- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
ACTION NEEDED ON UTAH WILDERNESS BILL
Dear Utah BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
The Omnibus Public Lands Act has passed out of the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives. For details, please see BRC's latest update: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=982
The omnibus package also includes the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act, a bill that will designate just over 250,000 acres of Wilderness in Utah and forever close the scenic Canaan Mountain Sawmill Road.
The legislation is bad enough. But you need to understand how the Wilderness lobby made it worse.
Language in the bill mandates the BLM conduct travel planning. We don't normally object to this sort of thing as long as it's done under normal BLM rules.
But the Washington County bill includes a new closure section using vague and undefined terminology. The language was intentionally inserted in closed-door proceedings.
Understand this: The changes were made after the Senate adjourned sine die, and before a new bill was inserted into the omnibus package.
Did the Senate Subcommittee review the changes? Did any House Subcommittee get a chance to review the changes? Did the public get a chance to say a word?
I hope you understand why it is important for Utah's OHV community to make its voice heard. Today.
Some savvy political insiders will say BRC is tilting at a windmill here, and that may be true. But we aren't giving up.
BRC has this morning sent a letter to Utah's Congressman Matheson, Bishop, and Chaffetz asking them to review the language in the bill before voting. The letter is online here. http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Letter_To_Utah_Congressionals_Omnibus_03.24.09_FINAL.pdf
You can help us by putting your voice behind our request.
How you contact your congressman is up to you. Be creative. Keep a sense of humor. Get your family involved. If you want to send an email and copy our letter, you can do that too.
Tell your Congressman that you oppose the passage of the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 until the new language in the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act has been reviewed.
Be polite. Be brief. Have fun! - But do it soon.
You can call them:
Congressman Matheson: Salt Lake City Office - (801) 486-1236
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-3011
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Jim Matheson from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
Congressman Bishop: Ogden Office - (801) 625-0107
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-0453
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Rob Bishop from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
Congressman Chaffetz: Provo Office - (801) - 851-2500
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-7751
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Jason Chaffetz from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
As always, please call or email if you have questions or need help.
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
Dear Utah BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
The Omnibus Public Lands Act has passed out of the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives. For details, please see BRC's latest update: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=982
The omnibus package also includes the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act, a bill that will designate just over 250,000 acres of Wilderness in Utah and forever close the scenic Canaan Mountain Sawmill Road.
The legislation is bad enough. But you need to understand how the Wilderness lobby made it worse.
Language in the bill mandates the BLM conduct travel planning. We don't normally object to this sort of thing as long as it's done under normal BLM rules.
But the Washington County bill includes a new closure section using vague and undefined terminology. The language was intentionally inserted in closed-door proceedings.
Understand this: The changes were made after the Senate adjourned sine die, and before a new bill was inserted into the omnibus package.
Did the Senate Subcommittee review the changes? Did any House Subcommittee get a chance to review the changes? Did the public get a chance to say a word?
I hope you understand why it is important for Utah's OHV community to make its voice heard. Today.
Some savvy political insiders will say BRC is tilting at a windmill here, and that may be true. But we aren't giving up.
BRC has this morning sent a letter to Utah's Congressman Matheson, Bishop, and Chaffetz asking them to review the language in the bill before voting. The letter is online here. http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Letter_To_Utah_Congressionals_Omnibus_03.24.09_FINAL.pdf
You can help us by putting your voice behind our request.
How you contact your congressman is up to you. Be creative. Keep a sense of humor. Get your family involved. If you want to send an email and copy our letter, you can do that too.
Tell your Congressman that you oppose the passage of the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 until the new language in the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act has been reviewed.
Be polite. Be brief. Have fun! - But do it soon.
You can call them:
Congressman Matheson: Salt Lake City Office - (801) 486-1236
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-3011
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Jim Matheson from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
Congressman Bishop: Ogden Office - (801) 625-0107
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-0453
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Rob Bishop from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
Congressman Chaffetz: Provo Office - (801) - 851-2500
Washington DC Office - (202) 225-7751
Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, enter your zip code and click go. Select Jason Chaffetz from the list of Representatives, then click on the Contact tab. Click on the Web Form link, and follow the instructions.
As always, please call or email if you have questions or need help.
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
