October 20, 2006
Dear friends of CalUWild
—
The 2006 election is less
than three weeks away, November 7. Although it sometimes doesn't feel like it,
and the press sometimes says the opposite, this is one opportunity for you to
have an effect, by voting for candidates and initiatives that reflect your
values. Even if your side doesn't win, your vote still sends the message that
you care about an issue and furthermore, that you care about representative
democracy. Even if you cast a blank ballot on some issues or candidates, please
go to your polling place or vote absentee. The deadline for registering to vote
in California is Monday, October 23. You can download a registration form by
following the instructions on this page.
From CalUWild's
standpoint, there are several issues of particular importance in California
this Fall: Propositions 87 (the Alternative Energy Research Tax), 89 (Campaign
Financing), and 90 (Private Property Rights Initiative). We support 87 & 89
and oppose 90.
Briefly: Prop. 87 would
levy a tax on oil produced in California that would fund research into
alternative energy sources, leading to a (hopefully) saner energy policy and
remove some of the pressure to develop public lands. Prop. 89 would establish
public funding for campaigns in California, removing some incentives for undue
political influence.
We oppose Prop. 90
strongly. It was crafted in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on
eminent domain, whereby government could use its powers to support commercial
development as a "public purpose" (as opposed to a park or school or new
roadway). No one objects to that aspect, but Prop 90 further requires
governments to reimburse property owners when government regulation reduces the
value of property. This could play havoc with all sorts of environmental
protection laws such as zoning, endangered species protection, or dealing with
inholdings. Naturally, the proposal does not require a tax increase when government
regulation increases
the value of a piece of property.
Please read your voter
pamphlet for more details.
In other news, the U.S
population reportedly hit 300 million this week. Although much of the reporting
in the press seemed almost celebratory, it was not good news from the
perspective of wilderness and environment. A larger population will require
even more wilderness, but at the same time, both direct and indirect pressures
on wilderness will increase: there are more people who will want to visit wild
areas, but at the same time, more land will be required to house people and
provide food and other resources, creating incentives to stop designating
wilderness areas or to de-designate existing ones. It's an issue we will not be
able to ignore much longer.
Thanks for your support
of our American wildlands, and now, on to the news—there's a lot to
report this month and a couple of ACTION ITEMS,
too.
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1. Washington County Growth
Bill Heads for Senate Hearing
Letters & Phone Calls Needed
(ACTION
ITEM)
DEADLINE: MONDAY
OCT. 23
2. BLM Closes Areas
Around Factory Butte to ORVs
(ACTION
ITEM)
3. No-Wilderness
Policy Upheld
IN CALIFORNIA
4. North Coast Wilderness
Bill Passes
(ACTION
ITEM)
5. Rep.
Bono Introduces Wilderness Bill in Her District
IN THE NEWS
6. Dr. Edgar Wayburn Turns
100
7. Roadless Rule Reinstated
8. Court Voids Lethal Wolf
Control
9. Courts Irked by
Administration Policies
IN GENERAL
10. Great Old Broads Annual
Online Auction
(AUCTION
ITEM)
11. SUWA Job Opening
in DC
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1. Washington County Growth
Bill Heads for Senate Hearing
Letters
& Phone Calls Needed
(ACTION
ITEM)
URGENT
DEADLINE: MONDAY,
OCT. 23
We just learned today that
the deadline is Monday Oct. 23 for Rep.
Hinchey's letter. Please call your representative first thing Monday morning.
As we've reported before,
Utah's Sen. Bob Bennett (R) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D) are the chief sponsors of
a highly objectionable piece of legislation. Titled the Washington County
Growth and Conservation Act of 2006 (S.3636 / H.R. 5679), the bill deals with
wilderness and public lands around St. George, Utah. This is one of the fastest
growing areas in the nation and the average water consumption there is several
times the national average. The bill includes the following provisions:
1. Up to
24,000 acres of public land to be given away or auctioned off.
2. The
resulting revenue would be used to fund local county services instead of
conservation purposes.
3. Inadequate
amount of wilderness protected. And much of that wilderness to be designated is
already protected in Zion National Park.
4. Creates
a fragmented system of rights of way for roads and power and water lines.
The sponsors of the bill
say they'll push for its passage during Congress's upcoming "lame duck" session
after the election. The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will
be holding hearings on November 16. So strong opposition to the bill is now
more important than ever.
There is also a chance
that the Washington County bill will be joined with other wilderness bills into
an "omnibus" package. Those other bills also contain troublesome provisions, so
any omnibus bill should also be opposed.
America's Redrock
Wilderness Act (ARWA) is the Utah wilderness bill supported by most of the
environmental community. Its chief sponsors in the Senate and House are
currently circulating letters to their colleagues who are cosponsors of ARWA,
opposing the Washington County bill. Please also call Sen. Barbara Boxer,
asking her to sign onto Sen. Dick Durbin's letter.
202-224-3553 (DC)
415-403-0100 (SF)
213-894-5000 (LA)
916-448-2787
(Sacramento)
559-497-5109
(Fresno)
619-239-5719 (SD)
909-888-8525 (San
Bernardino)
The following California
House members are cosponsors. Please call them, thank them for their support of
Utah's redrock wilderness, and ask them to sign onto Rep. Maurice Hinchey's
letter.
Mike
Thompson (D-1)
202-225-3311
Doris Matsui
(D-5)
202-225-7163
Lynne Woolsey
(D-6)
202-225-5161
George Miller
(D-7) 202-225-2095
Barbara Lee
(D-9)
202-225-2661
Ellen Tauscher
(D-10)
202-225-1880
Tom Lantos
(D-12)
202-225-3531
Anna Eshoo
(D-14)
202-225-8104
Mike Honda
(D-15)
202-225-2631
Zoe Lofgren
(D-16)
202-225-3072
Lois Capps
(D-23)
202-225-3601
Brad Sherman
(D-27)
202-225-5911
Howard Berman (D-28) 202-225-4695
Adam
Schiff (D-29)
202-225-4176
Henry Waxman
(D-30) 202-225-3976
Xavier Becerra (D-31) 202-225-6235
Hilda Solis
(D-32)
202-225-5464
Diane Watson
(D-33)
202-225-7084
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34) 202-225-1766
Jane Harman (D-35) 202-225-8220
Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-37) 202-225-7924
Linda Sanchez (D-39) 202-225-6676
Loretta Sanchez (D-47) 202-225-2965
Bob Filner
(D-51)
202-225-8045
Susan
Davis (D-53)
202-225-2040
The following California representatives are already signed onto the letter.
Please call with your thanks!
Pete Stark (D-13) 202-225-5065
Sam Farr (D-17) 202-225-2861
Maxine
Waters (D-35) 202-225-2201
Grace
Napolitano (D-38) 202-225-5256
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D)
is a member of the Senate ENR committee. Now is the perfect time to contact
her, asking her to oppose the bill at the hearing or any omnibus package. You
can fax her in Washington, DC:
202-228-3954
Or, you can phone her at:
202-224-3841 (DC)
415-393-0707 (SF)
310-914-7300 (LA)
619-231-9712
(SD)
559-485-7430 (Fresno)
2. BLM Closes Areas
Around Factory Butte to ORVs
(ACTION
ITEM)
In response to a petition
filed by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and the Friends of Factory
Butte, the Richfield, UT office of the BLM has imposed travel restrictions on
the area around Factory Butte, between Capitol Reef National Park and
Hanksville. Long an area favored by off-road vehicle (ORV/OHV/ATV) enthusiasts,
the landscape is actually quite fragile, and BLM's actions were taken
specifically to protect two species of endangered cactus. BLM did leave a
heavily used area open to unrestricted ORV use. Predictably, the ORV and other
access groups were outraged. Please send letters of thanks to:
Cornell Christensen
Manager, BLM
Richfield Field Office
150
East 900 North
Richfield,
UT 84701
3. No-Wilderness Policy Upheld
A federal judge in Salt
Lake City ruled last month that the agreement between then Interior Secretary
Gale Norton and Utah's then-Governor Mike Leavitt was legal. The judge ruled
that the plaintiffs in the case had not been able to show that existing
wilderness study areas (WSAs) would be damaged by the agreement. Of course,
that was not the argument in the case. Rather, the plaintiffs argued that the
BLM had a duty to continue inventorying lands under its management for
wilderness character. The case will probably be appealed to the 10th Circuit in
Denver.
IN CALIFORNIA
4. North Coast Wilderness
Bill Passes
(ACTION
ITEM)
On Tuesday of this week,
the White House signed the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness
Act, the bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-1) and a part of Sen. Barbara
Boxer's California Wild Heritage Act. Sen. Dianne Feinstein helped shepherd the
bill through the Senate.
The bill sets aside
nearly 275,000 acres in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Napa
Counties, protecting their outstanding wilderness values: solitude, wildlife
habitat, including for endangered species, a wild and scenic river (portions of
Black Butte Creek), and the Lost Coast, the longest undeveloped piece of
coastline in the Lower 48.
The bill had the support
of many local government officials and businesses, all of whom contributed
efforts to securing its passage.
Please send letters or
make phone calls of thanks to Rep. Thompson, Sen. Boxer, and Sen. Feinstein
(phone numbers in Item 1). In addition, it's not a bad idea to thank Pres. Bush
for signing the bill, too. His address and phone number are:
The White House
1600
Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington,
DC 20500
202-456-1111
5. Rep. Bono Introduces Wilderness
Bill in Her District
Last month, Rep. Mary
Bono (R-45) introduced H.R. 6270, a bill to designate wilderness in Riverside
County. Although the bill has very little chance of passage in the current
Congress, it is a strong signal from Rep. Bono that she wants it considered in
the 110th Congress, which will convene in 2007.
The bill would designate
areas in Joshua Tree National Park, add about 1,950 acres to the Agua Tibia
Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest and on BLM lands, and designate
7,131 acres on Cahuilla Mountain in the San Bernardino National Forest, and
21,760 acres there as the South Fork San Jacinto wilderness. Another 16,700
acres on Beauty Mountain on BLM lands would be designated as wilderness.
Finally, 31 miles of the North Fork San Jacinto River, Bautista Creek and Palm
Canyon would be recognized as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
We'll keep you posted on
the bill's progress.
IN THE NEWS
6. Dr. Edgar Wayburn Turns 100
One of the giants of the
wilderness and conservation community turned 100 on the 17th of last month. Dr.
Wayburn, longtime member and leader of the Sierra Club, made as his goal the
preservation of Alaska, the California redwoods, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area, and many other areas as well.
For his efforts, he was
awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 by Bill Clinton.
There is a lot worth
knowing about Dr. Wayburn, and the San Francisco Chronicle wrote a profile
on him and printed a letter
to the editor (seventh letter down) from CalUWild, in response.
Dr. Wayburn is one of the
original members of CalUWild's Advisory Board, and we're proud to know and work
with him. We wish him continued health!
Last month a federal
judge in San Francisco ruled that the Administration had illegally promulgated
its substitute for the Clinton-era Roadless Policy. Instead of a policy that
would be effective nationwide, the administration decided to substitute a
state-by-state approach, whereby Washington would still have the final say in
any petition.
The original Roadless
Rule was the subject of one of the most comprehensive public comment processes
in administrative history. Yet the Administration decided to reverse it. A
federal court in Wyoming had upheld the Bush policy, but the latest ruling
applies nation-wide.
The plaintiffs in the
case included our friends at The Wilderness Society, California Wilderness
Coalition, Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council
Fund, Siskiyou Regional Education Project, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance,
Sierra Club, Biological Diversity, and Defenders of Wildlife, in addition to
the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington.
Whether the new ruling is
retroactive and how it will be implemented is still the subject of debate.
We'll keep you posted.
8. Forest Service Drops Idaho Wolf
Control (For Now)
Wilderness Watch reports
that the Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game has dropped its request to use
helicopters in wilderness areas to dart and collar wolves. In addition the US
Forest Service turned down IDFG's proposal to kill off two-thirds of northern
Idaho's wolf population.
CalUWild submitted
comments last December on behalf of all our members objecting strenuously to
the helicopters in wilderness proposal. We stated:
This represents a direct violation of the
Wilderness Act of 1964 for several reasons. Helicopters do not belong in
wilderness, as they are considered mechanical transport. The Forest Service has
not demonstrated any need for the use of helicopters. The proposed wolf
collaring is a routine operation, and there is no emergency requiring their
use.
But we also object to the uses the helicopters
would be put to in addition to their presence. Wildlife populations, both their
numbers and behavior, unhindered by human interference, are one of the
hallmarks of wilderness. The collaring and manipulating of wolves interferes at
a very basic level with wilderness character. This project should not be
allowed to proceed, with or without the use of helicopters.
We're happy
to see some success.
9. Courts Annoyed by Administration
Policies
The
Washington Post reported two weeks ago on a string of decisions in which federal courts
had openly criticized the Administration for it failure to enforce the nation's
environmental statutes. This is a quite unusual occurrence, because courts
generally don't want to interfere directly in the political affairs of the
other two branches of government. The fact that judges have openly begun
criticizing the Administration shows that they feel the administration's
motives in these cases are suspect.
Some of the
cases the Post reports on include the Roadless Rule (see Item 7), logging in Giant
Sequoia National Monument (see last month's Update), and salmon restoration on the Columbia and
Snake Rivers.
It's
interesting to see that there is a growing, vocal backlash against the current
Administration's policies on many fronts.
IN GENERAL
10. Great Old Broads Annual
Online Auction
Our "sister"
organization, Great Old Broads for Wilderness,
is hosting its annual fundraiser, an online auction, full of exciting and
interesting items. We're happy to pass along the announcement!
Support Wilderness
Work through Wild for Wilderness
Auction
Just in time for your
holiday shopping or a bit of self-indulgence, Great Old Broads for Wilderness is
hosting a Wild for Wilderness
Auction online auction fundraiser. Here's your chance to make
shopping both easy and meaningful, because 100% of the auction monies raised
will be used to support Great Old Broads' important wilderness advocacy
work.
The auction includes over
150 items and experiences, from outdoor gear to artwork to exciting adventure
trips and vacation stays such as a night at the El Dorado Hotel with dinner for
two in Sonoma's historic district, a weekend sightseeing in San Francisco or
Washington, D.C. or any of a wonderful selection of bed & breakfast
stays. If getting out into the wild is more your style, you won't want to
miss trips like canoeing Labyrinth Canyon on Utah's Green River, kayaking the
Wisconsin's Apostle Islands or backpacking and fly fishing in Montana's Bob Marshall
Wilderness. All of these fabulous experiences and more, are up for
auction during the Great Old Broads for Wilderness online auction fundraiser.
There's no need to drive to the
mall or hassle with the crowds. Just surf your way through their many
fine selections, point and click!
Great Old Broads for
Wilderness Wild for Wilderness
Online Auction runs from October 27 –November 19, 2006. Bid on
great auction items and support a good cause at the same time! If you have questions contact broads@greatoldbroads.org or call
our Durango, CO office at 970-385-9577.
The Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance has a position for a legislative assistant open in
Washington, DC.
Justin Allegro has filled
the position very ably for the last couple of years. It has been a pleasure
working with Justin, and we wish him luck in his new endeavors!
Here is SUWA's
announcement:
JOB DESCRIPTION
SOUTHERN UTAH WILDERNESS ALLIANCE
Title: Legislative Assistant
Location: Washington,
DC Office
Reports to: Executive
Director and Legislative Director
Status: Full-time
Salary: Commensurate
with a candidate's relevant professional experience.
To Apply: Submit
resume, cover letter, writing sample, and three references to peter@suwa.org
Deadline: November
3rd, 2006
Description
The Legislative
Assistant works closely with the Legislative Director and Executive Director to
advance SUWA's goal of protecting Utah wilderness. This person also plays a critical role in the success of the
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's congressional and administrative efforts. The Legislative Assistant will
regularly lobby Congress on behalf of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance,
analyze legislation, develop educational materials for Congress and the public,
and coordinate with SUWA staff in Utah and other wilderness advocacy
organizations.
This is an entry-level
legislative assistant position. A
competitive benefits package includes health care coverage, a retirement plan,
and paid vacation and sick days. Opportunities for travel and additional
training are available.
Qualifications
To effectively perform
this role, this person must possess strong communication and writing skills,
the ability to work in teams, and should be self-motivated and committed to the
preservation of wilderness.
Experience in environmental/wilderness issues strongly preferred. Experience with the legislative process
and Congress is preferred, but not required.
Responsibilities
¥ Assist
Legislative Director in daily tasks as well as implementing SUWA's broader
legislative strategies.
¥ Lobby
members of the House of Representatives and Senate to gather cosponsors for
Utah wilderness legislation and defend against harmful legislation.
¥ Work to
achieve proper interim administrative protections for lands included in Utah
Wilderness Coalition's wilderness proposal, in order to ensure their wilderness
suitability for eventual designation.
¥ Help
organize activist trainings and lobby days in Washington, one or two times per
year, working with SUWA grassroots staff.
¥ Coordinate
closely with SUWA staff on wilderness legislation, public land reform measures,
and relevant administrative actions, to achieve the goals of the organization.
¥ Coordinate
with other wilderness advocacy and environmental groups in Washington to
elevate the Utah wilderness issue nationally and defend against administrative
or legislative action harmful to Utah's wild lands.
¥ Prepare and
deliver materials to Congress.
¥ Help with
office administrative tasks.