Liberty
Matters News Service
February 5, 2004
Bush Wants $1.3 Billion for Fish & Wildlife Service
President Bush wants to boost
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife budget to $1.3 Billion in fiscal 2005. That is $22.6
million more than last year. Secretary Norton praised the President's "strong
commitment to protect and conserve our nation's fish and wildlife and its
habitat." The train-load of taxpayer dollars will allow the Service to help
private and public organizations improve wetlands in Canada and Mexico under
the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund. The Bush administration has even
dreamed up a new spending program called the High Plains Partnership designed
to encourage private/public cooperation to "conserve declining species and
their habitats." The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Fund will get $80 million
to help fish and wildlife conservation projects. Secretary Norton announced,
January 27, that $14 million was sent to Indian tribes for those purposes. The
President wants $3 million more for National Wildlife Refuge Systems Law
Enforcement and a total of $17.2 million for the Endangered Species Act, even
though it has not been re-authorized since 1993. Secretary Norton continued her
giddy praise of the spending boost. "Our goal is to empower the American people
to become citizen-conservationists, working together to achieve what the
government alone cannot achieve." Once again, politicians believe throwing our
hard-earned tax dollars at a problem will solve everything. Soon, government
will control more land through conservation programs, easements and management
plans and private ownership will be a thing of the Founding Father's
past.
President
Seeks More Than $1.3 Billion for USFWS
Sec. Norton Announces $14 Million in Grants to Tribes
Bat Fatalities May Curtail Wind Farm Construction
Bats
don't seem to be any better at avoiding wind machines than birds. Last fall at
least 400 bat bodies were found beneath wind turbines at FLP Energy's
Mountaineer Wind Energy Center on Backbone Mountain in West Virginia.
Biologists are puzzled that so many bats bonked into the machines and speculate
they may have turned off their echolocation devices during their fall
migration. Because the "public" has raised concern over the bat deaths,
construction of additional wind farms in the area may be curtailed or delayed.
Already, environmentalists in Pennsylvania are threatening to sue FPL Energy
for not conducting a two-year wildlife study before installing 20 turbines in
Meyersville, PA. They cite an opinion from bat biologist Michael R. Gannon that
stated the endangered Indiana bat may use caves in the area and the turbines
could prove deadly to them. This is one issue where environmentalists want it
both ways. They are the ones who originally wanted a safe, non-nuclear,
non-coal burning source of energy. Maybe windmills weren't such a good idea
after all.
Unexpected Bat Kills Threaten Wind Farms
Inside the Beltway
States Demand Sovereignty
Legislators
in several states have come to the realization that the federal government is
trampling on their Tenth Amendment rights. The one that states: "The powers not
delegated to the United States, nor prohibited to it by the states, are
reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." Colorado recently
passed HJR 1035, a "Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent,
to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope
of its constitutionally delegated powers." Michigan's HCR 945, a non-binding
resolution, is a similar measure. The bill's sponsor, Rep. John Jamian, said
"[W]e're saying to Congress: Quit putting our money where your mouth is."
Increasingly, the federal government views the states as their private piggy
banks and if the states resist an order, Washington threatens to withhold funds
for highways or other needed projects. Colorado legislator, Charlie Duke
recommends Coloradoans keep their federal taxes in a state-administered escrow
account to be sent to Washington only if the politicians "behave themselves."
The Michigan legislature, last year, approved a measure to require its
congressional delegation to appear before the legislature and explain why they
voted to place financial and regulatory burdens on their constituents.
Currently, six states have passed Tenth Amendment Resolutions and other states
are drafting similar bills. The states are guided by "a landmark United States
Supreme Court decision, New York v. United States (112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992) in
which the Court held that Congress may not commandeer the legislative and
regulatory processes of the states by making them accept nuclear waste." Maybe
the states that are feeding the government's wolves could use the same
argument.
States to Washington, Cease and Desist
Wyoming May Sue Over Fed's Wolves
Governor Dave Fruedenthal
announced on Tuesday that the state is preparing to appeal the Department of
Interior's rejection of its wolf management plan. The governor stated that
Wyoming had worked closely with the department while formulating the plan and
that 10 of the eleven federally appointed biologists approved it. The agency
then reversed direction and rejected the plan, citing three issues of concern:
predator classification, the number of packs the state proposed maintaining,
and the minimum pack size. Fruedenthal told agriculture industry leaders on
Tuesday: "It is our belief that the actions taken by the department were not
based on the scientific reviews but were essentially undertaken on another
basis." Wyoming's legislators are frustrated over the government's decision. "I
don't know how anybody can negotiate at this point," said state Representative
Mike Baker. "[I]n my opinion, we have two options: knuckle under or fight. I'm
voting to fight," he said.
State May Sue Feds
Over Wolves