The US Senate is poised in the next week or so to consider the mother of all Wilderness bills.
Entitled the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (S. 22)
It is the largest closure bill I've ever seen.
Among some of the provisions of this bill that covers nearly 26 MILLION acres throughout the country (especially in the west) is Wilderness.
The legislation was introduced early this week and is about 1294 or so pages long.
Their may be a vote on "cloture" as soon as this Sunday.
I can post futher information if this topic gets any interest.
Full Version: Huge Wilderness Bill
Yikes... 1294 pages? And WHO, exactly do they expect to actually READ that text?
Pretty obvious that the folks that will vote on it won't read past the cover page. And then vote.
Looks like it is up to Joe voter to sway the opinion (since obviously data (however flawed it is) won't be used)!
Pretty obvious that the folks that will vote on it won't read past the cover page. And then vote.
Looks like it is up to Joe voter to sway the opinion (since obviously data (however flawed it is) won't be used)!
You refering to one of these? Here are a couple of ways you can help!
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_nlcs_two
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_rtp_stimulus/
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_nlcs_two
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_rtp_stimulus/
QUOTE (rivermobster @ Jan 9 2009, 02:13 PM) 
You refering to one of these? Here are a couple of ways you can help!
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_nlcs_two
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_rtp_stimulus/
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_nlcs_two
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/advocacy_rtp_stimulus/
The first link is indeed the one to use for this bill.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks Duck, you beat me to it. This is the info I got in a e-mail today:
QUOTE
Harry Reid to Force Vote On Omnibus Land Grab This Weekend
The Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill Number is now S. 22
Urgent Action Required
You must call your Senators immediately. They must be deluged with calls now at
(202) 224-3121.
If you live in California Senator Feinstein could be swayed in our favor. She
needs to hear from You.
You should also call your Congressman. The bill will have to go back through
the House if it passes the Senate.
All Senators may be called at (202) 224-3121. All Congressmen may be called at
(202) 225-3121. They must know in no uncertain terms that rural America opposes
this massive Wilderness and land grab bill.
You must let your Senators and Congressman know you will hold them responsible
for their vote on S. 22. This is the largest land grab in 20 years. They must
know they will be held accountable.
Now is not the time to be locking up our resources when we need them to help
rebuild our economy.
Please forward this message to as many people as possible as quickly as
possible.
For more information on this bill see:
http://www.landrights.org/New%20Omnibus_HR5151_E-mail.pdf
The Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill Number is now S. 22
Urgent Action Required
You must call your Senators immediately. They must be deluged with calls now at
(202) 224-3121.
If you live in California Senator Feinstein could be swayed in our favor. She
needs to hear from You.
You should also call your Congressman. The bill will have to go back through
the House if it passes the Senate.
All Senators may be called at (202) 224-3121. All Congressmen may be called at
(202) 225-3121. They must know in no uncertain terms that rural America opposes
this massive Wilderness and land grab bill.
You must let your Senators and Congressman know you will hold them responsible
for their vote on S. 22. This is the largest land grab in 20 years. They must
know they will be held accountable.
Now is not the time to be locking up our resources when we need them to help
rebuild our economy.
Please forward this message to as many people as possible as quickly as
possible.
For more information on this bill see:
http://www.landrights.org/New%20Omnibus_HR5151_E-mail.pdf
I scanned over this mail you got (with a bunch of other stuff in it) and at first, I thought this was another battle cry from the org.
I did my homework last night and found it on the US Senate's site. I downloaded it and scanned the almost 1300 pages. I was shocked.
Up again early this morning, I made some contacts with folks in the know and they confirmed what you posted.
I've been involved with land use and Wilderness issues for nearly 30 years. I've NEVER seen a bill introduced on Tuesday and a critical vote (let alone no Committee hearings) on such legislation in less than a week.
This is just plain wrong.
I did my homework last night and found it on the US Senate's site. I downloaded it and scanned the almost 1300 pages. I was shocked.
Up again early this morning, I made some contacts with folks in the know and they confirmed what you posted.
I've been involved with land use and Wilderness issues for nearly 30 years. I've NEVER seen a bill introduced on Tuesday and a critical vote (let alone no Committee hearings) on such legislation in less than a week.
This is just plain wrong.
QUOTE
A public meeting will be held next week in Trona regarding the
California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) proposed wilderness bill that they
hope Senator Feinstein will soon introduce in Congress.
Recent reports indicate that a bulletin included with a recent water
bill mailed to Trona residents states, "The California Wilderness Coalition
(http://www.calwild.org) is proposing Federal legislation that would
designate nearly all of those portions of Great Falls Basin and the Slate
Range that lie outside of the China Lake Navy Base as Federal Wilderness.
If passed by Congress this legislation would permanently end all methods of
mechanized travel across most of this land. It would also prevent this land
from being defaced by off-road motorcycle trails running everywhere". The
bulletin further states, "The California Wilderness Coalition has agreed to
meet with the people of Searles Valley to first present their proposal and
then listen to our concerns with the proposal. The intent of the CWC is not
to prevent the public from enjoying the land. Rather they want to prevent a
small group of people from defacing the land to the point where everyone
else's enjoyment is degraded. Please plan to attend and make your concerns
known. Examples of how you have used this land in the past would help prove
your concerns".
The meeting will be held Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m. at the
Trona Bank Building across the street east of the Old Guest House Museum.
If coming from Ridgecrest on Hwy. 178 Turn left on Center Street. Turn
right on Main Street (the third street from Hwy 178) and the meeting place
will be the second building on the right.
The new CWC wilderness proposal includes about 20 new wilderness areas
and National Park expansions within Inyo, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San
Diego Counties. New wilderness areas proposed by the California Wilderness
Coalition within Inyo County include Slate Range and Great Falls Basin north
of Trona, Malpais Mesa in the Inyo Mountains around Cerro Gordo extending to
the Saline Valley Road, Wild and Scenic River designation for Surprise
Canyon, other areas in the northern Panamint Valley, and areas in north
Death Valley National Park.
If enacted by Congress, this proposal would eliminate many traditional
uses such as equestrian endurance rides, mountain biking, and vehicle access
for such activities as gem and mineral collecting, spring wildflower
viewing, and family backcounty touring and picnic outings. In addition,
this proposal would eliminate mineral exploration and new mining in the
future.
It's interesting to note that the CWC nor anyone from Senator
Feinstein's staff had the decency to even respond to Inyo County
Supervisor's invitation for a similar meeting in Lone Pine but they are
willing to hold a meeting just outside Inyo County in a remote location with
very limited announcement.
We request that anyone attending this meeting to oppose the new
wilderness proposal please be polite and courteous. Disrupting their
meeting would only serve to discredit wilderness opponents.
I will be driving my Suburban and have a few seats open for anyone who
would like to carpool to the meeting. If anyone would like a ride, I will
accept requests on a first come basis. Please let me know via e-mail as
soon as possible. Please print "CARPOOL" in the e-mail subject line.
This information is provided by Ron Schiller, Chairman of the High Desert
Multiple Use Coalition. As usual, please feel free to pass this information
on to any other interested parties. Anyone wishing to receive future
e-mails with information regarding issues related to the management of
public lands in the California Desert should send an e-mail to
schiller@ridgenet.net and request to be placed on the distribution list.
Please print "PLEASE ADD TO LIST" in the subject line.
California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) proposed wilderness bill that they
hope Senator Feinstein will soon introduce in Congress.
Recent reports indicate that a bulletin included with a recent water
bill mailed to Trona residents states, "The California Wilderness Coalition
(http://www.calwild.org) is proposing Federal legislation that would
designate nearly all of those portions of Great Falls Basin and the Slate
Range that lie outside of the China Lake Navy Base as Federal Wilderness.
If passed by Congress this legislation would permanently end all methods of
mechanized travel across most of this land. It would also prevent this land
from being defaced by off-road motorcycle trails running everywhere". The
bulletin further states, "The California Wilderness Coalition has agreed to
meet with the people of Searles Valley to first present their proposal and
then listen to our concerns with the proposal. The intent of the CWC is not
to prevent the public from enjoying the land. Rather they want to prevent a
small group of people from defacing the land to the point where everyone
else's enjoyment is degraded. Please plan to attend and make your concerns
known. Examples of how you have used this land in the past would help prove
your concerns".
The meeting will be held Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m. at the
Trona Bank Building across the street east of the Old Guest House Museum.
If coming from Ridgecrest on Hwy. 178 Turn left on Center Street. Turn
right on Main Street (the third street from Hwy 178) and the meeting place
will be the second building on the right.
The new CWC wilderness proposal includes about 20 new wilderness areas
and National Park expansions within Inyo, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San
Diego Counties. New wilderness areas proposed by the California Wilderness
Coalition within Inyo County include Slate Range and Great Falls Basin north
of Trona, Malpais Mesa in the Inyo Mountains around Cerro Gordo extending to
the Saline Valley Road, Wild and Scenic River designation for Surprise
Canyon, other areas in the northern Panamint Valley, and areas in north
Death Valley National Park.
If enacted by Congress, this proposal would eliminate many traditional
uses such as equestrian endurance rides, mountain biking, and vehicle access
for such activities as gem and mineral collecting, spring wildflower
viewing, and family backcounty touring and picnic outings. In addition,
this proposal would eliminate mineral exploration and new mining in the
future.
It's interesting to note that the CWC nor anyone from Senator
Feinstein's staff had the decency to even respond to Inyo County
Supervisor's invitation for a similar meeting in Lone Pine but they are
willing to hold a meeting just outside Inyo County in a remote location with
very limited announcement.
We request that anyone attending this meeting to oppose the new
wilderness proposal please be polite and courteous. Disrupting their
meeting would only serve to discredit wilderness opponents.
I will be driving my Suburban and have a few seats open for anyone who
would like to carpool to the meeting. If anyone would like a ride, I will
accept requests on a first come basis. Please let me know via e-mail as
soon as possible. Please print "CARPOOL" in the e-mail subject line.
This information is provided by Ron Schiller, Chairman of the High Desert
Multiple Use Coalition. As usual, please feel free to pass this information
on to any other interested parties. Anyone wishing to receive future
e-mails with information regarding issues related to the management of
public lands in the California Desert should send an e-mail to
schiller@ridgenet.net and request to be placed on the distribution list.
Please print "PLEASE ADD TO LIST" in the subject line.
Passed... 
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/...-of-wilderness/
n what’s being called the most sweeping land protection law in a quarter century, the US House of Representatives Wednesday passed a conservation plan to set aside more than 2 million acres of desert and forest in nine states.
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, which cleared the Senate last week, was approved by a margin of 285 to 140 and has been sent to President Obama for his signature.
The bill would officially designate land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia as wilderness. That means no logging, mining, drilling, or even vehicles.
The Associated Press details the provisions by state. They include setting aside more than 450,00 acres of wilderness near Santa Clarita, Calif., and along the California-Nevada border, nearly 250,000 acres of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, 517,000 acres in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands, and more than 250,000 acres of wilderness in and near Utah’s Zion National Park.
Environmentalists are hailing the measure. Upon passage of the bill, this blogger’s email inbox was flooded with press releases.
William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society was quoted as saying:
“This is a monumental day for wilderness and for all Americans who enjoy the great outdoors. With passage of this bill, Congress has made a great gift to present and future generations of Americans. These special places make our communities better places to live, clean our air and water for free, and provide ecological resilience in the face of climate change. They’re also great places to hike and camp and fish with family and friends, of course.”
And here’s Dave Jenkins, director of government affairs for Republicans for Environmental Protection:
“This bill is the most important conservation legislation that Congress has passed in many years. We are especially pleased that 38 Republicans from all parts of the country supported this bill. It’s a powerful demonstration of the good that can be accomplished for our country when Republicans return to their roots as the party of conservation.”
Of course, not all were thrilled about the bill. The AP notes that opponents of the measure, mostly Republicans, called the bill a “land grab.”
The news agency quotes Rep. Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican who argued that the bill would deprive the US of much-needed energy development.
“Our nation can’t afford to shut down the creation of jobs for jobless Americans, and we can’t afford to become even more dependent on foreign sources of energy,” Hastings said.
The bill “even locks up federal lands from renewable energy production, including wind and solar,” he said.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/...-of-wilderness/
n what’s being called the most sweeping land protection law in a quarter century, the US House of Representatives Wednesday passed a conservation plan to set aside more than 2 million acres of desert and forest in nine states.
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, which cleared the Senate last week, was approved by a margin of 285 to 140 and has been sent to President Obama for his signature.
The bill would officially designate land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia as wilderness. That means no logging, mining, drilling, or even vehicles.
The Associated Press details the provisions by state. They include setting aside more than 450,00 acres of wilderness near Santa Clarita, Calif., and along the California-Nevada border, nearly 250,000 acres of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, 517,000 acres in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands, and more than 250,000 acres of wilderness in and near Utah’s Zion National Park.
Environmentalists are hailing the measure. Upon passage of the bill, this blogger’s email inbox was flooded with press releases.
William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society was quoted as saying:
“This is a monumental day for wilderness and for all Americans who enjoy the great outdoors. With passage of this bill, Congress has made a great gift to present and future generations of Americans. These special places make our communities better places to live, clean our air and water for free, and provide ecological resilience in the face of climate change. They’re also great places to hike and camp and fish with family and friends, of course.”
And here’s Dave Jenkins, director of government affairs for Republicans for Environmental Protection:
“This bill is the most important conservation legislation that Congress has passed in many years. We are especially pleased that 38 Republicans from all parts of the country supported this bill. It’s a powerful demonstration of the good that can be accomplished for our country when Republicans return to their roots as the party of conservation.”
Of course, not all were thrilled about the bill. The AP notes that opponents of the measure, mostly Republicans, called the bill a “land grab.”
The news agency quotes Rep. Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican who argued that the bill would deprive the US of much-needed energy development.
“Our nation can’t afford to shut down the creation of jobs for jobless Americans, and we can’t afford to become even more dependent on foreign sources of energy,” Hastings said.
The bill “even locks up federal lands from renewable energy production, including wind and solar,” he said.
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