Liberty Matters News Service

8/22/99

Utility Company Criminals for Death of Eagles

Moon Lake Electric Assn., Inc., based in Utah, was sentenced and fined $100,000 August 12th for electrocuting 17 hawks and eagles on its power lines in Colorado between 1995 and 1997. Considered the "first of its kind under federal wildlife law," the electric utility company must pay the fine, serve three years probation and implement a plan to prevent future electrocutions to migratory birds on its utility lines in Colorado and Utah. Even though the Eagle has recently been removed from the Endangered Species Act list, they are still protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Faxback Doc. 433

"Those Republican Scoundrels"

According to a Washington Times article (8/18/99), two Interior Department employees have been linked to on-the-job campaigning against several Republican members of Congress. Allen P. Stayman, former director of the Office of Insular Affairs and Policy Director David North have been accused of violating the Hatch Act for conducting illegal activities while on the job against House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Whip Tom DeLay of Texas, as well as three other congressmen. Documents show Mr. North drafted press releases for Democratic candidates, provided derogatory information about Republican members to campaigns and reporters, and wrote letters to the editor for constituents to submit to local papers. In a memo addressed to the director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Mr. Stayman stated "[T]hose of us who are politicals here at Interior want the DNC to repudiate these scoundrels." In another memo, North stated the reason was because they (Republican members of Congress) have been giving the Clinton Administration a hard time." Even though contempt of Congress charges have been threatened, no documents have been produced by either the Interior or the DCCC. Faxback Doc. 434

Clinton Calls For Stronger EPA Enforcement

Last week Clinton announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be enforcing a provision of the 1972 Clean Water Act that, according to the Administration, has been "largely ignored." The new policy would require states to take aggressive measures "by focusing on bodies of water, instead of individual discharges." This would give the federal government the ability to penalize an entire watershed instead of the alleged source of pollution. Clinton said that about 40% of the nation’s waterways are not clean enough for fishing or swimming. Clinton has ordered the EPA to establish "total maximum daily loads" that entities will be allowed in daily runoff. Those who exceed the limits could be fined up to $25,000 a day or jailed. This is a typical technique of the Clinton Administration to control and take away more private property through watershed management. Faxback Doc. 435    

Just When You Thought You Had Heard it All

A few weeks ago the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson reported that property owners now have a new threat from environmentalists… "nectar corridors" . It’s not enough that we have to deal with wetlands, ESA, Heritage Corridors and Scenic Byways to mention but a few, but now ecologists are pining over "diminishing populations of pollinators." This study is being conducted by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The Museum’s director Gary Nabhan has said that the factors causing the reduction in pollinators are (can you guess?) land development and ranching! The Museum has received a $500,000 grant from the Turner Foundation to trail all of these bats, hummingbirds and butterflies to document the problem… they will later issue conservation recommendations.         Faxback Doc. 436

Grand Staircase Escalante Suit to Proceed

Against the desires of the environmentalists, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Utah Association of Counties over whether the president exceeded his authority when he created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The designation of the monument in 1996 not only locked up 1.9 million acres of land but sealed a possible $1 Trillion in clean burning coal deposits from ever being used. Faxback Doc. 438

Gore faces FEC probe of "Floodgate"

Republicans have lodged a complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that Gore received over $850,000 worth of water which was "donated" for his canoe trip a few weeks ago in New Hampshire. Faxback Doc. 437