Omnibus Land Act of 2008

[SinCityFJC]

BRC National Legislative Action Alert
Omnibus legislation would designate millions of acres of Wilderness in eight states, designate at least three wild and scenic rivers, designate four national trails, and allow well connected lobbyists to funnel millions into pet projects.

UPDATE: The Interior Department's Inspector General investigating links between BLM and environmental lobbyists regarding the omnibus lands bill!

ACTION ITEM INCLUDED BELOW - PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Senator Reid is planning to push through a massive omnibus lands bill during the Lame Duck Session of Congress. For those of you who are new to BRC's Action Alert list, the omnibus land bill is "catch all" legislation consisting of more then 150 separate pieces of legislation!

According to an article in Public Lands News (Resources Publishing Co.), the Senate Energy Committee recently added bills to the package that would designate millions of acres of Wilderness in eight states, designate at least three wild and scenic rivers, designate four national trails, and authorize dozens of land exchanges and land conveyances.

And the news just keeps getting worse. Although unconfirmed, Washington D.C. insiders say Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson is trying to attach the Central Idaho Development and Recreation Act (CEIDRA) to the omnibus package.

I suppose that could have been predicted. See, the omnibus package is a not-so-clever way our Congressional representatives can pass bills, like Simpson's CEIDRA, that can not pass on their own merits. CEIDRA would close hundreds of thousands of acres of premium high country snowmobiling and over 80 miles of mountain bike trails. Idaho's recreational community has successfully fought to oppose the bill in its current form.

But the news is not all bad, and there is good reason to believe action taken now could be effective. Some legislators, such as Idaho's Larry Craig and Utah's Rob Bishop are trying to shed some light on some of these bills, just to see exactly why they can't stand on their own merits.

Bishop initiated an investigation of the bill that would formally establish the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) and guess what he found? Information suggesting that Bureau of Land Management employees may have violated the 1939 Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from lobbying Congress.

As a result of Bishop's inquiry, the Interior Department's Inspector General is investigating links between BLM and environmental lobbyists. Environmental lobbyists and BLM officials appeared to have inappropriate discussed the passage of the NLCS legislation and may have worked together on draft policy memoranda.

In addition, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn continues his opposition to the pork-barrel spending included in the omnibus package. The $4 billion omnibus package funds such things as birthday celebrations for cities, tropical botanical gardens, and a study determining whether Alexander Hamilton's boyhood estate is suitable to become a new National Park.

BRC is asking all our members and supporters to contact their Senators by phone and ask them block passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008. Senator Reid plans a vote for NEXT WEEK, so please make your call today.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

PS: A friend of mine asked me if BRC was working the omnibus issue. I said yes, and I told him about an action alert we blasted last July. He said he remembered the alert, so I asked him if he'd called his Senator. He said he hadn't. He said he just "figured" BRC was on the case. I told him that the way BRC gets on the case is when our members call their Senators! PLEASE CALL TODAY!!

BRC National Legislative Action Alert:
Please call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 (S. 3213)

SITUATION:
Senator Reid recently stated that the passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 will be a high priority for the Lame Duck Session of Congress beginning November 17, 2008.

The omnibus package includes bills that could not pass on their own, like the "Owyhee Initiative." It also includes dangerous legislation such as the National Landscape Conservation System Act, which would formally establish a Clinton/Gore administrative fiat established by Bruce Babbitt.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Please call your Senator and ask them to vote NO on the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008.

1. Go to BRC's Rapid Response Center at Rapid Response Center - BlueRibbon Coalition, type in your zip code and click GO.

2. Under the column "President & Congress," click on the name of the "Senator or Representative" you wish to call.

3. Click on the "Contact" tab, this will show all the contact information for that person, including phone numbers for their state and federal offices.

4. Call one of their offices.

Comments you can make:
Please vote NO on the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2008 (S. 3213).

I strongly oppose combining many of these so-called "land bills" into one "Omnibus" package. Doing so eliminates careful review and allows special interest groups with large powerful lobbies in Washington DC to outweigh the voice of individual citizens, such as myself, who regularly visit and enjoy our public lands.

I am also very concerned about how specific bills contained within the Omnibus package will eventually eliminate public access to public lands. Specifically, the National Landscape Conservation System (S. 1139 & H.R. 2016), the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument (S. 275) and the Owyhee Public Land Management Act of 2008 (S. 2833)


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[SinCityFJC]

Its Back

Take Action: Urge Your Senator to Vote No on Restrictive Land Use Bill! Again!

Urge Your Senator to Vote No on Restrictive Land Use Bill! Again!
Once again ARRA needs your help to defeat the National Landscape Conservation System Act!
As you may recall, ARRA asked for your help before the holidays to keep the Senate from considering omnibus land use legislation and you responded. Now, we need your help once more as Senate Leaders are preparing the legislation for consideration yet again. ARRA thanks Senator Coburn (R-OK) for standing up and opposing passage of this measure last session and we urge you to join him in opposition this year.
Please click the Send This Message button to send a letter to your Senators urging them to vote against omnibus legislation, S. 22, that includes 150 public lands measures including the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) Act. The bill would create more than a million acres of wilderness while authorizing dozens of studies for potential parks, protected rivers and historical landmarks in addition to statutorily establishing the NLCS.
It is more important than ever for you to urge your Senator to vote against NLCS legislation in light of the recent launch of a Department of Interior (DOI) investigation of the existing NLCS division of the Bureau of Land Management. DOI initiated the investigation after reviewing emails and other documents that show extensive coordination between top NLCS officials and lobbyists for environmental groups as federal law generally prohibits federal employees from using appropriated funds or their official positions to lobby Congress.
Now is not the time to statutorily establish the NLCS or to restrict additional lands to responsible recreation. Please click the Send This Message button to urge your Senators to vote no on this omnibus lands bill.

 

[SinCityFJC]

ALERT - Harry Reid to Force Vote On Omnibus Land Grab This Weekend 9 Jan 09

Harry Reid to Force Vote On Omnibus Land Grab This Weekend

The Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill Number is now S. 22

Urgent Action Required

You must call your Senators immediately. They must be deluged with calls now at (202) 224-3121.

If you live in California Senator Feinstein could be swayed in our favor. She needs to hear from You.

You should also call your Congressman. The bill will have to go back through the House if it passes the Senate.

All Senators may be called at (202) 224-3121. All Congressmen may be called at (202) 225-3121. They must know in no uncertain terms that rural America opposes this massive Wilderness and land grab bill.

You must let your Senators and Congressman know you will hold them responsible for their vote on S. 22. This is the largest land grab in 20 years. They must know they will be held accountable.

Now is not the time to be locking up our resources when we need them to help rebuild our economy.

Please forward this message to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

For more information on this bill see:
http://www.landrights.org/New Omnibus_HR5151_E-mail.pdf


Harry Reid to Force Vote On Omnibus Land Grab This Weekend

The Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill Number is now S. 22

Urgent Action Required

You must call your Senators immediately. They must be deluged with calls now at (202) 224-3121.

If you live in California Senator Feinstein could be swayed in our favor. She needs to hear from You.

You should also call your Congressman. The bill will have to go back through the House if it passes the Senate.

All Senators may be called at (202) 224-3121. All Congressmen may be called at (202) 225-3121. They must know in no uncertain terms that rural America opposes this massive Wilderness and land grab bill.

You must let your Senators and Congressman know you will hold them responsible for their vote on S. 22. This is the largest land grab in 20 years. They must know they will be held accountable.

Now is not the time to be locking up our resources when we need them to help rebuild our economy.

Please forward this message to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

For more information on this bill see:
http://www.landrights.org/New Omnibus_HR5151_E-mail.pdf

 

[SinCityFJC]

It Passed Senate Today

Senate boosts wilderness protection across US
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writer Matthew Daly, Associated Press Writer Sun Jan 11, 3:55 pm ET

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.

"Today is a great day for America's public lands," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. "This big, bipartisan package of bills represents years of work by senators from many states, and both parties, in cooperation with local communities, to enhance places that make America so special."

The measure — actually a collection of about 160 bills — would confer the government's highest level of protection on land ranging from California's Sierra Nevada mountain range to Oregon's Mount Hood, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and parts of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia. Land in Idaho's Owyhee canyons, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and Zion National Park in Utah also would be designated as wilderness.

Besides new wilderness designations, the bill would designate the childhood home of former President Bill Clinton in Hope, Ark., as a national historic site and expand protections for dozens of national parks, rivers and water resources.

Reid said about half the bills in the lands package were sponsored by Republicans. Most had been considered for more than a year.

"I am happy that after months of delay we will finally be moving forward," Reid said.

The bill's chief opponent, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., denounced what he called Democratic bullying tactics.

"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.

"When the American people asked Congress to set a new tone, I don't believe refusing to listen to the concerns of others was what they had in mind," Coburn said. "The American people expect us hold open, civil and thorough debates on costly legislation, not ram through 1,300-page bills when few are watching."

Coburn and several other Republicans complained that bill was loaded with pet projects and prevented development of oil and gas on federal lands, which they said would deepen the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Environmental groups said the bill set the right tone for the new Congress.

"By voting to protect mountains and pristine wildlands, Congress is starting out on the right foot," said Christy Goldfuss of Environment America, an advocacy group. "This Congress is serious about protecting the environment and the outstanding lands that Americans treasure."

___

On the Net:

Information on the bill, S. 22, can be found at THOMAS (Library of Congress)

 

[SinCityFJC]

S.22 Omnibus bill passes 2nd vote in Senate

S. 22 (Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 )

Vote Summary
Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.22 as Amended. )

Vote Number: 3 Vote Date: January 15, 2009, 12:21 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 22 (Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 )

Measure Title: A bill to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts:

YEAs 73

NAYs 21

Not Voting 4


http://www.senate.gov/legislative/L...ote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00003

 

[SinCityFJC]

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Hawthorne

BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
DATE: February 4, 2009

BLUERIBBON COALITION EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT HOUSE VOTE ON OMNIBUS LAND BILL

POCATELLO, ID (February 4) - The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based recreation group, today voiced concern that the U.S. House of Representatives will "grease through" over 160 public lands bills, thereby avoiding the public review these bills deserve. In addition, BRC cautioned that recreational access tenets in some of the bills may have been intentionally removed in closed-door proceedings.

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 was fast-tracked through the U.S. Senate and could see a vote in the House as early as next week. The bill (S 22) is over 1,200 pages long with over 160 different bills, designates 2.2 million acres of Wilderness, identifies three new national parks, 1 national heritage areas, and designates over 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers.

BRC expressed concern that access protection provisions were apparently stripped from several of the bills involved. For example, new sections were added in the Washington County (Utah) Growth and Conservation Act regarding closure of roads and trails and limiting how Bureau of Land Management funds generated by the Act can be used.

"It is important that local collaborative efforts be sustained as legislation moves in Congress. Pushing these bills into law via the omnibus package allows powerful special interest groups in Washington D.C. to eliminate hard-won local consensus and ram through provisions that are contrary to the desires of those, on all sides of the issues, who actually visit these remarkable lands." said Brian Hawthorne, BRC's Public Lands Policy Director.

"This bill collectively reduces recreational opportunity, feeds millions of earmarked dollars into pe projects, will cost billions to implement, and provides very little of the protection it is touted to deliver," added Greg Mumm, the Coalition's Executive Director. "If this behemoth bill is any indication of the aggressive agenda in store for this congress, the American recreating public faces difficult challenges ahead," Mumm concluded.

Mumm said BRC will be encouraging its 600,000 members and supporters to contact their political representatives and encourage them to work to restore the locally-generated compromise provisions in these bills and oppose changes demanded by the large preservationist lobby in Washington D.C.

# # #

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship.. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742 BlueRibbon Coalition: Preserving your recreational access to public lands.

 

[SinCityFJC]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

Your Government at Work
Ominous forfeiture provisions in new bill restrict use of federal land

WorldNetDaily

This souvenir could land you in hot water under the provisions of pending legislation. (DanielCD)

WASHINGTON – A land management bill that swept through the U.S. Senate last month and is headed for a House vote this week punishes rock collectors and paleontologists with arrest and expropriation of their cars and other equipment for even unknowingly disturbing fossils on public land, say critics.

In the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, a "forfeiture" provision would let the government confiscate "all vehicles and equipment of any person" who digs up or removes a rock or a bone from federal land that meets the bill's broad definition of "paleontological resource," says a report by Jon Berlau of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

"The seizures could take place even before a person and even if the person didn't know they were taking or digging up a 'paleontological resource," writes Berlau. "And the bill specifically allows the 'transfer of seized resources' to 'federal or non-federal' institutions, giving the government and some private actors great incentive to egg on the takings."

Tracie Bennitt, president of the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, is protesting the bill's vague language and severe penalties.

"We can visualize now a group of students unknowingly crossing over an invisible line and ending up handcuffed and prosecuted," she wrote to members of Congress.

Subtitle D of the bill called the "Paleontological Resources Preservation Act" would make it illegal to "excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface or attempt to excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface any paleontological resources located on Federal land" without special permission from the government.

"Paleontological resource" is defined in the bill as "any fossilized remains, traces, or imprints of organisms, preserved in or on the earth's crust, that are of paleontological interest and that provide information about the history of life on earth." Penalties for violations include up to five years in jail.

Berlau believes picking up rocks could be interpreted as a violation of the law since most would fit the broad definition under the law.

The forfeiture provision is effective before a trial and conviction, making the defendant guilty until proven innocent, Berlau suggests.

Berlau believes the House will take up a vote on the bill this week. He is urging Americans to contact representatives before the bill, known both as S. 22 and the "Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009" is approved, as expected, and heads to the White House for President Obama's signature.

The Guzzler: Collect a rock, lose your car

 

[SinCityFJC]

BLUERIBBON COALITION LAND USE UPDATE
Giant Omnibus Bill Goes Down by 1 Vote!!

Greg Mumm, BRC's Executive Director, just called me from Washington D.C. He told me that the infamous Omnibus Public Lands bill, commonly known as "S. 22," failed by 1 vote in the House.

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 had been fast-tracked through the U.S. Senate and had been expected to pass the House earlier today. Tell me one vote doesn't count! The bill is over 1,200 pages long with over 160 different bills, designates 2.2 million acres of Wilderness, identifies three new national parks, 10 national heritage areas, and designates over 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers.

We'll have details later. Thanks to all who made calls and emailed on this bill.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 10


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[SinCityFJC]

Victory In The House!

Victory In The House!
-- But the land bill battle will continue

Wednesday, March 11, 2009


Thanks to you, a bill expanding gun control on federal land was narrowly defeated Wednesday morning, March 11.

The Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, S. 22, would have drastically increased the amount of land controlled by the National Park Service, thus subjecting such land to the anti-gun regulations of the agency.

The bill was brought to the floor of the U.S. House on what is known as the "suspension calendar." This calendar is normally reserved for non-controversial bills. As such, any bill being passed under the suspension calendar requires a two-thirds majority of those voting.

In this case, the pro-gun position prevailed by a mere two votes -- meaning S. 22 is far from being non-controversial.

Although suspension bills are not normally amended, one change was allowed in a secret backroom deal between a few members.

The amendment, offered by Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), was intended to alleviate the concerns of gun owners.

The Altmire amendment sought to protect hunting and recreational shooting on federal land, but those steps are completely inadequate to address the concerns of millions of gun owners.

The Second Amendment protects, as the Supreme Court affirmed in D.C. v. Heller, an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right was never intended to protect only the shooting sports.

Under current regulations, firearms possessed for the sole purpose of self-defense on land controlled by the National Park Service is prohibited unless the person holds a concealed carry permit.

While millions of law-biding Americans hold CCW permits, many more do not. It is these citizens' rights that are going unprotected.

NPS land covers the gamut from busy thoroughfares to remote wilderness areas. These gun free zones are dangerous, in addition to creating a patchwork of inconsistent regulations between federal and state land.

Although we won today, unfortunately the battle is not over.

The anti-gun leadership will attempt to bring this bill back to the floor in a way that requires a simple majority, rather than the two-thirds vote they needed Wednesday.

Several pro-gun congressmen will try to offer an amendment in committee to simply allow state and local law to govern firearms possession on NPS land. This type of amendment would put more control at the local level and protect the gun rights of all law-abiding Americans.

What is expected is that the leadership will propose a new "rule" that blocks any such pro-gun amendments.

If that happens, the vote on the rule becomes the gun vote.

House leaders have not indicated when they will attempt to bring the bill back to the floor, but it could come up at any time.

Therefore, your Representative needs to hear from you once again, for two reasons. First, the entire House needs to be urged to reject any parliamentary trick that excludes language to protect Second Amendment rights on federal land. Next, those who voted against your rights need to know of your dissatisfaction, while those who stood up for your rights should be thanked.

ACTION: Please use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Rep. a pre-written letter. Note: the LAC will automatically load the correct text for individual Representatives, based upon their vote Wednesday. Because the list has to be divided in this way, the pre-written letters are not editable by the sender.


----- Pre-written letter for those who voted pro-gun -----

Dear Representative:

Thank you for standing up for the Second Amendment by voting against S. 22, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009.

This bill would greatly expand land controlled by the National Park Service, and thus spread the agency's gun restrictions to even more areas. The NPS gun ban should be repealed, not expanded.

Although the pro-gun side won today, the battle is not over. The anti-gun leadership will try to bring the bill to the floor again, this time with a rule intended to exclude a pro-gun amendment to repeal the NPS anti-gun regulations.

If that is the case, I urge you to once again stand up for the Second Amendment and vote against the rule.

Sincerely,


----- Pre-written letter for those who voted anti-gun -----

Dear Representative,

I am extremely disappointed that you did not stand up for the Second Amendment on the issue of S. 22, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009.

This bill would greatly expand land controlled by the National Park Service, and thus spread the agency's gun restrictions to even more areas. The NPS gun ban should be repealed, not expanded.

Although the pro-gun side won today, the battle is not over. The anti-gun leadership will try to bring the bill to the floor again, this time with a rule intended to exclude a pro-gun amendment to repeal the NPS anti-gun regulations.

If that is the case, I urge you to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans and vote against the rule.

 

[SinCityFJC]

Omnibus Public Lands Bill is still alive and to be voted on Monday March 16!

Thursday 12 March was a sad day for Americans who enjoy traveling the great outdoors and for international observers of the US law making process.

One of the biggest land use Bills, the once named Omnibus Bill, now tacked onto H.R. 146, has been engineered in Congress to allow minimal discussion despite its complexity and huge implications to 4x4 recreation, energy resources etc..

It is vital that you call or email your Senators and representatives immediately, to demand that they vote NO to the passage of H.R. 146 in its present form. The House votes on Monday afternoon.

To find your Officials, the AMA have a useful system on Issues & legislation of interest to motorcyclists

The irony is that H.R. 146 is the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act Bill, to recognise those sites in US history where citizens died for their beliefs.

RPC Hotline
OpenCongress - U.S. Congress - H.R.146 Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...6&position=all

Peter Vahry
UFWDA international vice-president

 

[SinCityFJC]

BRC Urgent Action Alert
Immediate Action Requested

Omnibus Package Revived In Senate - Vote Scheduled Today

In our last update on the massive omnibus public lands bill, we cautioned our members that the package is far from dead. We wrote: "Worse, possible scenarios are being considered that will prohibit full review as well as opportunity to offer amendments."

True to form, Congress is pushing ahead with yet another vehicle for the omnibus package. This time it's H.R. 146 - "The Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program." This otherwise worthy bill will be amended to include the contents of the omnibus package. The Senate is expected to take the bill up at 2 p.m. eastern with the first cloture vote due as early as 5:30 p.m.

At this point it looks as if the Senate leadership will either strike a deal to limit amendments in order for the bill to move quickly, or they will just push it through without allowing any opportunity for amendments. Either way, the bill is likely to see its first cloture vote TODAY!

If the Senate passes the measure it is expected that House leadership will attempt to jam it through via one or more "closed rule" options. D.C. insiders expect House leadership to call the legislation up as a "preferential bill," which would prohibit committee review and limit amendments.

BRC is asking all of our members and supporters to call their Senators NOW. Finding their phone number is easy. Click here - Rapid Response Center - BlueRibbon Coalition and enter your Zip code. Simply tell your Senator that you oppose the Omnibus Public Lands Act and you want them to vote NO on H.R. 146.

Be brief. Be polite. Do it NOW.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance call or email.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

 

[SinCityFJC]

From Pirate 4x4 - S.22 Omnibus Lands now H.R. 146 - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board

Cloture passes. So H.R. 146 now will be the text of S.22 plus whatever the power structure did to it.
I doubt we will see the actual text of the bill until after the Senate vote tomorrow (little doubt it passes since it will be a simple majority vote). The NRA will apparently be appeased by the inclusion of language that Bingaman read on C-Span today.

#######

H.R. 146 then goes back to House. It is going to take a huge effort to try to stop it in the House without the NRA.

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R. 146 )

Vote Number: 99 Vote Date: March 16, 2009, 05:31 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Agreed to

Measure Number: H.R. 146 (Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act )

Measure Title: A bill to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts: YEAs 73
NAYs 21
Not Voting 5

Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State


Alphabetical by Senator Name
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Burris (D-IL), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Not Voting
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagan (D-NC), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johanns (R-NE), Not Voting
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kaufman (D-DE), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Not Voting
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Risch (R-ID), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Udall (D-CO), Yea
Udall (D-NM), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Not Voting
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (D-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Information from THOMAS (Library of Congress) on H.R. 146:

H.R.146
Title: A bill to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (10)
Latest Major Action: 3/12/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the bill presented in Senate.

Note: On 3/16/2009, the Senate will consider the motion to proceed to H.R.146 as the vehicle for the Omnibus Lands bill. (Source: Senate.gov)

 

[SinCityFJC]

A must watch video by Senator Coburn - Insists on Debate for Anti-Stimulus Lands Bill

YouTube - Coburn Insists on Debate for Anti-Stimulus Lands Bill

And looking long term at were I believe the anti access true goal is this from UN article 21.

YouTube - Wildlands Project

 

[SinCityFJC]

Senate set to send Omnibus to House
Calls to Congressional Offices Increasing
BRC urges: Keep Pressure On - But Shift Calls to House of Representatives

Latest news on omnibus lands bill:

Although the official vote in the Senate has not yet taken place, we must be honest and say that the bill is likely to pass either tomorrow or Thursday.

This sends the bill back to the House, and the leadership there is expected to suspend normal rules in order to jam it through without debate or chance of amendments. As we noted in the previous action alert, D.C. insiders expect House leadership to call the legislation up as a "preferential bill," which would prohibit committee review and limit amendments.

For more information on the Omnibus Land Bill, see our previous alerts here.
(Senate Set to Send Omnibus to House - BRC Action Alert)

Important info:
I need to mention that the number of calls on this omnibus bill have increased over the last few weeks. This is really rare for long running marathon bills like this one.

Your calls are making a difference and many of the legislators you are calling are starting to question why, in a time of financial crisis, is it so important to jam through a $10 - $12 billion land bill.

Another question that should be asked is, "Why is there no opportunity for an amendment?"

I'll take this opportunity to mention a few Congressmen asking the tough questions, including Utah's Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, California's Devin Nunes, Florida's Alcee Hastings, Montana's Denny Rehberg and Oklahoma's Mary Fallin, just to name a few.

Honorable mention goes to Wyoming's Cynthia Lummis, who penned a very well reasoned letter as to why she could not vote for the omnibus bill. I encourage all BRC Action Alert Subscribers to take a minute to read what she said. Lummis Votes No On Big Spending Lands Package | Congresswoman Cynthia M. Lummis, Representing Wyoming

What you need to do:
BRC is asking all of our members and supporters to call their Senators AND their Representatives NOW. Finding their phone number is easy. Just enter your zip code on BRC's Rapid Response Center webpage at Rapid Response Center - BlueRibbon Coalition.

For Maximum Effectiveness:
Call both Senators and your Congressperson. Three quick phone calls. Simply tell them that you oppose the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009. Tell them you oppose putting public lands bills into these "all or nothing" omnibus packages.

Be brief. Be polite. Do it NOW.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, call or email.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

 

[SinCityFJC]

S.22/HR 146 passes the senate & headed back to the house

We thought you would want to know the Omnibus Act S.22 has Risen From The Grave as we predicted it would. Thankfully the AMA and Blue Ribbon Coalition have discovered this in time for you to take action to kill the reincarnation of this extremely bad bill, now in the form of HR 146. It was just voted in the Senate and Passed 77-20, however it will now be rushed to the House for a vote by Congress without debate. With your help It can be defeated in Congress. So it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN NOW.

With such a short time frame for action, the best way to tell your Congressman to vote "No" on H.R. 146 is to call. Click here - Issues & legislation of interest to motorcyclists to get the phone number for your Congressman. Enter your zip code in the "Find Your Officials" box and click on the name of your Representative (Congressman).

If you have called please Call Again, If you have not yet please Call your Congressman NOW!!

It only takes a few minutes but makes all the difference

If you would prefer to contact your Legislators with e-mail, you may contact your Legislators by clicking here. The AMA has a created a pre-written a letter for your use.

What is HR146? Until recently it was a one page bill regarding the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program to which legislators have now attached their failed 1300 page S.22 Omnibus Act, containing over 160 sepearate other bills. These newly attached bills have nothing to do with the Revolutionary War, but prove this to be legislation in it's lowest form.

Because of your calls many legislators are now questioning supporting this bill which will cost $10 billion and increases our dependency on foreign energy in a time of economic crisis, while locking up millions of acres from the public.

Immediate action is critical to help keep 2.1 million acres of public land open to all forms of recreation. Please call your Representative and tell everyone you can to do the same.
Your calls can help convince every Congressman to vote "No" on H.R. 146!

Please make the CALL NOW click here - Issues & legislation of interest to motorcyclists to find the number or learn more

You can call anytime of the day or night and leave a message. If their voicemail is full please call back during office hours.

Thanks to AMA and Blue Ribbon for keeping track of this slippery Bill

Please forward this alert to anyone who cares about our economy, environment and preserving public access.

Chris Horgan-GreenRider & Your Friends at Save The Trails Save The Trails

 

[SinCityFJC]

BRC OMNIBUS UPDATE:
OMNIBUS PUBLIC LANDS PACKAGE MOVES TO HOUSE
DETAILED UPDATE INCLUDED


After months of bouncing back and forth between the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 is tied up in the House and ready to be booted on to President Obama's desk for his signature. A detailed update is below.

Yes. Please continue to call your congressperson. Click here Rapid Response Center - BlueRibbon Coalition and enter your zip code. (Rapid Response Center - BlueRibbon Coalition)

As always, if you have any questions, please call or email.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

Omnibus Update:
Some of the best reporting on public lands issues comes from James Coffin of Resources Publishing in Arlington, Virginia. This morning, Coffin published an excellent omnibus update in Public Lands News. He graciously gave me permission to re-print it in total. Learn more about Coffin and his publications at: Resources Publishing Co..



SENATE APPROVES OMNIBUS AGAIN, SETTING UP HOUSE TEST
-by James Coffin, Public Lands News

The Senate was near approval at press time of an omnibus lands bill (S 22) that is, in turn, expected to induce the House to approve the measure.

The Senate attached S 22 to a bill (S 146) to protect Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields. The House had rejected a previous version of S 22 March 11 in a 282-to-144 vote, or a couple of votes short of the margin needed to pass under the procedure the House was using to consider the bill.

The Senate made one important change to S 22 designed to garner more House support: It made clear the bill would not hinder hunting, fishing or other recreational activities on public lands.

Said Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), "I understand that some members in the House of Representatives expressed concern that the portion of the bill pertaining to Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Trails and National Heritage Areas might somehow be construed to limit access for authorized hunting, fishing, and trapping activities."

So the Senate adopted this language, "Nothing in this title shall be construed as affecting access for recreational activities otherwise allowed by law or regulation, including hunting, fishing, or trapping."

Under a Senate floor arrangement Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) allowed chief bill critic Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to offer six amendments. None are expected to pass. Coburn sought to:
* Prohibit the use of eminent domain to acquire land.
* Require an annual report detailing total size and cost of federal property.
* Remove provisions restricting renewable energy development on public lands.
* Bar new construction in general.
* Eliminate criminal penalties "for taking stones that may contain insignificant fossils."
* Strike out "frivolous waste" in the bill (five bills.)

Once the Senate finishes S 22, as attached to S 146, it will go back to the House where it is expected to be addressed either under expedited procedures or under regular procedures where only a simple majority would be needed.

Either way, bill opponent John J. Duncan (R-Tenn.) said he expects S 22 to pass eventually. "All this (March 11 vote) really means is that it will now be taken up under regular order, where it should have been in the first place and which requires only a majority vote," he said. "Thus there is no question this bill will pass the next time it's taken up."

Some supporters are optimistic. "The bill is likely to come up again in the House and we expect it to be enacted into law this year," said The Wilderness Society.

Bingaman, the lead sponsor of S 22, laid out this strategy on the Senate floor: "In an effort to facilitate consideration of this package of bills in the other body, it is my hope that we will be able to attach the omnibus lands package to another bill that has already passed the House of Representatives and send it back where, hopefully, it can be quickly approved."

But some Republican critics, even though they lost a key filibuster vote by a margin of 73-to-21, hammered at the bill for withdrawing key energy resources from development. Coburn focused on a statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that S 22 was a "noncontroversial" bill.

Said Coburn, "We are going to have on the floor what the majority leader calls a 'noncontroversial' bill; a noncontroversial bill, in that we are going to take 3 million acres and deem it untouchable for further energy for this country; noncontroversial in that we are going to spend - in mandatory spending yearly from now on out - $900 million a year on things you will never see the benefit of; noncontroversial in terms of taking specific areas with known, proven oil and gas reserves - to the tune of 300 million barrels of oil and 13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Yet it is noncontroversial."

But Coburn's fellow Republican, ranking minority Senate Energy Committee member Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), took issue with him on the impact of the bill on energy development. First, she said, "In fact, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service have certified in testimony, in response to questions, that none of the wilderness proposed in this legislation will negatively impact on the availability of oil, gas, or national energy corridors."

Then she addressed a key provision of the bill that would authorize non-federal interests to buy out oil and gas leases on 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. She said the provision "is fully supported by their State delegation and their Governor."

Despite the new Senate strategy, some senators and House members who had sponsored some of the 161 individual bills in the omnibus measure were looking to move their bills by themselves. For instance, Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and James E. Risch (R-Idaho) intend to move an Owyhee lands bill that would designate 517,000 acres of BLM-managed wilderness.

"Despite falling just two votes short in the House, we will continue to press ahead with efforts to pass the Owyhee Initiative legislation," Crapo said. "The process of collaboration is succeeding in solving long-standing issues in Idaho and that process is too important to be cut short by one vote in the U.S. Congress."

The House took up S 22 the first time March 11 under a Suspension of the Rules procedure that required a three-fifths majority to pass. The Senate had first passed the bill January 15. Senate leaders told the House it had to pass S 22 without modification, further limiting flexibility in the House.

House critics of S 22, particularly western Republicans, objected most vociferously to a provision that would certify a 27 million-acre National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) managed by BLM.

But Rep. Rep. Ra£l M Grijalva (Ariz.), chairman of the House subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, defended the provision. "I am particularly proud of the inclusion of my legislation, the National Landscape Conservation System within the Bureau of Land Management," he said.

In approving S 22 the first time the Senate clarified that all conservation areas within the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) would be considered part of the NLCS. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) had said last year she would offer an amendment to ensure the entire 10 million-acre CDCA was in the system.

The bill language says that the NLCS includes "Any area designated by Congress to be administered for conservation purposes, including. . . public land within the California Desert Conservation Area administered by BLM for conservation purposes."

According to BLM the NLCS contains 27 million acres, including 4.8 million acres of national monuments, 14 million areas of conservation areas, 1.4 million acres of "similar designations," 7.7 million acres of wilderness areas, 13.8 million acres of wilderness study areas, and one million acres of wild and scenic rivers.

The omnibus bill is opposed by a wide range of interests, beginning with western House Republicans and including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, private property rights advocates, powered recreation advocates, and conservative think tanks.

The Senate Energy Committee developed the omnibus lands package based on committee-passed bills. Not all committee-passed bills made the cut because both Democratic and Republican committee leaders enjoyed a veto. The idea was to produce a bill that provides something for everyone on both sides of the aisle. Bingaman said Republicans and Democrats sponsored almost equal numbers of bills in the package.

In addition to the NLCS measure, S 22 contains these initiatives:

* WYOMING RANGE: the bill from Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) would authorize non-federal interests to buy out oil and gas leases on 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

* OWYHEE LANDS (IDAHO): the bill from Sen. Crapo would designate 517,000 acres of BLM-managed wilderness. An alliance of retired BLM employees, the Public Lands Foundation, objects to the bill and says that before designating wilderness sponsors should work with BLM to identify precise boundaries.

* WILDERNESS (NINE OTHER BILLS): several individual wilderness bills would protect up to 2 million acres, including: Wild Monongahela Wilderness (West Va.), Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness (Va.), Mt. Hood Wilderness (Ore.), Copper Salmon Wilderness (Ore.), Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (Ore.), Owyhee (Idaho), Sabinoso Wilderness (N.M.), Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Wilderness (Mich.), Oregon Badlands Wilderness (Ore.), Spring Basin Wilderness (Ore.), Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wilderness (Calif.), Riverside County Wilderness (Calif.), Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness (Calif.), and Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness (Colo.)

* OTHER MEASURES: individual bills that would designate three new National Park System units, authorize additions to nine existing National Park System units; authorize by our count a dozen land exchanges and conveyances; designate four national trails; authorize studies of additions to four National Historic Trails (all in the West: Oregon National Historic Trail, Pony Express National Historic Trail, California National Historic Trail, and The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail); add three wild and scenic rivers including the Snake River Headwaters in Wyoming; and designate a Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area of about 3.5 miles of cave passages in Lincoln County, N.M.

 

[SinCityFJC]

S.22/HR.146 passed the house today & is on its way to President Obama

Here is how the vote turned out in the house. 285 yea, 140 nay, 6 abstained

OpenCongress - House Roll Call #153 Details