Omnibus Lands Bill Introduced

[bakerhab2003]

E&E: 12/17/10

SENATE: Reid files water, lands, wildlife omnibus in eleventh-hour push for environmental victory
Paul Quinlan, E&E reporter
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed omnibus legislation today containing 110 bills aimed at improving and protecting public lands, waterways, ocean resources and wildlife -- which Republican leaders have already threatened to block.

"I want to get this package done before Congress adjourns," Reid said. "I sincerely hope that the delays and obstruction we are seeing from my Republican colleagues will not prevent us from taking up this critical legislation."

Advocates say the bill represents a rare opportunity for an environmental legislative victory in the closing days of a Congress better known for major defeats on climate change and oil spill legislation.

"This bill has just gone from life support to hyperventilating," said Joshua Saks, senior legislative representative for water resources campaigns at the National Wildlife Federation. "This could be one of the most enduring actions of the 111th Congress."

Called the "America's Great Outdoors Act of 2010," the bill includes bipartisan measures that would designate new wilderness areas in three states; add 4,600 miles to the national trail system; preserve battlefield sites; protect marine turtles, sharks and great cats; and restore water bodies like Lake Tahoe, the Columbia River and the Long Island Sound, according to a news release. The bill would also slow the decline in the world's shark populations and permanently authorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The bill combines measures from four Senate committees: the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Commerce Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee. Half of the bills have passed the House with broad support, according to Reid's statement.

Reid defended the bill against recent Republican attacks that the planned measure would amount to a "Frankenstein omnibus," in the words of Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), cobbled together behind closed doors. Reid's statement said that Republicans for the past six years have "intentionally and methodically obstructed normal consideration of these bills," forcing them to be packaged into massive measures that could attract the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

It's unclear when the Senate will take up the measure or if time enough remains before Congress adjourns. Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin (D) said this week that the bill had enough Republican support to get 60 votes. Oklahoma Republicans Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn have both threatened to block the bill, citing concerns about its size and cost and, at the time, uncertain contents.

"There is nothing divisive about protecting historic battlefields, improving our most critical water sources, or making sure that our best wildlife habitat remains wild and healthy," Reid said. "These are things that people in Nevada and across America want, and they expect us to work together to achieve them."

Reporter Phil Taylor contributed.

[desert runner]

Thanks for alerting us about this and other issues.I voted to get Reed out,but I guess I should have done more.

[Brewster2]

Here's a link to the bill, all 1003 pages of it!!!!

http://rfflibrary.files.wordpress.co...ct-of-2010.pdf

Ride on
Brewster

[bakerhab2003]

Originally Posted by Brewster2

Here's a link to the bill, all 1003 pages of it!!!!

Ride on
Brewster

Thanks Brewster.

I did a little research on this new bill and it's bill number.

So it looks like Reid took a bill called "The Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2009" with a Bill Number of S 303, and he wiped out all of it's verbiage and inserted this new land grab? Do I have that right? (see below).

What a sleeze.

BTW: S303 was passed by the Senate on march 17, 2009 and by the House
on December 14, 2009.

From the 1st page of the bill

Purpose: In the nature of a substitute.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—111th Cong., 2d Sess.
S. 303

To reauthorize and improve the Federal Financial Assistance
Management Improvement Act of 1999.


AMENDMENT In the Nature of a Substitute intended to be
proposed by Mr. REIDViz:
1 Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America’s Great Outdoors Act of 2010’’.

[RedBullJeep]

So is this another thing we need to call in about???

[Brewster2]

Originally Posted by RedBullJeep

So is this another thing we need to call in about???

Hell yeh!!!

Ride on
Brewster

[SurfnSnow]

yep, I plan to write in again to my reps about it.

[LYIN' KING]

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) urges everyone to contact their Senators to vote "No" on S. 303, the "America's Great Outdoors Act of 2010." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) introduced S. 303 as a substitute to the original bill. S. 303 was formerly titled the "Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2009," and was only 12-pages. The new Omnibus Public Lands bill is a little over 1,000-pages. This bill would restrict all motorized vehicle access including motorcycles and ATVs on thousands of acres of public lands.

Read more and Take Action here . . . http://capwiz.com/amacycle/callalert...ertid=20980501

[Bebe]

Same from BRC:

BRC NATIONAL ACTION ALERT
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
OMNIBUS PUBLIC LANDS BILL STILL MAY PASS!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The Omnibus Appropriations bill, which included Montana Senator Jon Tester's Wilderness bill, died in the Senate.

One down, one to go!

The Omnibus Public Lands bill is still in play threatening millions of acres of our public lands. We are asking our members to call their Senators today with one simple message: NO LAME DUCK OMNIBUS PUBLIC LANDS BILL!!

IMPORTANT NOTE:
In these waning days of the Lame Duck Congress, it is too easy for Legislators to ignore or not read emails. Calling is more effective.

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 and tell your Senator:

"Please oppose the Omnibus Public Lands Act. I strongly oppose lumping scores of bills into one "pass all or nothing" package. Each bill must be considered on its own merits, and a lot of these bills are BAD for public recreation, bad for rural economies, and reduce job opportunities!"

Do it NOW. Please.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

[MT4Runner]

I know both Tester and Baucus will vote for this thing anyway, but I sent this anyway:

Dear Senator,

Please do not vote for S. 303 America's Great Outdoors Act of 2010. I am vehemently opposed to the passage of a gross score of bills into a single measure. Every single piece of legislation should be considered on its own merits, and many of these bills are BAD for public recreation, bad for rural economies, and reduce job opportunities!

[LYIN' KING]

Many here have been preaching to the deaf choir for nearly six months about this via the “Americas Great Outdoors Initiative” (AGOI) and the “Americas Great Outdoors IdeaJam” . . . there’s so much more they plan on doing once they lock all this up.

If you haven't already, get off your asses people, make the call on this, then get up on the AGOI forum and “Promote” everything PRO-OHV, extra credit for “Demoting” PRO-Wilderness crap!

http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/

[LYIN' KING]

Bump

[LYIN' KING]

Folks, please at least get up on the AGOI forum and promote the "Ideas" contained in this link . . .

http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/...ideas&viewonly

Chris is the "Top" PRO-OHV "Innovator"!!!

[Bebe]

AMA: Reid Pulls Omnibus Public Lands Bill
AMA
12/21/2010

Motorcycle Legislation News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has dropped his effort to pass a massive omnibus public lands bill that would have restricted responsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to thousands of acres of public land, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

Reid introduced the legislation, S. 303, the "America's Great Outdoors Act of 2010," on Friday, Dec. 17, as a substitute to unrelated legislation titled the "Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2009." Reid's move was reminiscent of the controversial parliamentary tactic that anti-OHV forces used in 2009 to close 2.1 million acres of public land.

Ed Moreland (AMA Senior Vice President for Government Relations) says: "We are cautiously optimistic that this latest effort to keep the American public from responsibly enjoying America's public lands has failed."

"AMA members played no small role in this provisional success, and we thank our subscribers who responded to AMA Action Alerts to oppose this pending legislation.

"However, we must remain vigilant because Reid has indicated a desire for a smaller version of S. 303 prior to adjournment. The current session can possibly run through Jan. 4, 2011."

Moreland added that in addition to the recent AMA Action Alert on this issue, the AMA has issued letters and applied procedural pressure to combat Reid's effort to restrict access to public lands. To read the latest alert, click here.

Reid's bill was a collection of more than 70 measures and more than 1,000 pages. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) was one of several senators who protested the legislation, saying it was too sweeping to consider prior to the end of the current session.

In addition, key representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, such as House Natural Resources Chairman-elect Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), voiced opposition to the measure.

Ed Moreland says: "We need to protect public land for future generations, not from future generations, and that includes responsible OHV recreation access. In addition, legislation deserves a full and public debate on its merits, and parliamentary tricks and sleight-of-hand, such as what we saw in 2009 and what we've experienced here, do not allow that."

To receive the latest on this and other issues that affect the motorcycling and OHV community, sign up to receive AMA Action Alerts at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues & Legislation.

[SurfnSnow]

Man, that's some great news to hear before Christmas

[LYIN' KING]

Great news but a temporary reprieve! Reid won’t relent he’ll just reinvent!!