Devvy Kidd -- One Land Grab Stopped

ONE LAND GRAB STOPPED - ANOTHER IN PROGRESS

By: Devvy
May 3, 2007

� 2007 - NewsWithViews.com

"The extent of our country was so great, and its former division into distinct States so established, that we thought it better to confederate as to foreign affairs only. Every State retained its self-government in domestic matters, as better qualified to direct them to the good and satisfaction of their citizens, than a general government so distant from its remoter citizens and so little familiar with the local peculiarities of the different parts." --Thomas Jefferson to A. Coray, 1823. ME 15:483

Two things: There is another victory for the people regarding the effort by the feds to grab more of Colorado's precious private land. I went on location to report on this fight; see my column here. Hard working Americans who love their land, their way of life who fully understand this constant attack on property rights banded together and asked for our help. They also went straight to the Colorado State Legislature to stop this latest and unnecessary effort to steal more land from the people. This is a huge victory. What a great job and an inspiration to everyone!

Not One More Acre! Announces

WHAT: Governor Ritter to sign HB 1069 withdrawing state consent from military condemnation of land in SE Colorado WHEN: Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 1:15 pm WHERE: The East side of the State Capitol

Festivities begin at noon - Bring a brown bag lunch, your cowboy hat, baseball cap and dancing shoes. Kick up your heels to music from Rep. Wes McKinley's Band, Billy Whitfield and Company.

Governor Bill Ritter will be signing House Bill 1069, which withdraws the state's consent from the expansion of the Army's Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado using the federal power of condemnation. The House voted 56-9 and the Senate 30-3 in favor of the bill, which was necessary because the Pentagon, which already owns 238,000 acres between Trinidad and La Junta, wants to acquire another 419,000 acres. The bill seeks to protect generational family ranchers, archaeological and palaeontological treasures, thousands of important species of animals and plants and the last intact short grass prairie in the Great Plains.

Ranchers, community leaders and residents of southeastern Colorado will attend the signing. The president and board members of the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition and Not 1 More Acre! will be available for interview from 12.45 pm, as will the bill's original sponsors, Rep. Wes McKinley (D-Walsh) and Sen. Ken Kester (R-Las Animas). Bring your friends to celebrate. Your support has made this day possible! (End of announcement)

"The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the States are independent as to everything within themselves, and united as to everything respecting foreign nations." --Thomas Jefferson to Gideon Granger, 1800. ME 10:168

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Next: On April 22, 2007, I received a new alert from a real tiger up in Montana, State Senator Aubyn Curtiss. Montana has some great Americans serving in their legislature.

LEGISLATIVE ALERT

Senator Aubyn Curtiss April 22, 2007

IT'S HAPPENED! UNPRECEDENTED LAND GRAB

The dreaded bill designating 23 million acres of new wilderness in five western states was introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 1975, having been introduced multiple times before under the title of Rocky Mountain Ecosystem Protection Act, has now evolved into what supporters claim will be an economic development boon for the northern Rockies and alleged to be a "Rockies Prosperity Act." Don't be misled! Prosperity it is not!

When apprehensive citizens drafted Montana's HJR 31, a resolution opposing this new wilderness proposal it was with full knowledge of the fiscal and social impact such an action would have on western communities. Their heritage, customs, and very culture is at stake. This title may, to some, sound innocuous enough, even perhaps an opportunity for economic benefit. But reality strikes when one looks at the potential fiscal impact of the Rocky Mountain Front's 250,000 acre set-aside, and can visualize the significant economic damage should the approximate 8 million additional state acres be treated as wilderness. (see the Tribune's April 21st guest opinion). Millions upon millions of dollars.

Mostly about roadless & Access

Not just millions of acres of new wilderness, but the bill also calls for a 285,078 acre Flathead National Preserve Study Area which would also be treated as wilderness, connecting corridors between wildernesses, and restoration of 6300 miles of unused, poorly maintained roads in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. Knowledge that approximately 50 per cent of existing roads on our national forests have already been closed, and millions already spent in "decommissioning" them is really frightening. At stake here is the ability of our forest stewards to fight fires and maintain healthy forests. A recent study indicated that Flathead County is one of ten counties which have already been economically damaged due to catastrophic wildfires. Several years of drought and no end in sight exacerbates the potential for even more devastating fires. Millions of acres of insect infested dead and dying trees set the stage for a smoke-filled future. Cost to the state of Montana, alone, last year was in the neighborhood of thirty million dollars.

At stake here, also is access for thousands of forest users. Legislation introduced in the 2005 Session set up a process whereby the Governor, in cooperation with County officials could respond to the Bush Administration's invitation to comment on the road less issue. He chose to ignore those efforts, and the majority party killed the legislation. He later issued an invitation of his own, soliciting from counties their needs for additional roads. About 12 counties responded, but only a couple properly addressed the road less issue. Flathead County conducted a ballot issue. A previous vote in Lincoln County indicated that over 80 % supported access as opposed to road closures. Last summer citizens rallied and brought petitions with thousands of signatures to the capitol to present to the Governor. That, effort, too, was largely ignored. This Governor is still uncommitted on an issue we cannot allow to be decided on the national level. It is too important to too many Montanans who treasure our uses.

The National Forests have been conducting endless meetings to gather public input on legally mandated up dates of their forest plans. Should this monstrous bill be successful-a possibility with the new Democratic majority in Congress-- these efforts and the hours of public involvement will be over ruled by Congressional fiat. This is our Montana! If your livelihood depends upon resource utilization, if you are a camper, a fisherman, a berry picker, an outdoor enthusiast and can no longer hike miles to access the things you love to do, view the scenery so dear to you, or even drive for pleasure, it is time to make your opinion heard. Call upon your elected officials. Most importantly, insist that Governor Schweitzer take a stand for wise, responsible multiple use management of our forests.

Montana acres proposed for wilderness and connecting corridors were compiled from best information available:

Beaverhead National Forest 1,446,912, Bitterroot National Forest 435,841, Custer National Forest 223,916, Deerlodge National Forest 718,660, Flathead National Forest 296,219, Kootenai National Forest 963,109, Helena National Forest, 621,424, Lewis & Clark National Forest 1,118,454, Lolo National Forest 1,118,328 (End of legislative alert)

Now, this is the exact same thing which happened under Bill Clinton's dictatorship which snapped up 1.7 million acres in Utah. The foolish members of the Utah State Legislature and the governor at the time did not take the necessary steps to stop that stomping on states' rights, all in the name of bugs and the all encompassing "environment." One thing to please remember: jurisdiction, jurisdiction, jurisdiction. This "road less" issue discussed by Senator Curtiss above is an old story:

Forestry

"The Clinton Administration announced on April 14 a proposal to triple the number of prescribed burns in California's National Forests, igniting a firestorm over just who gets to "dirty California's air and by how much." BLM wants to torch 45,000 acres this year, and the Forest Service wants to ramp up to 250,000 acres per year. Local air pollution officials are worried. Farmers may be forced to further restrict the number of acres of rice straw they burn each year. But the state Air Resources Board is planning new rules to accommodate the feds.

"Meanwhile, the Forest Service announced its "roads moratorium." Although the Tongass National Forest in Alaska was supposed to be exempted thanks to its wonderful new Forest Plan, the administration took another tack and revised the Plan to address appeals. The net result (1,500 jobs later) was another 30 percent cut in allowable harvest.

"And, on May 5, in reaction to the agency's mad dash to implement "closed unless open" roads policy, the House Resources Committee approved the Forest Roads Community Right to Know Act (H.R. 1523). This bill, sponsored by Representative Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho), would prohibit all except life emergency closures without annual Forest Service meetings with local officials regarding pending road closures and a mandatory 90 days for public comment."

Former Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth was a champion of the American people, the U.S. Constitution and she fought like a frontiers woman, not only while in Congress, but after she retired to protect property rights. Her tragic and senseless death last October was so very sad. At one point, Helen and some colleagues filed a lawsuit to stop the Clinton greenie wackos; unfortunately, it failed:

American Heritage Rivers Initiative

"In early July, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals turned down a lawsuit filed by Representative Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho) and four other House members against President Clinton's AHRI, ruling the members do not have standing to file because their rights were not violated by AHRI. In late July, Vice President Al Gore kicked off the pork with a canoe trip and an $819,000 check for 29 AHRI projects on the Connecticut River. To accentuate the "pastoral backdrop," four billion gallons of water (in the middle of a monster drought, folks) were released to float Gore's flotilla."

Art. 1, Sec. 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution reads:

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;

I urge you, again, to call (forget e-mail) your congress critter and demand they vote NO on H.R. 1975 and tell your critter to stop this relentless assault on the states. Art. 1, Sec. 8 of the U.S. Constitution is very specific regarding the areas in which Congress and cannot legislate, i.e., this latest so called "hate crime" garbage about to be voted on by Congress; see here. Congress simply lacks jurisdiction to pass H.R. 1592. This latest land grab bill, H.R. 1975, affects five western states, including the Northern Rockies, so all state reps and senators from those states need to do the same thing the Colorado State Legislature just did and that's say NO to these power mad fools in Congress. This situation is exactly why I keep hammering on the Seventeenth Amendment fraud; see here.

"The true barriers of our liberty in this country are our State governments; and the wisest conservative power ever contrived by man is that of which our Revolution and present government found us possessed." --Thomas Jefferson to A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy, 1811. ME 13:19

Important information:

1. Federal land grab called 'political' Clinton's Utah deal not justified by environmental claims, says report
2. Federal Jurisdiction
3. Set Up and Sold Out by Holly Swanson

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Devvy Kidd authored the booklets, Why A Bankrupt America and Blind Loyalty; 2 million copies sold. Devvy appears on radio shows all over the country, ran for Congress and is a highly sought after public speaker. Devvy belongs to no organization.

She left the Republican Party in 1996 and has been an independent voter ever since. Devvy isn't left, right or in the middle; she is a constitutionalist who believes in the supreme law of the land, not some political party. Her web site (www.devvy.com) contains a tremendous amount of information, solutions and a vast Reading Room.

Devvy's website: www.devvy.com

Before you send Devvy e-mail, please take the time to check the FAQ section on her web site. It is filled with answers to frequently asked questions and links to reliable research sources.

E-mail is: devvyk@earthlink.net

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