Land concerns

By Clarice Ryan

I foresee 2008 as the colossal "Year of the Land and Water Grab". A mass of federal bills and other initiatives dealing with environment are at the starting line awaiting the January 3 reconvening of Congress. Individually and in volume they are of such significance as to stress this proud experiment in government of, by and for the People. Citizens must wake up and exert what is left of their ability and influence to direct decisions of our representatives in Washington. Unfortunately most of our population appears oblivious to the impending possibility of losing our form of government and way of life through powerful forces determined to gain control over our land, water and natural resources and thereby the people. When private property ownership and rights are extinguished we lose our freedoms. Following is legislation deserving attention. For bill information refer to: http//thomas.loc.gov.

The National Park Service is in position to acquire extensive new lands. Final passage of HR3998 with an unrevealed total acreage would cost over $5 billion, not including the $2 billion Rim of the Valley (HR1835) portion of that bill. A recent vote placed it under committee study. By converting almost a half million additional acres of mountain ranges in the Los Angeles area from Forest Service to national park land, a so-called corridor would encompass heavily populated urban areas surrounding five valleys: San Fernando, Simi, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita and Coneyo. Land use and reduced property values of some 170,000 ranch, farm and home owners would be strangled through aggressive regulation, road closures and restricted access. Encompassed in this same Omnibus Parks bill, along with 10 additional National Legacy sites nationwide, are thousands of acres along the Mississippi for a proposed new River Trail Park extending from Minnesota through Texas.

The Northern Rockies Environmental Protection Act, HR1975, would add over 25 million acres in five Northwestern states to current Wilderness. The largest commitment would be nearly 10 million acres in Idaho, 8 ? million in Montana, and over 3 million in Wyoming. This bill currently with 117 co-sponsors, predominantly from the Eastern and other heavily populated states, contains highly misleading misinformation. As an example, two completely false claims are that the timber industry was heavily subsidized by government, and timber revenues are now being replaced by a sustainable tourist and recreation economy. Both claims are untrue. Previously the timber industry had itself, financially provided for entire communities. Now basically gone, government only partially funds schools and roads. Terminology is also deceptive. The bill implies "protection" of trees, wildlife and habitats when actually they are being "destroyed" by catastrophic fire due to Forest Service mismanagement policies producing extensive overload of hazardous fuels. With proper thinning and management, unrestricted by Wilderness designation, the forests themselves are capable of financing ever increasing demands of fire prevention, fire-fighting and forest health restoration. Tax payers cannot afford these rising costs, there-by leading to Forest Service "Just Let it Burn" practices.

The above constitutes only a segment of the ongoing continent-wide Wildlands Project planned behind closed doors and now underway to link parks, forests and other government controlled lands throughout the United States and Canada. In 2006 Canada closed down a 4.4 million acre, 250 mile stretch of coastline from Vancouver to Alaska. An additional 25 million acres of new park wilderness was recently announced, as part of the Arctic Boreal, a Biosphere Reserve occupying approximately 53% of Canada. Mining, drilling and most lumbering have been curtailed in government restricted lands throughout both Canada and the U.S.

Passage of two federal bills very likely would provide an open door passageway from the Mexican border to Interstate 19 through a bill converting Arizona Forest Service land into Wilderness. This Tumacacori Highland bill HR3287 is supported by HR2593 essentially undermining law enforcement efforts in this vulnerable area.

The issue of roads vs. roadless on public lands is being studied to death due to lack of concrete definition. It is critical as public access to much of the nation's federally managed land would be severely limited if declared roadless; in essence becoming bona-fide wilderness. This would be contrary to the multiple uses, including human enjoyment, for which these lands had been historically and legally set aside. Nationwide there are hundreds of thousands of acres of private and state lands located within proposed federal "roadless" areas which need assured right of way access. Conflicting interpretations and designations demand extensive identifying and mapping of roads. The bill HR308 is designed to clarify congressional intent and support Senate bill S1478 which provides details of the proposed roadless system nationwide.

One also has to wonder about the secretly planned, but now well documented, North American Union uniting Mexico, United States and Canada, plus the development of a trans-continental super highway with Port of Entry in Kansas City. An interstate highway system under Spanish management appears imminent all without apparent initial awareness or approval by Congress. One questions if the primary purpose is the claimed importation of merchandise for American markets, or is it also to export our natural resources for processing elsewhere. Will our economy continue to support this investment and purpose, or is our country simply being "sold out"?

The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) is a giant step toward world government and global taxation. It would give massive power to international bureaucrats with their own source of funding, accountable to no-one. With Bush in full support, this is now on "fast track" in the full Senate for ratification by two thirds vote. It is unconscionable that our country should rush into a treaty agreement of this magnitude, jeopardizing our sovereignty, with so little public knowledge or input. We must contact our Senators and urge their vote of rejection or at least a delay. If 70% of the planet under oceans falls to Third World control, United Nations orchestration of shipping and free markets would be facilitated by powerful top-down domination over world resources. We would lose our claim to the vast continental shelf and oil riches of the North Pole. Licensing, taxation and control over shipping and sea-bed resource exploration and development would exist. Hence, the ancient saying, "He who rules the sea, rules the land". The International Seabed Authority (ISA) would trump the U.S. Constitution.

ISA control of pollution could feasibly extend inland to continental rivers and streams precipitating forced identification of point source pollution from public and private lands, and even individual households. The Clean Water Restoration Act, HR2421, with 179 co-sponsors is basically a massive federal land and water "grab". With a change of terminology "wetlands" takes control of every farm, ranch and piece of private property containing water as well as activities affecting that water. By simply removing the word 'navigable' from the word, 'waters', the federal government achieves authority over all waters of the United states. The term "intermittent streams" could include dry washes and drainages. The term "protection" has become synonymous with "control". Treaties and sanctions originating at the global level funnel power down through layers of government to provide environmental protection with "endangered species" being the tool for ultimate control.

All of these bills, poised and ready for action and vote, are extremely significant as they would impact the economic and social well being of every citizen. They address the management, virtually the ownership, of all land and the natural resources of our country. In these rapidly changing times with global influence and world-wide population shifts, we must keep in close touch with our leaders and legislation occurring at all levels: county, state and federal. The year 2008 is destined to make history. The holiday recess would be a great time to contact your Congressmen if possible.