Congress is piling anti-environmental "riders," language having nothing
to do with funding but everything to do with policy, on every bill
imaginable, especially the Interior bill. Here's a quick summary of some
of the
worst riders in the latest Interior Bill:
* Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
Give away 30 miles of land along the park's marine coastline to
Native Corporations. Today's National Park is tomorrow's sacrifice
area... giving away OUR old-growth forests for clearcuts and hills &
mountains for open-pit mines and oil rigs.
* Subsidized Logging Roads
Every year we get a bit closer to stopping federal subsidies for
logging roads in our National Forests. The House voted in favor of
substantial cuts and the Senate failed by one vote to do likewise. But
suprize- The final version actually provides a blank check to logging
companies by eliminating the current cap on the use of Purchaser Road
Credits; allowing the Forest Service to exchange millions and millions
of dollars worth of public timber for environmentally destructive
logging roads.
* End National Forest Planning
The Administration is currently undertaking a scientifically-based
review (independent scientists, legal experts, and economists) to make
recommendations for changes to existing National Forest planning
regulations. Afraid that the continued subsidized destruction of our
National Forests would be questioned and hopefully curtailed/ended,
Congress wants to stop this effort immediately.
* Log Export Rider
Overturn a ban on the export of logs from our National Forests to
foreign mills to benefit a select few large timber corporations in the
State of Washington at the expense of small independent mills. Bottom
line, a give-a-way of OUR public assets and a closing down of American
mills, ending American jobs.
* Ending the Resource Planning Act
The RPA provides useful information to the public about the future
plans of the Forest Service for managing the National Forests. Timber
Senators and the Timber corporations don't want the Forest Service to
look at the future of the National Forest system or plan for its
future -- because when the Forest Service does look into the future
logging will not be the primary use of the forests. It will be
recreation.
* Allow Illegal Grazing in Arizona and New Mexico National Forests
The public forest, water, and range resources of the National Forests
in Arizona and New Mexico have been so damaged by logging and grazing
that a Federal judge took action to enforce federal environmental laws
on these lands. A task force of Forest Service biologists recently
reported that allowing continued grazing in violation of the law puts
a greater burden on law-abiding users and taxpayers to restore
wildlife and range resources that rightly belong to the public and to
future generations. This rider overturns the judge's decision and
allows the destruction to continue.
* Prohibit Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Planning
Congress wants to stop reintroduction of grizzly bears into the
Bitterroot ecosystem of Idaho and Montana in violation of current ESA
law. Note: both environmentalists AND loggers have been working
together towards reintroduction! Congress wants to permanently end
this effort.
There's plenty more, but I'm sure you get the picture. These riders to
the Interior Appropriations bill are unacceptable.
*****WHAT YOU CAN DO
**PLEASE TAKE ACTION ASAP!!
Reps. DeFazio and Miller Sponsor A Veto Letter
A letter sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and George Miller
(D-CA) is calling on the President to veto the Interior Appropriations
bill due to numerous anti-environmental riders added to the bill. The
letter is now being circulated for Representatives to sign-on.
Another letter sponsored by Reps. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA) and Elizabeth
Furse (D-OR) is calling on the President to veto the Interior
Appropriations bill if the unlimited expansion of the purchaser road
credit program remains. The letter is also being circulated for
Representatives to sign-on.
These are very important letters to convince the White House that
there is support from Congress and the public to veto the Interior
bill, insist on an end to the purchaser credit program and remove the
other anti-environmental riders.
Please contact your Representative (contact list follows) and urge
them to sign-on to the DeFazio/Miller and the Kennedy/Furse letters
calling for a veto of the Interior appropriations bill.
Please contact President Clinton and the following officials and urge
the Administration to veto the Interior bill and insist to an end to
purchaser road credits and the removal of all anti-environmental
riders from the bill.
President Clinton:
Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV
Franklin Raines, Director, Office of Management and Budget,
202/395-4840, 202/395-3888 fax
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of Interior, 202/208-7351, 202/208-6956 fax
Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture, 202/720-3631, 202/720-2166 fax
Katie McGinty, Director, CEQ, 202/456-6224, 202/456-2710 fax
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Call Congress Toll Free! 1-888-723-5246
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House of Representatives
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Robert Franks (R)
Local: 908-686-5576
DC: 202-225-5361
Fax: 202-225-9460
E-Mail: FRANKSNJ@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
Local: 201-984-0711
DC: 202-225-5034
Fax: 202-225-3186
E-Mail: RODNEY.FRELINGHUYSEN@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
Frank LoBiondo (R)
Local: 609-927-4442
DC: 202-225-6572
Fax: 202-225-3318
E-Mail: LOBIONDO@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Michael Pappas (R)
Local: 908-284-1138 / 908-462-8499
DC: 202-225-5801
Fax: 202-225-6025
E-Mail: PAPPAS@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
Marge Roukema (R)
Local: 201-447-3900
DC: 202-225-4465
Fax 202-225-9048
E-Mail: REP.ROUKEMA@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
James Saxton (R)
Local: 908-914-2020 / 609-261-5800
DC: 202-225-4765
Fax: 202-225-0778
Chris Smith (R)
Local: 908-350-2300 / 609-890-2800
DC: 202-225-3765
Fax: 202-225-7768
Robert Andrews (D)
Local: 609-627-9000
DC: 202-225-6501
Fax: 202-225-6583
E-Mail: RANDREWS@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Robert Menendez (D)
Local: 201-222-2828 / 908-324-6212
DC: 202-225-7919
Fax 202-226-0792
Frank Pallone (D)
Local: 908-571-1140
DC: 202-225-4671
Fax: 202-225-9665
William Pascrell, Jr. (D)
Local: 201-523-5152
DC: 202-225-5751
Fax: 202-225-5782
E-Mail: BILL.PASCRELL@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
Donald Payne (D)
Local: 201-645-3213 / 908-629-0222
DC: 202-225-3436
Fax: 202-225-4160
Steve Rothman (D)
Local: 201-646-0808
DC: 202-225-5061
Fax: 202-225-5061
E-Mail: STEVEN.ROTHMAN@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
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