Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: https://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003

Alert, Obama Great Outdoors Meeting In Seattle, Thursday, July 1st.

Alert – Alert -- Alert

Private property, multiple-use, recreation and rural community advocates must attend.

This is a big deal. You do not want to miss out or find out later that you lost rights because you failed to go to this listening session.

-----There is a concept in law called “laches” or “sleeping on your rights.” If you fail to participate in a planning process, you may be prevented from asserting your rights in court later.

These listening sessions are the beginning of the Obama Great Outdoors Initiative that will involve massive new land use controls nationwide. Only the environmental groups and Congress are getting notified ahead of time to the best of our knowledge.

This listening session is about the plan that is part of the battle between the House Natural Resources Committee and the White House and Interior Departments over the release of secret documents describing the full extent of the Obama Great Outdoors Initiative.

We have included below the background information from the House Natural Resources Committee effort to get the Obama Administration to give up the secret documents about the whole Obama Great Outdoors Initiative.

-----It is critical that the Seattle listening session be attended by ranchers, miners, forestry advocates, recreation advocates, private property rights allies, rural community advocates and anyone concerned about the spread of big government and the Obama land use control plans.

Below we have listed the information so you can attend the Seattle listening session along with background information. This will be the only listening session in the Northwest so you need to go.

You do not have to sign up in advance although that is good if you can. The information to sign up by e-mail and fax are listed below.

Please accept our apology for the late notice but the Obama Administration has so far been doing everything it can to keep these listening sessions secret until the last minute except for the environmental groups. So your attendance is critical.

Three listening sessions were recently held in Montana with limited advance announcement distribution. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) was involved but did little or nothing to make sure his constituents learned about the listening sessions. The meetings were held hundreds of miles from the people most directly affected. This whole plan appears to be a bait and switch effort to develop land use controls across America. It is vital that you attend the Seattle meeting.

The three listening sessions in Montana had virtually no notice to private property and multiple-use groups. The result was that many people who support grazing, mining, logging, recreation, private property and rural communities were not there. That must not happen again. Montana residents should call Senator Baucus at (202) 224-3121 to let his staff know how they feel about being left out.

Washington residents can call Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) at the same (202) 224-3121 to express their concern that these listening sessions be handled fairly and openly and that all affected groups get notified. You can call any Senator at that same number.

It is vital that your side of the issue be represented. This is about the Obama America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, Treasured Landscapes and National Monument programs. Millions of acres of private land will be purchased under threat of eminent domain if this program goes forward. Red tape and strangling regulations will in your future if you do not stand up and oppose the Obama America’s Great Outdoors Initiative now. The time to fight back is now, not later. You must hit them early. You cannot miss this meeting.

-----Here is a recent Interior Department release:

Invitations to the America’s Great Outdoors public listening and learning session for Washington were sent to stakeholder groups today (read environmental groups). As you can see from the sample invitation below, the event will be held on Thursday, July 1, 2010 in Seattle, Washington.

On April 16, the President established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and reconnect Americans to the outdoors.

The Initiative is led by Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack, CEQ Chair Sutley, and EPA Administrator Jackson, who recently sent a letter to each Member and Senator to inform Congress about the Initiative.

Senior Administration officials are visiting sites and participating in listening and learning sessions around the country, in communities where diverse coalitions are working together in innovative ways to protect and restore outdoor spaces.

These sessions are intended to engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, business people, educators, state and local governments and recreation and conservation groups. Special attention is being placed on bringing young Americans into the conversation.

For more information, or to add your suggestions on this initiative, please visit: https://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

Please feel free to contact me or my colleague Nate Hundt with questions.

Lara Levison

Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs Department of the Interior

202-208-7693

Lara_Levison@ios.doi.gov

nate_hundt@ios.doi.gov

Join the Conversation about America's Great Outdoors

Americans have a proud tradition of working together - from the ground-up - to conserve farmland and open space for future generations, restore rivers and streams, protect areas for hiking and biking, preserve beaches and coastlines, conserve wildlife habitat for fishing and hunting, and restore the cultural and historic sites that tell America's story. In fact, community-driven efforts to conserve America's land, water, and wildlife are a major reason why we are blessed with the parks, refuges, forests, and open spaces that we enjoy today.

Starting with the White House Conference on the Great Outdoors held on April 16, President Obama launched a national dialogue about conservation in America. As part of this dialogue, we are bringing together ranchers, farmers and forest landowners, sportsmen and women, state and local government leaders, tribal leaders, public-lands experts, conservationists, youth leaders, business representatives, and others to learn about some of the smart, creative ways communities are conserving outdoor spaces.

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON THE PRESIDENT’S AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE

In April, at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, President Obama established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors.

The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must be community driven and supported.

The President directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead this effort and to listen and learn from people all over the country. Please join senior representative of these agencies for a public listening session and discussion on land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.

In the Northwest many citizens and organizations are deeply involved in the conservation of working farms, forests, lakes, and rivers, scenic lands, and historic areas, and in celebrating and enjoying the region’s rich outdoor and cultural heritage.

This public listening session and discussion is an opportunity for leaders of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to hear from you about solutions for building a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnecting all Americans with the outdoors.

Please join us – here are the details:

Listening Session and Discussion Information:

When: Thursday, July 1, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

What: Public Listening Session on President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Where: Franklin High School

3013 South Mount Baker Blvd, Seattle, Washington, 98144 https://www.franklinquakers.org/school_info/directions.htm

Who: Representatives from DOI, USDA, EPA, and CEQ will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.

Please register. The event is free and open to all, but please let us know if you will attend. (Editor’s note: it is not necessary to register ahead of time but helpful.)

Register: If you can let us know if you plan to attend so we can plan accordingly. Register by 10 pm, Monday June 28 by sending your name, telephone number and primary area of interest:

· Working land, open space, and landscape conservation

· Outdoor Recreation

· Youth engagement and environmental education.

· General

You may register through: https://www.discovernw.org/ago-signup.htm.

<https://www.discovernw.org/ago-signup.htm./>

or send a fax to (206) 220 4159.

More Info: You can find more information on the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments on-line at:

https://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

We hope you will participate and look forward to hearing from you.

*Please Register:* The event is free and open to all, but please let us know if you will attend so we can plan accordingly. Register by sending an e-mail to cindy_chance@partner.nps.gov <mailto:cindy_chance@partner.nps.gov>

You do not have to register in advance. Or send a fax to:

(206) 220-4159

Subject: Register for July 1st Listening Session. Please include name, telephone number and primary area of interest (a. Working land and open space conservation; b. Recreation and public access; or c.

Citizen Stewardship, including youth engagement and environmental education). Send your telephone number and primary area of interest:

* Working land and open space conservation

* Recreation and public access

* Citizen Stewardship, including youth engagement and environmental education

*More Info:* You can find more information on the America's Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments on-line at:

www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

<https://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/>.

We hope you will participate and look forward to hearing from you.

https://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

-----Background Information:

House Natural Resources Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jill Strait or Spencer Pederson Wednesday June 16, 2010 202-226-2311

Bipartisan Committee Vote Calls for Interior Department to Release Secret National Monument Documents

WASHINGTON D.C. – The House Natural Resource Committee today approved, with favorable recommendation, a Resolution of Inquiry (H.

Res. 1406) introduced by Ranking Member Doc Hastings and National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop to direct the Department of Interior to turn over to Congress the missing pages and related documents of an “internal memo”

detailing plans to potentially designate 13 million acres of new National Monuments.

“We now have a strong bipartisan agreement that the Interior Department needs to reveal to the public exactly what plans are underway to unilaterally lock-up millions of acres of land across the country by designating them as National Monuments,” said Ranking Member Hastings. “I hope the Department takes today’s actions by the Committee seriously and discloses the documents that we have requested promptly and without further delay. If not, they can be assured that Republicans will continue this fight until Interior turns over all the missing pages.”

Background

Additional Views

The Honorable Doc Hastings

House Resolution 1406

This is the second Resolution of Inquiry offered by Reps. Hastings and Bishop. On May 5, 2010 the Democrat Majority voted down a motion to favorable report the first Resolution of Inquiry, H. Res. 1254, out of Committee.

To date, only pages 15-21 of the “internal memo” have been revealed. Despite repeated requests, DOI continues to withhold pages

1-14 and pages 22 and higher. While DOI has turned over 383 pages of emails and documents, they continue to purposely withhold 2,016 of related documents.

The proposed National Monument designations would lock-up millions of acres of land without public knowledge or input, threatening the livelihood of rural Americans and communities in the Western United States. It could kill jobs, block recreational opportunities and restrict access to American energy resources. This is why local communities such as Siskiyou County, CA and Otero County, NM have passed Resolutions and Ordinances opposing any National Monument expansions.

# # #

https://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov

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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Obama launches America's Great Outdoors conservation initiative

By Juliet Eilperin and Scott Wilson

Washington Post Staff Writers

Saturday, April 17, 2010; A02

President Obama launched the America's Great Outdoors initiative Friday, an attempt to reshape U.S. conservation policy at a time when the nation is facing new environmental threats but the government is hard-pressed to afford new spending programs.

In a brief speech at the Interior Department, Obama said he intends to build on "a breathtaking legacy of conservation that still enhances our lives." He said the tradition began with Theodore Roosevelt, whom he described as "one of my favorite presidents,"

although he added, "I will probably never shoot a bear."

Obama said the nation's growing population, pollution and other factors are "putting a rising strain on our lands." He said government cannot address conservation issues alone, and he urged private industry, local communities, Native American leaders and volunteers to help protect the outdoors.

"Even in times of crisis, we're called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage, because in doing so, we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us as Americans and as inhabitants of this same small planet," Obama said. "And that is the responsibility that we are rising to meet today."

Obama signed a memorandum sketching out broad goals that the administration hopes to pursue in the next few years: forming coalitions with state and local governments and the private sector; encouraging outdoor recreation by Americans; connecting wildlife migration corridors; and encouraging the sustainable use of private land.

Four administration officials -- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Nancy Sutley, who chairs the White House Council on Environmental Quality -- will spearhead the effort.

"It's really about getting people to think about the great outdoors again and recognize what a tremendous asset it is to our country,"

Vilsack said in an interview.

American children are spending half as much time outside as their parents did, according to the Interior Department, and the country loses 2 million acres a year to development. Government officials worry about the effect of land conversion on natural resources: The Maryland Office of Planning projects that more land in the region surrounding the Chesapeake Bay will have been converted to housing between 1995 and 2020 than in the previous 3 1/2 centuries.

Sierra Club Chairman Carl Pope, who was among the environmental leaders attending Friday's day-long conference to launch the initiative, said he hoped a broad coalition of partners will be encouraged to reengage on public-lands issues.

It remains unclear how much the government can afford to spend on such programs in the future. The National Park Service alone estimates that it would need an extra $9.5 billion to clear a backlog of repairs and improvements. View all comments that have been posted about this article on the Washington Post Company website.

2010 The Washington Post Company

You can go to the America Outdoors website and post a comment.

Please make sure you attend this listening session.

Chuck Cushman

American Land Rights Association

ccushman@pacifier.com <mailto:ccushman@pacifier.com>

(360) 687-3087

Please forward this message as widely as possible. This is a historic issue.

It is incredibly important for you to forward this message. By forwarding the message, you can help get millions of copies of this critically important e-mail distributed. Thank you in advance for your help.

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