CARA VOTE WEDNESDAY

The full House Committee on Resources will vote Wednesday, July 25^th, on passage of HR 701, The Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2001. This is the enhanced version of the CARA bill we fought last year. This year’s version still gives a large part of $45 billion over the next 15 years to federal, state, and non-profit environmental groups, for private land acquisition, and many other programs which will erode property rights in America.

It is critically important you call members of the Resource Committee today and President George Bush. Both are in a position to stop this bill. Here are key arguments and sections of HR 701 that you can use to convince the politicians to vote against this bill:

PRIVATE PROPERTY IS CARA’S TARGET: Section 205 specifically provides for condemnation when the property owner does not “concur” to sell. Feds will submit to Congress annually a list of private “lands and water” to be acquired, by condemnation if necessary.

STATES ENCOURAGED TO CONDEMN: Section 206 provides funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund only to those states which establish “a dedicated State land acquisition fund that is funded through the State’s budget process.” Section 902 of Commerce 2001 Appropriations enactment “encourages” states to establish programs including “acquisition...of habitat” for species not even included on federal threatened or endangered lists.

INHOLDINGS AT RISK: Owners of inholdings, trapped by the Forest Service’s “roadless policy” and by the now developing BLM’s road inventorying and closing program will either sell at bargain basement “forced” sale prices or face condemnation.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT STRENGTHENED: States are offered funds to reintroduce species such as wolves and grizzly bears. (Section 902 of Commerce 2001 appropriations enactment) States will be funded to enlarge protection to “total protection” of any “species or population” regardless of whether the species is a game animal or is sensitive, threatened or endangered.

WATER RIGHTS THREATENED: Not only are water rights specifically identified for the “condemnation hit list,” but they are not protected by section 210. The section does not contain the standard protective language to protect “all existing vested rights.”

SEPARATION OF POWERS VIOLATED: Congress appropriates $45 billion over the next 15 years, and delegates to federal agencies the discretion to establish and implement programs legislative in nature. The delegation crosses the “line between acceptable delegation of rule making authority and unauthorized surrender [of the authority] to permanently shape laws and package legislation” as decided in City of New York v. Clinton, 985 F. Supp. 168, 181 (D.D.C. 1998).

CALL (202) 225-3121 or (800) 648-3516 to reach members of the Resource Committee or call their direct numbers listed below. You can also fax them your message to vote no on CARA. CALL (202) 456-1111 to reach the White House. We cannot afford to lose any more private property in America. We cannot afford to allow CARA to become law. Please call today.

RESOURCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Jeff Flake (AZ) Phone: (202) 225-2635---FAX: (202) 226 4386

Elton Gallegly (CA) Phone: (202) 225-5811---FAX: (202) 225-1100

Ken Calvert (CA) Phone: (202) 225-1986---FAX: (202) 225-2004

Richard Pombo (CA) Phone: (202) 225-1947---FAX: (202) 226-0861

George Radanovich (CA) Phone: (202) 225-4540---FAX: (202) 225-3402

Calvin Dooley (CA) Phone: (202) 225-3341---FAX: (202) 225 9308

Joel Hefley (CO) Phone: (202) 225-4422---FAX: (202) 225-1942

Scott McInnis (CO) Phone: (202) 225-4761---FAX: (202) 226-0622

Bob Schaffer (CO) Phone: (202) 225-4676---FAX: (202) 225 5870

Thomas Tancredo (CO) Phone: (202) 225-7882---FAX: (202) 226 4623

Mike Simpson (ID) Phone: (202) 225-5531---FAX: (202) 225 8216

C.L. "Butch" Otter (ID) Phone: (202) 225-6611---FAX: (202) 225 3029

Mark Souder (IN) Phone: (202) 225-4436---FAX: (202) 225 3479

Dennis Rehberg (MT) Phone: (202) 225-3211---FAX: (202) 225 5687

Walter Jones JR (NC) Phone: (202) 225-3415---FAX: (202) 225-3286

Thomas Osborne (NE) Phone: (202) 225-6435---FAX: (202) 226 1385

James Gibbons (NV) Phone: (202) 225-6155---FAX: (202) 225 5679

Brad Carson (OK) Phone: (202) 225-2701---FAX: (202) 225 3038

Greg Walden (OR) Phone: (202) 225-6730---FAX: (202) 225 5774

John Peterson (PA) Phone: (202) 225-5121---FAX: (202) 225 5796

John Duncan (TN) Phone: (202) 225-5435---FAX: (202) 225-6440

William Thornberry (TX) Phone: (202) 225-3706---FAX: (202) 225 3486

Solomon Ortiz (TX) Phone: (202) 225-7742---FAX: (202) 226 1134

Chair. James Hansen (UT) Phone: (202) 225-0453---FAX: (202) 225-5857

Chris Cannon (UT) Phone: (202) 225-7751---FAX: (202) 225 5629

Ron Kind (WI) Phone: (202) 225-5506---FAX: (202) 225 5739

Barbara Cubin (WY) Phone: (202) 225-2311---FAX: (202) 225-3057

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