BlueRibbon Coalition BRC: Congress To Hold Oversight Hearings On Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's Wild Land Policy

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Date: 02/23/2011
BLUERIBBON COALITION NATIONAL LANDUSE UPDATE!
Congress To Hold Oversight Hearings On Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's Wild Land Policy
Dear BRC members, supporters and action alert subscribers,
Last week we noted in our Recreation News feature (Subscribe here) that the folks at the Utah Shared Access Alliance (USA-ALL) had sent a request to Utah Rep. Rob Bishop that hearings be held on Secretary Ken Salazar's Wild Land policy. (See BRC's Recreation News 02.16.2011: Here)
Yesterday Mike Swenson, USA-ALL's executive director, sent word that the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing on March 1 entitled "The Impact of the Administration's Wild Lands Order on Jobs and Economic Growth."
You can learn the details on Salazar's "Big Wilderness" policy on BRC's website here. There is a lot of information there for folks who would like to offer their input to the Committee, and BRC will have an action alert out soon with easy instructions on how to best make your voice heard.
We've pasted USA-ALL's action alert below. It has more info and a hearing schedule. Stay tuned for more.
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
208-237-1008 ext 107


Dear Ric,
We asked and Congress is delivering! Next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (March 1-3) Congress will hold oversight hearings on the Department of the Interior's audacious Wild Lands policy. USA-ALL will be in D.C. for all of the hearings. We feel it is important to represent our members and support friendly witnesses like Governor Herbert and Uintah County Commissioner Mike McKee. Click here to read the House committee's press release put out today (Feb. 22, 2011).
Congressional Hearing Congressional Oversight Hearings
You may recall that in January USA-ALL traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in a conference of organizations concerned about land use and environmental issues facing our country.
Outside of that conference we used our time to ask members of Congress to stop the implementation of the DOI's Wild Lands policy.
One of the things we asked for was oversight hearings. We had also discussed this and other tactics with congressional staffers the same day the policy was announced on December 23rd. We followed up our D.C. meetings with a letter formally requesting the hearings.
We are so pleased to announce that our request is being granted.
Oversight hearings are an opportunity for members of Congress to ask questions of the department and agency implementing the policy. It also allows our side to go on the record and testify how this will impact our communities indeed our very lives. These hearings alone will not stop the policy from harming us but they will play an important role in possibly deconstructing it in the future.
We would like to invite any and all who can attend these hearings to come and listen in. You will also be able to listen via the web. Below you will find the hearing schedule and websites where more info is contained.
Hearing Schedule & Info
Tuesday March 1, 10:00 AM EST: House Natural Resource Committee; Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "The Impacts of the Administration's Wild Lands Order on Jobs and Economic Growth."
Click Here for Calendar & Info : Click Here to Watch Live
Wednesday March 2, 10:00 AM EST: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Full Committee Hearing to consider the President's Fiscal Year 2012 proposed budget for the Department of the Interior.
Click Here for Calendar & Info : Click Here to Watch Live (select the bottom item in the left menu on the committee's website).
Thursday March 3, 10:00 AM EST: House Natural Resource Committee; Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Department of the Interior Spending and the President's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Proposal."
Click Here for Calendar & Info : Click Here to Watch Live
We are very excited to attend these hearings. We have aided Congressman Bishop's Office by providing potential questions for the witnesses and we will be submitting a statement for the public record. We also have talked with some of the witnesses and will aid them as needed. It is important for USA-ALL to be there and to represent our side of these important issues as well as be the face for all of our members.

We have been very busy lately. There is much to do and we have been making good progress on protecting access to public land in Utah. No matter where you live or play you should know that our work to defeat the Wild Lands policy has a real impact on the entire Country not just Utah. We MUST defeat this reprehensible policy. Recently we have made real in-roads with key decision makers and members of Congress. Those relationships need cultivating and with your help we will continue our work and produce positive results.

We need your continued support if we are to sustain this level of activity and success. We have a small amount of money in our travel budget that is left over from our last trip to D.C. However, it is not enough to cover the costs of our trip to D.C. next week. We have already booked flights but not our hotel. We need more donations to help us take this trip. We know recently some of you have donated generously, we are so grateful to you and we expect nothing more of you. As always we use your donations as carefully as possible. We are asking all who get this to donate what they can. Thousands of people get this email but when we ask for donations like this very few actually respond. If we all chip in just a few bucks $2, $5, $10 or more we will have enough for this trip and others. Click the button below or mail us a donation and help us maintain and increase the valuable momentum we worked so hard for.

Click the button to Make a Donation or Call: 801-850-9315 or mail a check to: USA-ALL PO BOX 50592 PROVO, UTAH 84097. Let us know that your donation is for our travel expenses.


Sincerely,

Michael Swenson
Utah Shared Access Alliance

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. With members in all 50 states, BRC is focused on building enthusiast involvement with organizational efforts through membership, outreach, education, and collaboration among recreationists. 1-800-BlueRib - www.sharetrails.org
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