And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 10:16:01 -0600 To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: Wild Rockies InfoNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: CLINTON/PENTAGON LAND GRAB THREATENS WILDLIFE, WILDERNESS! From: Ted Zukoski <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> CLINTON/PENTAGON LAND GRAB THREATENS WILDLIFE, WILDERNESS! The Defense Department is trying to grab land management control of 5 million acres of public wildlands in four Western States. And they want to open the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness to more military structures. Tell the US Senate to stop the land grab - a Senate conference committee may make decisions on the bill THIS WEEK! BACKGROUND: In 1986, Congress withdrew over 7 million acres of public lands in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico from appropriation under the public land laws in order to facilitate military training activities in those areas. The withdrawn areas -- larger than the state of New Jersey -- include public lands of spectacular beauty, designated wilderness, national wildlife refuges, habitat for endangered species, and cultural resources thousands of years old. The withdrawal expires in 2001. While the Department of Defense trains on these lands, the natural resources are managed largely by the Bureau of Land Management. THE **NEW** BAD NEWS THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION PROPOSAL: Late last month, the Clinton Administration released its legislative proposal for the renewal. The Department of Defense (DOD) not only wants to train on these lands -- unhindered by Congressional reauthorization for 25 years -- DOD WANTS TO CONTROL THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES on all non-Refuge lands within the withdrawal - that's 5 million acres! The Clinton proposal is likely to be tacked on as a rider to S. 1059, the Defense Authorization bill now being debated in Conference Committee. The DOD proposal would affect the Goldwater Range in southwest Arizona, located in the heart of Sonoran desert, which supports an astonishing array of animal and plant life, and forms a critical component of the largest intact desert ecosystem in North America. It includes the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness, which, at more than 800,000 acres, is the largest wilderness refuge in the continental United States. It includes habitat for the critically endangered Sonoran pronghorn antelope. The DOD proposal would also affect the McGregor Range in southeastern New Mexico, which includes a pristine desert grassland (at Otero Mesa), trophy pronghorn antelope and deer herds, national historic sites, a wilderness study area, and habitat for the endangered aplomado falcon and mountain plover. In southern Nevada, the Nellis Range provides habitat for desert tortoise and bighorn sheep. DOD'S PROPOSAL TO MANAGE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THESE AND OTHER RANGES MAKES NO SENSE - and could harm these resources -- because: ** the DOD has always and will always PUT MILITARY TRAINING FIRST, and protection of public lands a distant second. Where the military perceives a conflict between environmental protection and military training needs -- whether such a conflict truly exists or not -- military training needs will always win. The outstanding natural resources of Federal lands need an experienced advocate for federal land protection and that's the Department of the Interior, NOT DOD! ** these lands include hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness study areas and wilderness resources, which the Pentagon has NO mandate to protect and NO experience in managing. BLM has both. ** Congressional committees with oversight and expertise in public lands will lose jurisdiction. This would result in less oversight of public land management and natural resource protection -- a step in the wrong direction. ** DOD's record of protecting natural resources on the withdrawn lands is poor (for example, they bombed endangered species habitat for years, and only began compliance with the ESA under threat of lawsuit). BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE .... THE ADMINISTRATION PROPOSAL WOULD ALSO WEAKEN PROTECTION FOR WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS AT THE CABEZA PRIETA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE! The Administration has proposed to remove Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge from the Goldwater Range withdrawal. That's a good idea. But the Administration proposal to remove the Refuge from the Goldwater Range threatens both Wildlife and Wilderness values there. The proposal would: * Amend the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act to permit new military structures within designated wilderness, which the current withdrawal does not. * Make military uses essentially a co-equal purpose of the Refuge, which the current withdrawal does not; and * Require negotiation of amendment to agreements between DOD and DOI to favor increased military uses and increased military impacts, which the current withdrawal does not. NEW MANMADE STRUCTURES DON'T BELONG IN WILDERNESS. This proposal represents a MAJOR weakening of the 1964 Wilderness Act, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. +++++++++++++ WHAT YOU CAN DO: CONTACT KEY SENATORS TODAY! S. 1059, the Defense Authorization bill to which this will be tacked on, is being debated NOW in Conference Committee. Call the key Senators listed below TODAY and tell them to: ** OPPOSE the proposal to turn public land management over to the Department of Defense. DOD has the wrong mission, no experience with critical wilderness resources, and a poor record in managing these tremendously valuable public lands. ** SUPPORT Department of the Interior (DOI) management of these lands. DOI management may not be perfect, but their mission is LAND MANAGEMENT. It's what they do and it's what they care about. It's their primary mission, not an add-on as it is with DOD. ** OPPOSE the Administration's proposal to concerning the Cabeza Prieta NWR and Wilderness that would: -- allow new military structures within designated wilderness; -- make military uses essentially a co-equal purpose of the Refuge; and -- favor increased military uses and increased military impacts. CALL TODAY TO these major Senate players on the Senate conference committee: SENATOR JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ): (tel) 202-224-2235; fax: (202)228-2862; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] SENATOR JOHN WARNER (R-VA): (tel) 202-224-2023; (fax) (202) 224-6295 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] SENATOR CARL LEVIN (D-MI): 202-224-6221; (fax) (202) 224-1388; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For more information, contact: Rob Smith, Sierra Club (602-254-9330) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Ted Zukoski, LAW Fund (303-444-1188 x213) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Pam Eaton, The Wilderness Society (303-650-5818 x103) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Bill Snape, Defenders of Wildlife (202-682-9400 x118) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Friends of Cabeza Prieta - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ++++++++++ SAMPLE LETTER - cut, paste, personalize, and fax! *********** Senator John McCain US Senate Washingotn, DC 20510 Fax: (202)228-2862 Re: Oppose Pentagon's Land Grab Threatening Wilderness, Wildlife Dear Senator McCain: I write today to oppose the Clinton Administration's proposal to renew the withdrawal of 7 million acres of public lands in Arizona and three other states. I understand that this proposal may be tacked on to S. 1059, the Senate Defense Authorization bill, in the next week. I OPPOSE the proposal to turn public land management of 5 million acres over to the Department of Defense. DOD has the wrong mission, no experience with critical wilderness resources, and a poor record in managing these tremendously valuable public lands. I SUPPORT Department of the Interior (DOI) management of these lands. DOI management may not be perfect, but their mission is LAND MANAGEMENT. It's what they do and it's what they care about. It's their primary mission, not an add-on as it is with DOD. I OPPOSE the Administration's proposal concerning the Cabeza Prieta Refuge and Wilderness that would: -- allow new military structures within designated wilderness; -- make military uses essentially a co-equal purpose of the Refuge; and -- favor increased military uses in and increased military impacts to the Refuge. The spectacular wildlands of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and the Goldwater Range deserve the highest level of protection. The Administration proposal won't deliver that. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ____________________________ Ted Zukoski Land & Water Fund of the Rockies 2260 Baseline Road, #200 Boulder, CO 80302 (303) 444-1188 x213 FAX (303)786-8054 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
