Liberty Matters News Service

April 19, 1999

HR 701/ S 25 Heating Up

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has scheduled the first of three planned hearings to debate the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (S. 25) for today at 9:30 A.M. After Don Young’s complete sellout hearing in the House on H.R. 701 to the greens, the Senate hearings provide a much needed forum to expose the dangers of this multi-billion dollar giveaway that will expand the government’s land holdings to well over the 40 percent already held. In an ironic twist, Young has recently introduced a new bill in the House to protect landowners from government takings under the ESA (H.R. 1142). Upon introducing the legislation he stated: "There are some in our country who no longer revere or respect the rights of private property owners. Their view is that using land for wildlife habitat is more important than protecting the right to own and control the use of private property." Speaking out of both sides of his mouth, Young finds the millions of dollars that will flow to Alaska under 701 more important than the reverence for private property that he talks about. The two other Senate hearings will be held Tuesday April 27, and Tuesday May 4th. Both of your Senators need to hear your views on this bill TODAY. To sign on to a letter of opposition for HR 701 / S 25 order Faxback Doc. 400.

Chenoweth Rescues Bucky the Beaver

An industrious family of Beavers was trying to make Washington D.C. their new home when they were captured by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Their crime was cutting down four Cherry Trees to build their underwater home in the Potomac River. Fortunately for Bucky, Congressman Helen Chenoweth has used her Congressional powers to call for an immediate listing of the Beaver on the Endangered Species list. In a speech on the house floor she argued that "Out west it is the policy of the Federal agencies to remove the people rather than the animals, when there is conflict between people and wildlife. … I just think that we need to bring equality in the way that we handle threatened and endangered species." Stayed tuned for more of Bucky the Beaver. Faxback Doc. 401

Forest Service Employee Convicted of Arson

A Forest Service fire prevention technician was recently convicted for setting 34 fires in the Umpqua National Forest in Southwest Oregon last summer. Prosecutors said she set the fires in order to earn overtime pay while fighting the blazes. Convicted on two counts of first-degree arson, Tamara Meredith could face up to five years in prison. Investigators tracked her movement through a homing device placed on her vehicle and followed her in a plane where they caught her setting one of the 34 fires.

Clinton Stings Alaska and Don Young

The Clinton Administration announced that it is placing 234,000 acres in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest off-limits to logging and other development (Greenwire 4/14). The allowable timber harvest in the forest will be cut by 30% a year, and land open to logging will be reduced to about 576,000 acres, a 15% cut. Under his plan, loggers will be limited to cutting trees once every 200 years, instead of once every 100 years as currently allowed. The changes are meant to increase protection for old-growth trees in Tongass and protect species such as the Sitka black-tailed deer and Alexander Archipelago wolf. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) called the changes a "sham that abandons science, abandons common sense, abandons law, abandons Alaskans." Too bad he doesn’t think the same about H.R. 701!

Turtles More Important than National Defense

The Army’s latest plan to expand its National Training Center at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert in California has been stopped by environmentalists over their concern it could harm the endangered desert tortoise’s habitat. Environmentalists claim the tank-generated dust "could discourage plant growth and choke the tortoises’ respiratory systems." The Army has agreed to adopt a government proposal to build fences or culverts to protect the tortoises or to relocate them. Perhaps this is why the Administration has cut back on our National Defense. They need the money to relocate turtles.