Thought this might be of interest to Tweeters.

>Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 23:35:10 -0400
>Reply-To: rfeather at clark.net
>Sender: owner-actgreen at envirolink.org

>Subject: ACTION ALERT-- Stop Bad Boehlert Grazing Bill
>X-Sender: rfeather at clark.net
>X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.0 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> ACTION ALERT
>
> PLEASE TAKE ACTION & RE-DISTRIBUTE THIS ALERT IMMEDIATELY....
>
> "LAST GASP" GRAZING BILL TO HIT HOUSE IN SEPTEMBER!!
>
>At the "request" of House Speaker Newt Gingrich and following
>tremendous pressure from Republican Members of Congress representing
>western ranchers, Rep. Boehlert (R-NY) has negotiated a "new" grazing
>bill with the House Resources Committee and the livestock industry.
>
>Although the new Grazing Bill has been touted as a "compromise" version
>of S. 1459, it is still best described as "anti-taxpayer and anti-
>environment." Even the bill's few improvements [i.e., 1) it allows
>"conservation use" for states and 2) it allows selected members of the
>public to voice objections to, but not actually appeal, agency
>decisions] are greatly overshadowed by its many fiscal and
>environmental problems. Worse yet, the industry-lobby is telling their
>members that the bill will "be revised in the direction more likable to
>the [livestock] industry prior to House passage."
>
>NOTE: A House floor vote on this lop-sided, damaging proposal is
>expected in mid-September. Passage of the bill is vigorously supported
>by Speaker Gingrich.
>
>Here's what the "new" S. 1459 would do to your National Forests and
>BLM-managed public lands:
>
>* Maintain artificially-low grazing fees which cost U.S. taxpayers
> millions of dollars annually in lost revenues and resource
> damage.
>
>* Create additional burdens for taxpayers by increasing government
> paperwork and bureaucracy.
>
>* Allow additional resource damage to occur by undercutting
> existing environmental safeguards designed to protect and restore
> federal rangelands and associated fish and wildlife habitat.
>
>* Limit public involvement in the management of our National
> Forests and public lands. Create rancher-dominated advisory
> councils with undue influence on the on-the-ground management
> decisions of the Forest Service and BLM.
>
>* Limit the application of NEPA in the site-specific management of
> grazing on our federal lands, thus hampering the protection of
> fish and wildlife populations.
>
>* Restrict the public's ability to appeal unsound, anti-
> environmental grazing management decisions.
>
>* Give private ranchers title to so-called "range improvements" on
> federal lands, placing federal taxpayers at risk for expensive
> "private property takings" claims if federal agencies act to
> reduce grazing to protect the environment. In other words,
> taxpayers could be forced to pay private ranchers to stop
> damaging federal fish and wildlife resources!
>
>* Fail to provide consistent national standards and guidelines for
> range protection.
>
>& Generate still more costs to taxpayers by requiring that
> compensation be paid to ranchers for allowing public access
> across private lands to federal lands, thus hampering public
> access for hunting and other recreational activities on the
> millions of acres of our National Forests and other public lands
> that are surrounded by private ranches.
>
>This "new" version of S. 1459 is expected to come to a vote on the
>House floor in mid-September, perhaps as free-standing legislation,
>perhaps attached to a larger legislative package.
>
>House Speaker Gingrich is behind this bill. He recently sent Rep.
>Richard Pombo (R-CA) a letter promising to "bring to the House floor a
>bill that will unite our House Republican Conference behind a sound
>grazing bill." The Speaker is pressing moderate Republicans across the
>nation to support this latest attack on the sound fiscal and ecological
>management of our federal forests and public lands.
>
>MEANWHILE: Rep. DeFazio (D-OR) is expected to join forces with Rep.
>Zimmer (R-NJ) to circulate a "Dear Colleague" opposing this "new" bill.
>
>WHAT YOU CAN DO:
>
>* Write/Call your Representative immediately and urge them to oppose
> this "new" proposal.
>
>* Please encourage your representative to sign the DeFazio (or
> DeFazio-Zimmer) "Dear Colleague" opposing this bill.
>
>* NEXT, contact the White House at 202/456-1111. E-mail:
> president at whitehouse.gov and vicepresident at whitehouse.gov and say
> that you expect the President to protect our federal forests and
> public lands by vetoing S. 1459 or any similar legislation
> containing the above-described anti-environment, anti-taxpayer
> measures!
>
>PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY AND SHARE THIS ALERT WITH OTHERS!
>
>For More Information, Contact:
>
>Fran Hunt, The Wilderness Society, 202/429-2657.
>Cathy Carlson, NWF, 303/786-8001, x16.
>Courtney Cuff, Friends of the Earth, 202/783-7400, x207.
>
>==========================================================
>GREEN
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>A project of Defenders of Wildlife
>1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005
>(202) 682-9400 x290 fax:(202) 682-1331 e-mail: rfeather at clark.net
>check out our web page at: http://www.defenders.org/grnhome.html
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