BRC Urges Congress to Stop the Taxpayer Funded Abuse of the Legal System - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

LYIN' KING · 06-18-2012, 04:19 PM

BRC Urges Congress to Stop the Taxpayer Funded Abuse of the Legal System
Congress to investigate, "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation" Hearing tomorrow.

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The House Committee on Natural Resources is holding a Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools."
See announcement below.

The Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) has been abused by environmental groups for many years. BRC is strongly urging Congress to stop the taxpayer-funded abuse of the legal system. The EAJA is being used by anti-access groups as a way to expand their closure agenda, and the agencies can't even tell us how much money has been paid out via EAJA claims.

BRC applauds Chairman Hastings for pursuing this issue.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact us.

Brian Hawthorne Ric Foster
Public Lands Policy Director Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102 208-237-1008 ext 107

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools"

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON:
• "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools"

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

The Honorable Jeff Sessions
United States Senator
Alabama

The Honorable Cynthia Lummis
Member, House of Representatives
Wyoming (At - Large)

Panel II

The Honorable Jerry Patterson
Commissioner
Texas General Land Office
Austin, Texas

John Stokes
Facilities Development Project Coordinator
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego, California

Daniel Rohlf
Professor
Lewis and Clark Law School
Portland, Oregon

Kent Holsinger
Attorney
Holsinger Law
Denver, Colorado

BACKGROUND:

This hearing follows a number of transparency request letters (http://naturalresources.house.gov/Up...SA03.19.12.pdf) and (http://naturalresources.house.gov/Up...ts05.31.12.pdf) sent by Chairman Hastings to help determine the cost and impact of taxpayer-funded attorneys fees and time spent on Endangered Species Act (ESA) litigation. The goal of the ESA is to conserve key domestic species, yet it's increasingly being used by special interest groups to file lawsuits - or file petitions threatening lawsuits - to drive federal agencies to make agenda-driven decisions not based on verifiable data or sound science or priority, but to block economic and job-creating activities. With a one percent recovery rate, and hundreds of more species being forced onto the ESA list, federal taxpayers and existing endangered species deserve better. Transparency and accountability are helping shed light on how ESA is being abused by litigation and the facts distorted by advocacy groups.

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC

The live video webcast will begin approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of each meeting. Please check the Committee Calendar to verify the time and location of the meeting.

View it here: http://naturalresources.house.gov/Live/

4x4n Elkaholic daWg · 06-18-2012, 04:55 PM

Great! Good to see it already here! Doc Hastings.... on of the few good elected officials from my state.

LYIN' KING · 06-19-2012, 08:52 AM

The environmental extremist folks are already fired up with comments on FacePlant.

http://naturalresources.house.gov/Live/

Here's an interesting data set with graphics by Region, Litigating Group, etc.

http://naturalresources.house.gov/Ne...umentID=299899

LYIN' KING · 06-19-2012, 09:23 AM

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Greg Mumm, BRC Executive Director
Phone: (208) 244-2112
Email: brgreg@sharetrails.org
Date: June 19, 2012

NATIONAL RECREATION GROUPS SAYS STOP TAXPAYER FUNDED ABUSE OF LEGAL SYSTEM BY GREEN LITIGANTS

POCATELLO, ID (June 19)--The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based recreation group, today applauded the House Committee on Natural Resources for holding an oversight hearing on taxpayer funded eco-lawsuits. BRC sent in a letter of support to the Committee for its hearing on June 19, 2012.

BRC believes that Congress must address this issue where eco-lawsuits are being used to bypass the administrative and legislative process through litigation driven settlements where land and wildlife management decisions are crafted behind closed doors by courts and green litigants.

Greg Mumm, Executive Director for the BlueRibbon Coalition, states, "BRC has seen where settlements designed in 'smoke filled backrooms' by special interest advocacy groups are being used to expand trail closures beyond the original scope of the litigation. Sadly, the public is paying for this abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act, and the Agencies cannot accurately quantify the total price tag."

"BRC respectfully requests that our concerns are made part of the official record, and we will be submitting more formal comments in the coming days," Mumm concludes.

06-18-2012, 04:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
LYIN' KING Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Member # 3975 Posts: 1,672	BRC Urges Congress to Stop the Taxpayer Funded Abuse of the Legal System BRC Urges Congress to Stop the Taxpayer Funded Abuse of the Legal System Congress to investigate, "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation" Hearing tomorrow. Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, The House Committee on Natural Resources is holding a Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools." See announcement below. The Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) has been abused by environmental groups for many years. BRC is strongly urging Congress to stop the taxpayer-funded abuse of the legal system. The EAJA is being used by anti-access groups as a way to expand their closure agenda, and the agencies can't even tell us how much money has been paid out via EAJA claims. BRC applauds Chairman Hastings for pursuing this issue. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact us. Brian Hawthorne Ric Foster Public Lands Policy Director Public Lands Department Manager BlueRibbon Coalition BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 102 208-237-1008 ext 107 COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools" OVERSIGHT HEARING ON: • "Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, Jobs and Schools" WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY: Panel I The Honorable Jeff Sessions United States Senator Alabama The Honorable Cynthia Lummis Member, House of Representatives Wyoming (At - Large) Panel II The Honorable Jerry Patterson Commissioner Texas General Land Office Austin, Texas John Stokes Facilities Development Project Coordinator San Diego Unified School District San Diego, California Daniel Rohlf Professor Lewis and Clark Law School Portland, Oregon Kent Holsinger Attorney Holsinger Law Denver, Colorado BACKGROUND: This hearing follows a number of transparency request letters (http://naturalresources.house.gov/Up...SA03.19.12.pdf) and (http://naturalresources.house.gov/Up...ts05.31.12.pdf) sent by Chairman Hastings to help determine the cost and impact of taxpayer-funded attorneys fees and time spent on Endangered Species Act (ESA) litigation. The goal of the ESA is to conserve key domestic species, yet it's increasingly being used by special interest groups to file lawsuits - or file petitions threatening lawsuits - to drive federal agencies to make agenda-driven decisions not based on verifiable data or sound science or priority, but to block economic and job-creating activities. With a one percent recovery rate, and hundreds of more species being forced onto the ESA list, federal taxpayers and existing endangered species deserve better. Transparency and accountability are helping shed light on how ESA is being abused by litigation and the facts distorted by advocacy groups. WHEN: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE: Committee on Natural Resources 1324 Longworth House Office Building Washington DC The live video webcast will begin approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of each meeting. Please check the Committee Calendar to verify the time and location of the meeting. View it here: http://naturalresources.house.gov/Live/ Last edited by LYIN' KING; 06-18-2012 at 04:26 PM. Reason: add viewing info

06-18-2012, 04:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
4x4n Elkaholic daWg Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Member # 29656 Location: Arlington Wa. U.S.A. Posts: 73	Great! Good to see it already here! Doc Hastings.... on of the few good elected officials from my state. __________________ Blue Ribbon Coalition,SAWS ,WSSA NRA Wilderness = Useless!!!!!!!!!!!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

06-19-2012, 08:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
LYIN' KING Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Member # 3975 Posts: 1,672	The environmental extremist folks are already fired up with comments on FacePlant. http://naturalresources.house.gov/Live/ Here's an interesting data set with graphics by Region, Litigating Group, etc. http://naturalresources.house.gov/Ne...umentID=299899

06-19-2012, 09:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
LYIN' KING Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Member # 3975 Posts: 1,672	BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC. MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Greg Mumm, BRC Executive Director Phone: (208) 244-2112 Email: brgreg@sharetrails.org Date: June 19, 2012 NATIONAL RECREATION GROUPS SAYS STOP TAXPAYER FUNDED ABUSE OF LEGAL SYSTEM BY GREEN LITIGANTS POCATELLO, ID (June 19)--The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based recreation group, today applauded the House Committee on Natural Resources for holding an oversight hearing on taxpayer funded eco-lawsuits. BRC sent in a letter of support to the Committee for its hearing on June 19, 2012. BRC believes that Congress must address this issue where eco-lawsuits are being used to bypass the administrative and legislative process through litigation driven settlements where land and wildlife management decisions are crafted behind closed doors by courts and green litigants. Greg Mumm, Executive Director for the BlueRibbon Coalition, states, "BRC has seen where settlements designed in 'smoke filled backrooms' by special interest advocacy groups are being used to expand trail closures beyond the original scope of the litigation. Sadly, the public is paying for this abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act, and the Agencies cannot accurately quantify the total price tag." "BRC respectfully requests that our concerns are made part of the official record, and we will be submitting more formal comments in the coming days," Mumm concludes.