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U.S. Senate poised to shut Off-Highway Vehicles out...

Postby SidewaysTim » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:23 pm

Link at bottom, action needed.

U.S. Senate poised to shut Off-Highway Vehicles out of more than 1 million acres of public land
Vote "No" on S. 22

The U.S. Senate is poised to act as early as Sunday on a massive package of public lands bills that would shut motorcyclists out of more than 1 million acres without adequate public comment, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

The last-minute move just as the newly elected Congress takes over has raised the ire of the AMA and at least one congressman, who believe the proposal and process deserve more public participation.

"Those who say things get better with time obviously never encountered the public lands omnibus bill," said U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah). "This bill was a bad idea last Congress and it's only gotten worse over the past month."

Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations, agreed.

"It makes little sense to lump together more than 160 very important public lands bills into once package and expect the public to digest it all, and to rush a vote through the Senate on a weekend." Moreland said.

More than 160 public lands bills have been grouped together by Senate majority leader Harry Reid. The package would create more than 1 million acres of designated Wilderness land, which would shut out all motorized vehicles.

The last-minute congressional maneuver would also make the National Landscape Conservation System permanent. This system creates an additional level of bureaucracy for the National System of Public Lands and would remove much of the authority of the existing agency in managing those lands.

"Congress should put together a new package and pass it through committee rather than debate legislation carried over from the previous Congress," Rep. Bishop said. "Poor process produces poor product, and this is an example of congressional process at its worst. Parts of this bill are good, and parts are very bad. Each part deserves to be discussed and voted on its own merits."

"Continued responsible access to public lands is a vitally important right for current and future generations," added Moreland. "This measure deserves to be fully analyzed and thoughtfully debated in the 111th Congress prior to a final vote."

All AMA members and anyone else who enjoys outdoor recreation is urged to contact their U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose the omnibus public lands bill.



http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp
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Postby tammylynn » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:27 pm

Done. Will post on the DWE forum.
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Postby XJ Maki » Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:25 pm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28605584/

WASHINGTON - In a rare Sunday session, the Senate advanced legislation that would set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness. Majority Democrats assembled more than enough votes to overcome GOP stalling tactics in an early showdown for the new Congress.

Republicans complained that Democrats did not allow amendments on the massive bill, which calls for the largest expansion of wilderness protection in 25 years. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats said the bill ? a holdover from last year ? was carefully written and included measures sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats.

By a 66-12 vote, with only 59 needed to limit debate, lawmakers agreed to clear away procedural hurdles despite partisan wrangling that had threatened pledges by leaders to work cooperatively as the new Obama administration takes office. Senate approval is expected later this week. Supporters hope the House will follow suit.

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Postby Zaedock » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:45 am

Anybody wanna buy a Jeep? :roll:
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Postby EStenzJ4 » Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:33 am

Got one back.

Dear Mr. Stenzel:

Thank you for writing to me about your environmental concerns. I appreciate hearing your opinion on this important issue.

During my tenure in the Senate, I have worked hard to enact legislation to combat pollution, preserve our environment and natural resources, and provide protection to endangered species. I feel strongly that we must work harder to decrease the amount of pollutants discharged into our oceans, harbors, rivers, and lakes, and to reduce the emissions which pollute the air we breathe. We must also do more to eliminate factors contributing to other serious environmental problems in contemporary society.

I have attempted throughout my career to protect the natural resources and precious environmental heritage of Massachusetts. In recent years, I have strongly supported legislation to study and preserve resources in Boston Harbor, the Blackstone River Valley, the Connecticut River Valley, and a number of other areas across the state. I will continue to do all I can to maintain and improve the quality of the environment in Massachusetts. I am pleased to hear that you are also taking part in this effort to keep our environment clean and safe.

Thank you again for writing to me about the environment. Please be assured that I will do all I can in the Senate to strengthen and protect our existing environmental legislation. Much remains to be done in ensuring the preservation of our environment. These battles are never easy, but I look forward to progress toward achieving these important goals.


Sincerely,
Edward M. Kennedy
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Postby XJ Maki » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:16 pm

I got the same thing. Is Ted even out of the hospital?

Gotta love keyword auto-responders and the assumption that everyone in the communistwealth is a liberal democrat. :roll:
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Postby tammylynn » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:26 pm

I got one from Paul Hodes.
Thank you for e-mailing my office today. As your Congressman, I strive to maintain a strong relationship with my district and my constituents. Your issue is important to me and I will work to respond to your specific request in a timely fashion.

My staff and I have helped constituents across all of New Hampshire in their dealings with the Veterans Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Passport Office, the United States Center on Immigration Services and other federal agencies. My district offices in New Hampshire are here to help you with these concerns. I encourage you to call my district offices at the following telephone numbers: (603) 223-9814 (Concord), (603) 579-6913 (Nashua), (603) 358-1023 (Keene), (603) 752-4680 (Berlin) and (603) 444-7705 (Littleton).

If you are planning on visiting Washington, D.C. and would like to set up a tour, please feel free to set them up through my D.C. office by calling (202) 225-5206. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact my office at (202) 225-5206.

You can also and sign up to receive occasional e-mail updates from me at http://hodes.congressnewsletter.net/mai ... on=profile.

Sincerely,

Paul W. Hodes
Member of Congress


As much as I can't stand Ed...at least he responded based on the message of the e-mail.
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Postby tammylynn » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:15 pm

copied from the United forum
Date: January 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT GERALDINE GRADY ? 804-381-1153

The Senate today passed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act in a 73-21 vote. In spite of a concerted effort by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to stop passage during the Congressional lame duck session at the end of 2008, the bill?s sponsors vowed to keep it moving during the current 111th Congress.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is a collection of roughly 160 public land bills that were reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The legislation designates about 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, in addition to scenic rivers, historic sites and expansions of national parks. It provides the government's highest level of protection on land such as:

? 517,000 acres of wilderness in Idaho?s Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands
? 256,000 acres of wilderness in Washington County, Utah, including in Zion National Park
? Almost 250,0000 wilderness acres in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
? 128,000 acres of wilderness around Mt. Hood in Oregon
? 53,000 acres of wilderness in Jefferson National Forest in Virginia

"I am happy that after months of delay we will finally be moving forward," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
"I am disappointed the Senate majority leader has refused to allow senators the opportunity to improve, amend or eliminate any of the questionable provisions in his omnibus lands bill," Coburn told fellow senators.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the bill?s sponsor, said many of the underlying bills were the result of a ?lengthy public process? that allowed local jurisdictions to reach consensus on land use. ?Many of the bills in this package resolve major land and water policy issues that have been contested for years, and in some cases for decades,? he said. ?I can?t think of a single bill that has ever done more to ensure the enjoyment of, and access to, wilderness areas, historical sites, national parks, forests, trails and scenic rivers. In addition, this bipartisan bill will help protect America?s greatest liquid asset, its water resources. Collectively, this is one of the most sweeping conservation laws the Senate has considered in many, many years.?

The bill now goes to the House.
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Postby tammylynn » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:14 pm

Received this today

Dear Tammy,
Thank you for contacting me about S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. I truly appreciate hearing from you, and I am working hard to stand up for New Hampshire's interests in Congress.
I understand your concerns about limiting access to lands for off-road vehicle use. S. 22 would make the National Land Conservation System Act a law, and reauthorize programs designed to protect battlefields and other historical and cultural sites. While off-road vehicle would be banned in some of the more environmentally sensitive wilderness areas, the bill does not include a blanket prohibition on off-road vehicle use. For many parts of this new system, off-road vehicle users would be able to enjoy existing trails, while the qualities that make them a popular destination would be preserved.
S. 22 has passed the Senate, but has not yet been considered by the House of Representatives. Please know that I will keep your views in mind if the House of Representatives considers this legislation.
I encourage you to continue to contact me about the issues that are important to you. Please feel free to visit my website at www.hodes.house.gov where you can share your ideas with me, learn about the services I can provide to you, and sign up for my periodic e-mail updates on what I am doing to help New Hampshire.

Sincerely,

Paul Hodes

Member of Congress

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Postby rblank » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:50 pm

same e-mail one of the NTC guys got.
*DISCLAIMER* - The views expressed herein are the personal views of the author and do not in any way represent, nor imply to represent, the views of the North East Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, it's officers, members, or affiliates.
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Postby Scerb » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:18 pm

Oh so THIS is where I got that from :lol: ya, I got that letter too. At least he's listening.
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Postby powerlinek9 » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:05 am

man.... we'll either all band together like the snowmobiles did and save access to our trails or lose them because of ignorance.
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Postby Zaedock » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:41 am

powerlinek9 wrote:man.... we'll either all band together like the snowmobiles did and save access to our trails or lose them because of ignorance.


Not that this bill is a good thing, but to be honest, it doesn't really affect us here in Mass because there are no public lands to access.

It still sucks though.
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