Liberty
Matters News Service
November 20, 2003
DOI Official Pronounces ESA "Broken"
Assistant Secretary of Interior Craig Manson, told Los
Angeles Times reporters that the Endangered Species Act is "broken" and should
no longer be used to give endangered plants and animals priority over human
needs. Mr. Manson was a speaker at a conference marking the thirtieth
anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, last month in Santa Barbara. Manson
questioned the wisdom of trying to protect all species: "A, we can't protect
everything, and B, we have to carefully examine whether we should try to
protect everything and at what cost?" Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt
also spoke to the gathering and had harsh criticism for Manson's denunciation
of the Act. "There is nothing wrong with the Endangered Species Act. It works,"
he said. "They [the Bush administration] want it to fail." Babbitt did agree
with Manson that the critical-habitat provision of the law is unnecessary and
said that statute could be eliminated with "no real-world consequences." Manson
also wondered if it serves the interest of humanity to spend $100 million to
save some species that "nature can't take care of." The Act's purpose,
according to Mr. Manson, "is not to create a perpetual hospice for threatened
or endangered species. It's our responsibility to get them to the point of
recovery." Craig Manson is a former California Superior Court Judge and served
six years as general counsel for the California Department of Fish and
Game.
Species Protection Act "Broken"
Heritage Areas Vote Expected
On November 18, the U.S.
House of Representatives passed, by voice vote, H.R. 280, "The National
Aviation Heritage Act." In a sneaky move, five other Heritage Areas bills were
passed as part of H.R. 280, rather than conducting separate votes on each
measure. Language to supposedly protect private property is included in the
bill, Sec. 110 (e), which reads; "[N]othing in this title shall be construed to
modify the authority of Federal, state, or local governments to regulate land
use." In other words, the government agencies already have ample regulatory
authority. With H.R. 280's passage, conservation groups, preservation
societies, land trusts and the National Park Service will have ten million
taxpayer dollars to preserve everything "relevant" within the Heritage Areas,
regardless of who owns it. Heritage areas are nothing more than federal zoning
and land use schemes. There is still a chance to stop H.R. 280 in the Senate
this year, according to knowledgeable sources. It is also a possibility the
Senate will wait for a study of Heritage Areas expected to be reported early
next year before expending any political capital on the issue at this time.
Testimony on Heritage Areas
"Healthy Forests" Moves Forward
Differences in the House and
Senate versions of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act will be ironed out in
conference this week, hopefully, in time for a vote before Congress recesses.
The bill allows the Forest Service to accelerate the removal of trees and
underbrush without going through endless appeals from radical obstructionists.
Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) said the biggest problems in forest management are the
"illogical" rules, laws and endless lawsuits. He said that approach wastes
taxpayers' money and prevents foresters from doing their jobs. Rep. Mike Ross
(D-AR) a co-sponsor of the House version, said the bill is "common-sense
legislation." "Our forests are not that much different from any other
agriculture crop," he said. In spite of best efforts, environmentalists
continue to criticize the forest management bill. "A lot of the funding
priorities in the bill are skewed toward logging trees out of the back country
instead of focusing on protecting homes and communities first," said Mitzi
Emrich of the Sierra Club. She thinks Healthy Forests will allow loggers to
"skip out of the whole public participation process (because) they don't have
to let communities know what they are doing." Rep Ross dismissed the complaints
saying; "This is not about clear-cutting our national forests; it's about
managing our national forests and cutting down on insects and
wildfire."
"Healthy Forest" Bill Goes to
Conference
Anti-Eco-Terrorist Bill Filed
Rep. Chris Chocola (R-IN) has
introduced legislation (H.R. 3307) making it a federal crime to destroy
property in the name of the environment. "It's terrorism," said Chocola. "We
ought to call it what it is." The bill comes in the wake of a series of attacks
on SUV's and buildings around the country by groups whose environmentalism has
taken a nasty turn. The National Association of Automobile Dealers (NADA)is
strongly behind the legislation. "It's [eco-terrorism] an increasing threat to
both vehicles and buildings," said Tom Greene, chief operating officer of
NADA's legislative affairs office. Chocola's bill has 42 co-sponsors, including
Mike Rogers (R-MI), a former FBI agent. "We need to send a very clear signal
very early that this is a serious crime," Rogers said. The bill would make it a
felony to participate in any eco-terrorist activity. Perpetrators would face
ten years in prison if anyone were injured during the commission of such a
crime and if a death occurred, life in the slammer would be the result. "I
don't think they've killed anyone yet, said Rep. Chocola, but it's only a
matter of time."
Coalition Launches Crackdown on
Eco-terrorism