Liberty Matters News Service

Volume I Issue 9

May 5, 1997

Kempthorne’s ESA

 Featured during the annual Wise Use Conference held May 3-4 in Reno, was a discussion on the Endangered Species Reauthorization draft bill proposed by Senator Dirk Kempthorne. Questions were asked as to whether the changes are significant enough to make a difference to landowners. According to a recent analysis of the bill by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Kempthorne bill expands land-use regulations, the role of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and does not address property rights. Kempthorne staffer, Buzz Fawcett explained that while the bill does not include compensation language, it offers more "options" for landowners who have endangered species or habitat on their land. Those options, however, do nothing to curb the command and control aspects of the current ESA. Fawcett stated the only changes that will pass Congress were those made incrementally. Many Attendees reserved support for the bill stating that no reauthorization was better than 6 more years of this type of reform.

Order Document No. 116

 ESA "Test Case" for Reform

 Touted as the "test case" for ESA reform, H.R. 478, "The Flood Prevention and Family Protection Act" by Wally Herger and Richard Pombo, both from California, is expected to go to the House floor as early as the week of May 5^th. H.R. 478 appears to be a minor change in the ESA, but a major test for reform. Currently, flood control districts and many communities around the country have had to pay mitigation to the government to reconstruct, repair, maintain or operate projects, facilities or structures where endangered species or habitat are found. This bill would exempt communities and districts from having to complying with the ESA provisions so that projects can be repaired and maintained to prevent future flooding. Order Document No.115

 FaxBack in High Demand

 Because of increased demand on our FaxBack system, Liberty Matters will be upgrading the system later this month to double our broadcast and FaxBack capabilities. This will allow more people to access documents at once and allow Liberty Matters to send alerts faster to more locations. By calling FaxBack from your fax machine (518-725-7890), you can order a catalog and then select the documents you need. FaxBack will deliver them to you within minutes.

 Green Foreign Policy

 Last week, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright released the State Department’s first annual "Environmental Diplomacy" report, in which she reported it to be "a gloomy catalogue of problems in the world’s air, oceans and forests" that "threatens American security." Competition for scarce resources can escalate tensions "or cause ruinous violence" among countries, Albright said. The report, to be issued annually on Earth Day, stems from a Clinton administration initiative to boost environmental issues on the national security agenda. VP Al Gore wrote in the report that foreign policy must consider "damage to the world’s environment that transcends countries and continents," such as "global climate change, ozone depletion, air pollution and resource degradation." Also, Albright announced the State Department will open "environmental hubs" in 12 countries during the next two years "to foster regional cooperation on water supplies, deforestation and biodiversity." Your tax dollars at work "saving the world."

 Border XXI Program

 The Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled implementation plans to "protect the environment, natural resources and environmental health" along the United States/Mexico international border. After years of agreements, millions of our tax dollars and participation by hundreds of workgroups, this plan designates a 160 mile "buffer zone" between the two nations where the goal is to "define a future that is committed to environmental protection and sustainable development" – buzzwords for land use planning and control through ecosystem management. Part of the goal is to protect endangered species and habitat within the designated area. There has been much speculation about this program and is definitely one that bears watching. Order Document No. 117