
agree that Louisiana and Alaska get $600 million per year in "impact
assistance" for "onshore infrastructure." What "onshore infrastructure"
means is any kind of pork barrel spending imaginable for Louisiana and
Alaska.

Why did Tauzin and Young sell out? Answer: MONEY. MONEY. MONEY.
They SOLD OUT your property rights for money.

Now for the good guys - and women too:

Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas - is taking the lead this year in
protecting your property rights. He has sponsored a bill, HR 1592, which
will prohibit CARA funds from being used for condemnation.

ACTION ITEM: Tell your Congressman to cosponsor HR 1592 so you will not
get your property condemned!!!

Representative Jim Gibbons of Nevada - spoke out in support of ranchers and
multiple use.

Representative Butch Otter of Idaho - he is new to Congress, but is a real
fire-breather in support of YOUR private property. Otter is circulating
a letter, which already has 22 signatures of House members, that demands
that field hearings be held in to expose the CARA Land Grab.

ACTION ITEM: Tell your Congressman to sign the Otter letter to have field
hearings on the CARA land grab!!

Representative Barbara Cubin of Wyoming - is taking the lead this year in
battling the Land Grab, as she did last year as well. Cubin is a real
fighter, and everyone in Wyoming is lucky to have her as their
Congresswoman.

THE NUMBER ONE HERO of the first CARA battle of 2001 is Patricia
Callahan, President of the American Association of Small Property Owners
(AASPO). AASPO is made up primarily of urban landowners and small
commercial and multi-housing real estate investors.

Pat testified against CARA, and for her trouble she was verbally attacked
by Billy Tauzin! Tauzin, in a rude and abusive manner, tried to
cross-examine her like it was a courtroom, tried to belittle her, thinking
he could intimidate her.

But Pat stood her ground, and spoke at length about how urban property
owners have many of the same problems as rural landowners. They include
conservation "non-profit" advocacy groups acting in collusion with
government agents to place easements on property and extend eminent domain
power to condemn property. The Historic Preservation and Urban Parks
sections of CARA hand over $250 million per year along with unlimited
power to condemn property, primarily in urban areas.

When it was clear that Patricia knew what she was talking about, Tauzin
began interrupting her, actually asking and then answering his own
questions before Pat could speak. Tauzin got so defensive and frustrated
that his face turned red and blood veins stood out on his neck! All this,
while Pat stayed calm and reassured.

So the schoolyard bully, Billy "Slick Willy" Tauzin made a fool of himself.
Way to go, Pat! Score one for Truth, Justice, the American Way and the
United States Constitution!

ACTION ITEM: AASPO is looking for members. If you are interested, or
just want to drop Pat a note to thank her-the web page is under
construction, so fax to 202-363-3669.

More on this CARA hearing is on the way, stay tuned . . . . .

FINAL ACTION ITEM - Read the information below, and tell Congress -

NO CARA, NO LAND GRAB!!!


CALL ANY CONGRESSMAN FREE - - -

Call (800) 648 2516 (FREE) or the regular (202) 225-3121 to reach any
Congressman at the Capitol Switchboard. Ask for your Congressman's office.
Ask for your Congressman's FAX number.


WRITE ANY CONGRESSMAN - - -

Honorable ( Name ), US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.

Why OPPOSE CARA, the Condemnation and Relocation Act (HR 701):

-----1. ENDANGERED SPECIES ----- All lands with Endangered Species will be
targets of land acquisition - there will be no limit. Just look at the
KLAMATH BASIN in Oregon and California. First the Greens sue over an
endangered species (Sucker Fish). Then the Government shuts off the water.
Then the farmers are forced into being "willing sellers". Then the
government buys them for a song. This scenario will be repeated over and
over unless it is stopped - NOW! If CARA passes, they'll find a lot more
endangered species. They want your land;

----2. ENDANGERED SPECIES - EVEN MORE ----- Extremists gain $60 million
dollars per year to train an ARMY of investigators who will trespass on
your land to LOCATE AND POLICE ENDANGERED SPECIES. Stop CARA and you block
huge grants to environmental groups to expand the ESA as a tool to destroy
your jobs and communities;

-----3. CONDEMNATION ----- HR 701 now includes state AND Federal
CONDEMNATION (EMINENT DOMAIN) of private land. Even though Congressman
Tauzin is trying to throw up a smoke screen with slight of hand -- now you
see them, now you don't -- property rights provisions, the bottom line is
that he and his Land Grabbing friends are supported taking your property by
force. CARA will provide billions of dollars over fifteen years for
government agents to condemn private property and then turn it into
wilderness - no access, no people. No one is safe. Eminent Domain will
be rampant;

-----4. CARA will give $3 billion per year for 15 years, $45 billion in
total, most of to buy land and drive rural landowners out of their homes,
off their farms and into the cities;

-----5. WHY IS CARA MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MILITARY? ----- CARA sets
aside $3 billion per year GUARANTEED, $45 billion total, that does not have
to compete in Congress for funds in the appropriations process with medical
care, education, defense or any other social need. Why should land
acquisition and condemnation of private land get a higher priority than the
military? MAKE CARA COMPETE - NO TRUST FUND;

-----6. Some Members of Congress suggest that minor property rights
provisions added to CARA as a bandaid will protect landowners and make the
bill better than current law. The dangers from the $3 billion per year 15
year trust fund far outweigh any limited so called protection these
provisions may offer. They're trying to gloss over the fact that the bill
still includes Condemnation. "IT'S THE MONEY, STUPID";

-----7. Hunters and sportsmen will gradually lose access to acquired
lands. They will gradually be converted into OFF-LIMITS Wilderness and
OTHER "YOU CAN'T GO THERE" AREAS. A vote for CARA is a vote to close vast
areas of Federal and private lands off to hunters and sportsmen;

-----8. Lands cut off by Forest Service Roadless Areas and Roads Policies
will become targets as well. CARA greatly enhances the chances for a
LARGER ROADLESS AREA LOCKUP. There is over one million acres of private
land locked up in the proposed Roadless Areas;

-----9. ENERGY ADVOCATES will find that CARA funds lost access. You can't
explore for energy where you cannot go. CARA is the enemy of energy
independence;

-----10. FARMERS WILL FACE CONDEMNATION ----- There will be a massive push
by the Greens to convert farms into Wildlife Refuges and other "open space"
to control "urban sprawl". FARMERS WILL BE VICTIMS. CARA will fund
that massive buyout of easements and fee title to farmland throughout
America. Over time, it will mean the loss of farm communities as CARA
undermines them and destroys their economic ecosystem and viability;

-----11. THE WILDLANDS PROJECT ----- CARA will be the funding source for
massive condemnation and relocation of people. You used to joke about the
Wildlands Project. It's not a joke anymore;

-----12. NATIONAL MONUMENTS ----- A lot of Congressman including Chairman
Jim Hansen have jawboned about how bad the many new National Monuments are.
Talk is cheap. Why would they support the CARA bill which actually helps
the government close down access and use of Monument areas. CARA will fund
the removal of private land and rights within the Monuments. Whatever
future people had will be gone. No tax base, no jobs, no future. Anyone
voting for CARA is voting to support wiping out communities and relocating
families;

-----13 FUND THE ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS -----ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
clamor for - you guessed it - money money money - to reintroduce wolves
that kill livestock and run cattle ranchers, farmers, inholders and
landowners off their land;

-----14. UNITED NATIONS - NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY -----"Non-government
organizations" (NGOs) win funding to draw up UNITED NATIONS Biosphere
Reserves, override national sovereignty and eliminate private property
rights-----CARA will fund new UN Biosphere Reserves and UN World Heritage
Sites;

-----15. CARA FUNDS YOUR ENEMIES-----Environmental law firms receive grant
money so they can sue YOU into bankruptcy;

-----16. Green groups will seek to designate hundreds of areas of private
land as new Federal areas. Why not. With CARA they'll have an unlimited
supply of money;

-----17. No private property will be safe with these funds available;

-----18. Inholder families are specifically targeted in the new bills;

-----19. Much of the money will go to the Nature Conservancy, Conservation
Fund and other land trusts;

-----20. Hundreds of small communities in existing Federal areas will be
wiped off the map; and

-----21. Billions of dollars of private land will be taken off the tax
rolls, forcing local taxes up.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO AT LEAST FIVE OTHER PEOPLE.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *NOTE: In accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or
payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this
information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more
information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *