Liberty Matters News Service 

July 24, 2000

CARA - The Environmental Legacy Bill

Not to be outdone by President Clinton, members of Congress are now referring to CARA as the "Environmental Legacy Bill for the 106th Congress."  The Senate version of the House passed HR 701 is currently being debated in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  Only seven (all Republican) of the 20 members remain strongly opposed.  Opponents of the bill have used a tactical rule that prevents the committee from meeting for more than two hours while the full Senate is in session, which until now, has kept the bill from passing to the Senate floor.  However, Murkowski told the committee today that he plans on invoking his chairmanship authority to force the bill out on Tuesday.  The Senate compromise version eliminates the so-called "willing seller" provision.  Skillful wordsmithing during the Murkowski-Bingaman compromise clearly allows condemnation without congressional approval.  It also includes a new appropriation of $60 million to fund the Youth Conservation Corps to turn the children of our nation into a "Green Gestapo" for the environment.  Slade Gorton (R-WA) said "now it's (the bill) an ill-advised and dishonest entitlement."  Jim Bunning (R-KY), one of the Republicans siding with the Democrats said that a lot of the benefits to wildlife had "been lost to the din of furor over property rights."  The committee resumes mark-up at noon today.  Passage out of committee is expected this week, unless it can be held up by the Super Seven Senators, to whom we owe a great deal of thanks.  They are working to prevent this nation from becoming a total socialistic country.  They are:Ben Campbell (CO), Don Nickles (OK), Slade Gorton (WA), Conrad Burns (MT), Larry Craig (ID), Pete Domenici (NM), and Craig Thomas (WY).  Keep calling.  We may still have a chance to kill this bill.
Call your senator at (800) 648-3516 or (202) 224-3121.
Congress Daily Report #2160 & Bill Finds Little Republican Support #2164

Out of the Woodwork

Now that the objective of cleansing the forests of loggers is all but accomplished in the Northwest, National Park Service biologists have discovered 50 nesting pairs of spotted owls in Marin County, California near the Golden Gate Bridge.  The birds are nesting in all kinds of tress, not exclusively "old growth," as the environmentalists have insisted.  The owls are co-existing with large numbers of people who are "using their habitat every day for recreation," a fact the biologists seem to find baffling.  As a result of the owl campaign, timber harvest in national forests is down 72% and American softwood imports have risen 58%.
Spotted Owl Near Golden Gate Bridge #2165

Socialism Growing in America

The National Park Service will allow a small number of people to farm some of the 33,000 acre Cuyahoga National Recreation area by leasing 164 acres to persons who agree to use only approved farming methods.  They must follow environmentally sensitive techniques and use chemicals sparingly.  The Cuyahoga River valley was once a productive area, producing fruits, vegetables and livestock.  The government protected the area 25 years ago and is now trying to revitalize the valley's agricultural "traditions."  So far it has cost the taxpayers $500,000 to refurbish the run down farms for the new tenants.  The Park Service has even created the Cuyahoga Countryside Conservancy to recruit settlers (serfs) and to oversee the farming operations.  Is this possibly the legacy of CARA?
Bringing Back the Family Farm #2166

Bears vs. Humans

Campers in Alaska made a gruesome discovery last week when they found the body of a Ketchikan man who had been killed and partially devoured by a brown bear.  The man was alone in the campground three miles from a bear-viewing platform operated by the USFS.  A spokesman for the Alaska Fish and Game Dept. said he could recall only three incidents of bears killing and eating people in the last 20 years.  A similar tragedy occurred in the Smokey Mountains National Park in May.  Horrified hikers tried in vain to drive away two black bears that had killed Glenda Ann Bradley.  Campers watched helplessly for three hours before park rangers arrived and shot the bears.
Brown Bear Kills Eats Ketchikan Man #2167  & Where's the Outrage for Glenda? #2168

Fox News Gets It Right!

This past weekend, Fox News ran a story called "Vanishing Freedom: Who Owns America?"  Finally, one of the major media told the true story about environmentalism.  We need to call the network to thank them for having the courage to run the story.  Call 1-888-369-4762 to leave your comments.