[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Please go to access washington, find your legislators and give them your .02. It has already passed the senate so concentrate on house.
Also .......you hunters out there.....WHO do you suppose will pay for this?


While you're there....check out SB 6900. It really sucks too!




----- Original Message -----
From: bralerts@sharetrails.org
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: Washington State - Legislative Action Alert


BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscribers in Montana, Idaho and Washington,

This is a Legislative Action Alert for the state of Washington, but we wanted to include our members in Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

We have split this alert into two sections: the "what you need to know" section and the "what you need to do" section. The "what you need to know" is REQUIRED READING for anyone who wants to protect not only their right to access public lands, but also for anyone who is concerned about protecting private property rights.

The "what you need to do" section is for our Washington State members. BRC members in WA should scroll down to that section and take action right now. Please also send this alert to all of your friends and family. Action is requested by Thursday, February 27, 2008, so please do it today.

If you have any questions or comments, please give us a call or email.

Brian Hawthorne and Ric Foster
BRC Public Lands Department
208-237-1008 ext 107
brbrian@sharetrails.org
brrichard@sharetrails.org

__________________________________________________ _______

BRC ACTION ALERT:
WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCY TO COOPERATE IN EXTREME WILDLAND AGENDA
ACTION ITEM BELOW


WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Ken Jacobsen (D), Washington State Senator for the 46th Legislative District (Seattle), introduced a bill that would require Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife to actively participate in a component of the Wildlands Project, affectionately known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y Initiative). The Y2Y Initiative concerns lands in the 7th Legislative District (the northeastern corner of the state) and across Montana, Idaho, and Oregon.

The bill, SB 5318, inserts a new section to the Fish and Wildlife section of the Revised Code of Washington. The section reads:

The department shall participate with wildlife management agencies and conservation organizations in other states and provinces, comprising the Canadian Rocky mountains ecoregional area, in the cooperative programs of the Yukon to Yellowstone conservation initiative. Where the Yukon to Yellowstone conservation initiative has identified priority species, habitats, or landscapes lying within Washington state, the department shall actively seek to involve local governments, landowners, and local conservation organizations in the initiative. The department may integrate these activities with its cooperative work with other states and provinces sharing ecoregional areas with Washington state.

Jacobson's legislation here would codify a very dangerous shift already taking place in state wildlife agencies. Agencies originally chartered to manage wildlife for the benefit of the sporting public are moving closer to the agenda of these radical wildlands groups, where predators are used to manage wildlife and man (hunters) are all but removed from the equation.

The philosophy behind the Y2Y Initiative is directly related to the belief that human use and occupation must be eliminated from vast areas in order to "save" the Earth's ecosystem. Requiring any state agency to cooperate with the agenda of these wildlands groups is bad enough, but the legislation is sufficiently vague to be extremely dangerous.

It is interesting to note that this wildlands business is where public land recreation interests intersect with private property rights. Chuck Cushman, of the American Land Rights Association (ALRA), says SB 5318 will hurt ranchers, miners, forestry, farmers, and jeopardize private property rights. He recently wrote in an email to ALRA members saying, "If Y2Y passes into law in Washington, it will set the stage to pass it into law in the other states. People living in other states affected by Y2Y must get in touch with their legislators immediately and head Y2Y off."

Cushman is right to be concerned. I've met Dave Foreman, the "father" of the "re-wilding" movement (see: www.rewilding.org/). I have no way of knowing if a state Senator from Seattle knows, or even cares, but Foreman's vision is all about de-populating vast areas of the West. Foreman and his acolytes believe in the biological imperative, constitutionally protected property rights be damned!

The situation here also provides BRC with a really excellent object lesson regarding how these ultra-radical groups work together. Take a look at the Y2Y Initiative's network: CLICK HERE , Note the numerous anti-recreation groups in their network. Groups like the Friends of the Clearwater (FOC) are also featured on the "mini-grant" page. Note also that FOC received a nice $1000 for a "Public Road Inventory in Idaho County." For those of you keeping score at home, Idaho County is home to the Clearwater National Forest, where radical greens are eagerly supporting the U.S.F.S. illegal de-facto Wilderness scheme. See BRC's alerts on the issue: New Comment Deadline On FS Attempt To Implement Unlawful Policy

According to the Y2Y Initiative's website, the Friends of the Clearwater grant will be used to:

"... identify and document Idaho County roads and trails that may impact wilderness, roadless areas and wildlife habitat on public lands. This project will contribute to the Y2Y mission by identifying the threat of roads to public lands in the Y2Y region. Roads and motorized use are primary causes of adverse impacts to public land and wildlife in the Clearwater region."

Take a gander at the other grants this Y2Y group has given: CLICK HERE

So it seems that SB 5318 would require the Washington State wildlife agency to actively participate in the same agenda of the groups pushing for closure of County roads. Isn't that nice? A state agency helping to diminish recreational access, private property rights and even public access rights held in trust by a County. Dave Foreman must be very pleased!

The situation here is also a timely object lesson on how important the upcoming elections will be. Especially the local county commissioner and state representative elections. As the "environmental lobby" pushes its bought-and-paid-for politicians in urban areas to propose legislation that hurts rural economies far away from their district, rural legislators must stand strong and be motivated to fight.

BRC encourages our members in Washington State to join pro-OHV groups like the Washington Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance (WOHVA) and local clubs like the Tri-County Motorized Recreation Association (TCMRA).


WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
The Washington State House has re-scheduled their hearing on a bill titled "Participating in the management of Washington's portion of the Yukon to Yellowstone Rocky mountain ecosystem," also known as the "Yukon to Yellowstone Wildland Project Endorsement Bill" (SB 5318), in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 27th at 1:30 pm.

The Hearing will be held in the John L. O'Brien Building at the State Capitol in Olympia. If possible, make plans to attend the hearing even if you don't want to testify. Call (360) 786-7988 for more information. The hearing is public and you can testify by just showing up.

To get the list of Members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee CLICK HERE. The Chairman and other Members have concerns about SB 5318; you need to tell them you share those concerns and are opposed to SB 5318.

Call, fax and e-mail your Washington State Representatives and tell them they must oppose the Yukon to Yellowstone Initiative. You can also leave your legislator a phone message. Here is the Washington House Hotline Number to leave your legislator a message: (800) 562-6000. To find your legislator CLICK HERE.

If you live outside Washington, call and e-mail all your friends in Washington to alert them to the danger. We are better off fighting this bill in Washington State than on your own doorstep.

MORE INFO ON SB 5318
The following info was sent to us by Chuck Cushman with the ALRA:

Senate Bill 5318 (Participating in the management of Washington's portion of the Yukon to Yellowstone Rocky mountain ecosystem.) Passed in the Senate (30 to 19) on February 13, 2008.

The following legislators voted for Senate Bill 5318:

Brown (D)
Eide (D)
Fairley (D)
Franklin (D)
Fraser (D)
Hargrove (D)
Hatfield (D)
Haugen (D)
Hobbs (D)
Jacobsen (D)
Kastama (D)
Kauffman (D)
Keiser (D)
Kilmer (D)
Kline (D)
Kohl-Welles (D)
Marr (D)
McAuliffe (D)
McDermott (D)
Murray (D)
Oemig (D)
Prentice (D)
Pridemore (D)
Rasmussen (D)
Regala (D)
Rockefeller (D)
Shin (D)
Spanel (D)
Tom (D)
Weinstein (D)

The following legislators voted against Senate Bill 5318. Make sure you call, fax, e-mail or visit them and thank them for their opposition to the bill.

Benton (R)
Berkey (D)
Brandland (R)
Carrell (R)
Delvin (R)
Hewitt (R)
Holmquist (R)
Honeyford (R)
King (R)
McCaslin (R)
Morton (R)
Parlette (R)
Pflug (R)
Roach (R)
Schoesler (R)
Sheldon (D)
Stevens (R)............................................... .............Way to go Val
Swecker (R)
Zarelli (R)




To be removed from further mailings from our list please click the unsubscribe link