Wild Horse Freedom Federation also supports the action below suggested by environmental groups. Thank you to The Cloud Foundation for preparing this alert. Please call your Senators this morning!
SOURCE: THE CLOUD FOUNDATION
The Cloud Foundation endorses the following action taken by environmental groups:
GRASSROOTS COALITION BLASTS PUBLIC LAND PROVISIONS IN DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL
Grassroots environmental groups from across the country are issuing a LETTER demanding the removal of damaging public land “riders” that have been added to the Defense Authorization Bill now headed for the Senate. Title XXX (30) of the bill includes several controversial and harmful public land proposals, including an exchange of National Forest land to a foreign-owned mining company seeking to operate a mine on land sacred to the Apache, a giveaway of 70,000 acres on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to Sealaska Corporation, notorious for its scorched-earth logging practices, and a stealth provision that removes protections from two Wilderness Study Areas in eastern Montana. The bill also contains numerous public land conveyances as well as Wilderness bills with special provisions allowing helicopter use and habitat manipulation.A coalition of 47 organizations is calling on the Senate to remove Title XXX from the Defense Bill. Some proposals thrown into the mix would gain the groups’ strong support as stand-alone legislation, but the bill’s numerous “poison pills” mean that too high a price would be paid for a few conservation gains. The groups are submitting their letter to Senators ahead of its being brought to the Floor Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2014
Grassroots environmental groups from across the country are issuing a LETTER demanding the removal of damaging public land “riders” that have been added to the Defense Authorization Bill now headed for the Senate. Title XXX (30) of the bill includes several controversial and harmful public land proposals, including an exchange of National Forest land to a foreign-owned mining company seeking to operate a mine on land sacred to the Apache, a giveaway of 70,000 acres on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to Sealaska Corporation, notorious for its scorched-earth logging practices, and a stealth provision that removes protections from two Wilderness Study Areas in eastern Montana. The bill also contains numerous public land conveyances as well as Wilderness bills with special provisions allowing helicopter use and habitat manipulation.A coalition of 47 organizations is calling on the Senate to remove Title XXX from the Defense Bill. Some proposals thrown into the mix would gain the groups’ strong support as stand-alone legislation, but the bill’s numerous “poison pills” mean that too high a price would be paid for a few conservation gains. The groups are submitting their letter to Senators ahead of its being brought to the Floor Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2014
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This rider is insanity with no thought of future generations.
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We have GOT to pass referendums controlling this government. Do us a favor, when you call ask what your Senator(s)’ position is on the defense bill and if the riders have been analyzed.
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Yes, Exactly Jan….
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Among other things, it would severely limit the ability of the American people to hold the agencies accountable for impacts to clean water, imperiled wildlife and plant species, soils, and sensitive cultural sites.
Please call & email your senators right now.
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http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/08/san-carlos-apache-leader-seeks-senate-defeat-copper-mine-sacred-land-158181
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Navy Plans Electromagnetic War Games Over National Park and Forest in Washington State
11/10/2014
http://www.whatcompjc.org/wpjc-blog/navy-plans-electromagnetic-war-games-over-national-park-and-forest-in-washington-state
The area in question is the Olympic Peninsula, including the Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, as well as cities and communities, for 260 days per year, with exercises lasting up to 16 hours per day. The damage to flora and fauna in Washington State could be monumental and precedent setting.
I am not an alarmist, and I don’t subscribe to fear mongering, but I was trained as an airborne electronic warfare officer in 1970 and was familiar then with the potential environmental damage these training routes could cause.
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I’m confused, article states this was brought before the floor yesterday. Shouldn’t we know the results?
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We’ll keep you posted.
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Valerie – I see why you are confused because it says Tuesday, December 8th …. but hope you will go ahead and call & email right now since I think it is scheduled for today (or one day this week)? I don’t think it was yesterday because I see no results posted anywhere yet. Thanks.
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This article dated yesterday says it will be voted on in the next few days http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=b6e4c9d4d764b707e5c720f28&id=2a2de91e5e&e=34899558ce
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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/9/complaints-about-federal-land-grab-continue-even-b
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So tomorrow is not too late?
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Sage-Grouse Species Get Thrown Under The Omnibus
“But it’s not just about the birds, conservationists say. The Wilderness Society described the bird as “a feathery harbinger of the health of public lands across the West.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/sage-grouse-omnibus_n_6301596.html
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Called and left messages for Feinstein and Boxer. Having no feedback must speculate on reaction but these two Senators are not likely to like these riders any better than we do. Geronimo must be turning over in his grave – although not sure he was buried. This is “hanky panky” at its worst. Who exactly added these riders?
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One provision attached to the defense bill calls for trading 2,400 acres of national forest land in Arizona to Resolution Copper, a foreign-controlled mining company.
Other bills mentioned in the letter sent to senators are:
• The Sealaska Land Entitlement Finalization, which would give 70,000 acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to Sealaska, which the conservation groups say will likely lead to logging of old-growth forest.
• The Rocky Mountain Front Conservation and Management Area and Wilderness in Montana, which would release wilderness study area protections in southeast Montana hundreds of miles from the land along the Rocky Mountain Front that would be protected. It also calls for an oil assessment of WSA land in northeast Montana.
• And automatic renewal of grazing permits on public lands.
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Tom McClintock (R-CA) cosponsored the automatic permit renewal while he was on the Natural Resources Committee. It didn’t have a chance of passing through channels, so they threw onto the Appropriations bill. The bill is to avoid environmental review of the allotment to avoid the rancher having to be accountable. The reasoning was the permit renewals were backed up, not enough time on a 10 year permit to review the damage or good done – so let’s automatically extend the permit for another 10 years without review. This bill is s offensive and careless – I have troube reconciling this is the America I grew up in.
How do we interest the public?
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July 10, 2014
Action Mr. Stewart (for himself, Mr. Bishop of Utah, and Mr. McClintock) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
Bill Number H.R. 5058
Bill Version Introduced in House (IH)
Full Title To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to provide for State and tribal management and protection of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and for other purposes.
Sponsors Chris Stewart (UT)
Cosponsors Rob Bishop (UT); Tom McClintock (CA)
Committees Committee on Natural Resources (Standing)
In some states and tribes, this proposed law would give special interests such as cattle ranchers, the oil and gas industry, mining and other developers unprecedented access to management of wild horses and burros on federal public lands. This bill would only expedite their goal of removing these animals from federal public lands. http://animallawcoalition.com/bill-would-authorize-local-control-of-wild-horses-and-burros/
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I’ve called this snake out in town hall meetings and will contonue to do so. What I need everyone to see is HE is a big hand in the attack on our wild horses and is pro-slaughter. He cloaks himself in the American flag but betrays us in his lack of integrity.
Thank you GG. We have to keep an eye on what he does. I cornered him on cosponsoring the SAFE Act as the mandate of California and he said we got it wrong, HE had decided the appropriate stand on slaughter of horses. He has his head up so far up special interests’ butts, he will never see the sky again.
He is a rogue.
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You are absolutely correct about him – absolutely!
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We need to contact not only our Senators and Congressman but also Joe Biden.
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Elaine-
They include a proposal by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to swap lands in Arizona to build a copper mine and a bill by Murkowski to convey tens of thousands of acres of the Tongass National Forest to Juneau, Alaska-based Sealaska Corp., allowing the clearcutting of some old-growth trees. The package also appears to have a proposal by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to expedite grazing permits on public lands.
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060009816
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Congressman Raul Labrador and Senator John Barasso snuck the language of the Grazing “Improvement” Act (GIA) into this must-pass defense bill.
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