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<DIV>Important info which I have not seen on this site. </DIV>
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<DIV>Sue H. </DIV>
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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
href="mailto:foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org">Friends of the Clearwater</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 30, 2012 5:59 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=suehovey@moscow.com
href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com">suehovey@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Big Wild Bi-Weekly] Defeat the Sportsmen's Heritage
Act</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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<H2>Defeat the Sportsmen's Heritage Act</H2><LIKE colorscheme="light"
font="verdana" action="like" width="250" show_faces="0" layout="button_count"
href="http://www.friendsoftheclearwater.org/node/1138"></LIKE>
<P><STRONG>Frontal Assault on Wilderness Act!</STRONG></P>
<P><EM>Deceptively Named Sportsmen's Heritage Act (HR 4089) and Recreational
Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act (S 2066) Would Essentially
Repeal the 1964 Wilderness Act.</EM></P>
<P>On April 17, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives passed <STRONG>HR
4089</STRONG>, the deceptively named Sportsmen's Heritage Act, supposedly "to
protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and
shooting." <STRONG></STRONG>The bill is a thinly disguised measure to gut the
1964 Wilderness Act and protections for every unit of the National Wilderness
Preservation System.The Senate version of this bill, <STRONG>S 2066</STRONG>,
has not had a hearing yet. While the language in that bill is a bit different,
the disastrous result would be similar. Both of Idaho’s Senators are sponsors of
the Senate version, S 2066.</P>
<P><STRONG></STRONG>HR 4089 would give hunting, fishing, shooting, and fish and
wildlife management top priority in Wilderness, rather than protecting the
wilderness character and wilderness values, as is currently the case. This
bill would allow endless, extensive habitat manipulations in Wilderness under
the guise of "wildlife conservation" or for providing hunting, fishing, and
recreational shooting experiences. It would allow the construction of roads to
facilitate such uses, and would allow the construction of dams, buildings, or
other structures within Wildernesses. (S 2066 has similar provisions to the
above).</P>
<P><STRONG>Specifically, section 104(e)(1)</STRONG> strips away the Wilderness
Act's prohibitions on the use of motorized and mechanized vehicles, motorboats
and aircraft, other motorized equipment, and structures and installations any
activity related to hunting, angling, recreational shooting, or wildlife
conservation. For example, this would allow for any hunter, angler, or
recreational shooter to drive their ATV in Wilderness as long as they were
engaged in one of these activities. While the sponsors of the bill have
stated this isn't the law's<EM> intent</EM>, an amendment to the bill to make
certain this wasn't the result was opposed by the bill's supporters and defeated
in a House vote. (S 2066 does exempt recreational use of vehicles in Wilderness,
but no consolation can be taken from that fact because of the other disastrous
provisions).</P>
<P><STRONG>Section 104(e)(2)</STRONG> would waive "any requirements imposed by
the Wilderness Act" for federal public land managers or state wildlife managers
for<EM> any</EM> activity undertaken in the guise of wildlife management (S 2066
has similar provisions). In addition to allowing the construction of roads
and unlimited use of motor vehicles and aircraft, this provision would allow any
sort of wildlife habitat manipulation that managers desire to do. Logging
could be allowed, for example, to create more forage for elk (under S 2066, it
would be non-commercial logging). Lakes and streams could be poisoned, and
exotic fishes could be planted to provide more angling opportunities.
Predator control, including aerial gunning for wolves in the Selway-Bitterroot,
Gospel Hump and Frank Church-River of No Return Wildernesses would be allowed.
So would trapping and poisoning. There is literally no limit to what
managers could do in Wilderness in the name of wildlife management.</P>
<P>If all this isn't enough, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service
points out that because Section 104(c) of the bill bars application of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), none of these activities will need to
undergo any environmental review for their impacts on wilderness values,
wildlife, or threatened and endangered species.</P>
<P>The bill is backed by the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Safari Club
International, and a coalition of hunting and gun-rights organizations,
including the National Rifle Association. These groups are trying to rush this
bill, as passed by the House, to the Senate floor for a vote. It is imperative
that you contact your senators now and urge them to oppose both HR 4089 and S
2066!</P>
<P> </P>
<P><STRONG>WHAT YOU CAN DO</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG></STRONG>Write or email Senator Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and
Senator Bingaman, The Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee. Send a copy to your U.S. Senators and Representative too.
<STRONG></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>Senator Harry Reid
</STRONG>
<STRONG> Senator Jeff Bingaman</STRONG></P>
<P>Majority
Leader
Chair, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee</P>
<P>522 Hart Senate Office
Bldg
703 Hart Senate Office Building<BR>Washington, DC
20510
Washington, D.C. 20510<BR>Phone:
202-224-3542
Phone (202) 224-5521 </P>
<P>Web contact for Senator Reid: <A
title=http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
href="http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm"
rel=nofollow>http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm</A>.</P>
<P>Web contact for Senator Bingaman: <A
title=http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/contact/
href="http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/contact/"
rel=nofollow>http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/contact/</A>.</P>
<P><STRONG>Talking Points:</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI>Oppose HR 4089 and S 2066. Both laws gut the Wilderness Act and strip
protection from every single unit of the National Wilderness Preservation
System across the country.
<LI>Massive human manipulations of fish, wildlife, and habitat like those
allowed by HR 4089 and S 2066 should not be allowed in our precious Wilderness
or they will cease to truly be Wilderness.
<LI>HR 4089 and S 2066 would allow agencies to build roads and use motor
vehicles in Wilderness, and construct dams, buildings, and other structures
with any connection to fish and wildlife.
<LI>Environmental review under NEPA must not be waived by HR 4089. </LI></UL>
<P>Wilderness Watch has prepared <STRONG>an excellent analysis of HR
4089</STRONG>, much of which is also applicable to S 2066:</P>
<P><STRONG><A
href="http://www.wildernesswatch.org/pdf/HR%204089%20Analysis--WW.pdf"
rel=nofollow>http://www.wildernesswatch.org/pdf/HR 4089
Analysis--WW.pdf</A>.</STRONG></P>
<P>You can also <STRONG>sign the Wilderness Watch petition</STRONG>:</P>
<P><A
href="http://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-senate-block-passage-of-the-sportmen-s-heritage-act-of-2012-2?share_id=lQyHyXbCvPpe=pce"
rel=nofollow>http://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-senate-block-passage-of-the-sportmen-s-heritage-act-of-2012-2?share_id=lQyHyXbCvPpe=pce</A>>.</P>
<P><STRONG><EM>Please take the time to oppose these bad bills. Never has there
been such an attempt to destroy the Wilderness Act and the very idea of
wildness. Ask Senators Reid and Bingaman to oppose HR 4089 and S 2066 at every
step of the way and to never let them pass the Senate. </EM></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG><EM><BR></EM></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG><EM><BR></EM></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG><BR></STRONG></P>
<P>
</P>
<P><EM><BR></EM></P>
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