Rewrite of National Park Policies...by Political Appointee...

[texpatriot2004]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=55735

Rewrite of National Park Policies Contains Damaging Proposals; New Draft Released Last Week Retains Key Elements of Earlier Overhaul by Political Appointee Who Lacks Park Experience

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a press statement by National Parks Conservation Association, the Wilderness Society, Bluewater Network-A Division of Friends of the Earth, Wildlands CPR, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council:

As reported on the New York Times editorial page, the Department of Interior has rewritten the policies that govern protection of America's national parks, diminishing park protection and boosting commercialism as priorities for the National Park Service.

Contrary to statements by the Department of Interior last week, the proposed policies redefine the overarching duty of the Park Service, weakening references to longstanding, legal mandates that clearly emphasize preserving the country's heritage. Additional changes steer the national parks toward greater commercialization and exploitation. The proposed policies ease the way for increased air and noise pollution and increased high-impact uses previously barred from most national parks, such as Jet Skiing, snowmobiling, and livestock grazing. Additionally, the draft policies dismantle protections for existing and potential wilderness.

<snip>

A statement by the above-mentioned groups is as follows:

"Several key proposals in this current draft weaken protections for our national parklands. The changes significantly reduce clarity provided to park managers in the current Management Policies about their overarching duty to conserve park resources. The revisions could lead to increased use of snowmobiles, Jet Skis, off-road vehicles, commercialization, and grazing while weakening protections for wilderness and air quality."

"We are concerned that these changes do not reflect what Americans consistently tell the National Park Service they want in their national parks and we question the impetus for this rewrite. We renew our call for the Department to explain why these changes are necessary and who is demanding this rewrite. We believe it was a fundamental mistake to issue this proposal and urge the Department of Interior to withdraw it."

[aquart]

1. Another incompetent corporate whore.

[salin]

2. Greed trumps public resources - again

republicans don't view resources paid for by the taxpayers as natural resources for all - they are underutilized potential for buddies to exploit wealth from.

[barb162]

7. That is exactly how they view the national forests and all of our

resources that WE own

[texpatriot2004]

3. kick nm

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Somebody please spray the fucking weevils in the White House?

This destructive infestation is heartbreaking. :cry:

[wordpix2]

5. "destructive infestation" of Repukes

is bad indeed. Maybe their policies won't be able to be implemented due other problems. They are in the hole and need to dig out, big time---Plamegate, CIA leak, Miers, oil price gouging, DeLay, Libby, Cheney,....

he, he, if they can dig out. NOT!

[barb162]

6. They will do to the National Parks what they do to everything else

destroy them

[WhiteTara]

8. Every day it's another assault against life

I am so emotionally exhausted from every sling arrow boulder missile and bomb against the beauty of the earth and our part in the web of life. It is all for a dollar
:despair:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. Some Christian needs to remind Dumbyass...

Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

[WhiteTara]

14. someone needs to remind the christian right that

he serves the master money not god...oh, I guess they do too.

[blindpig]

10. They are relentless.These evil scumsucking wastes of good air are

attacking Nature from every flank available to them. From their riding roughshod over the professional and scientific expertise of governmental departments to the presidential dismissal of Climate Change to Pombo's devastating rewrite of the ESA to Cheny's energy policy to.......shall I go on? I await with dread the next session of the Supreme Court, Judge Roberts presiding. I expect he'll reveal his purpose, the final corporation of America and the end of commonweal.

That the American people should be punished for their stupidity, petty greed and hubris by tolerating these bastards might be just but that Nature should be devastated as the collateral damage of our intra-specific games makes me weep.

Even should our side regain power in the near future I do not expect all of the damage to be undone. Too many whores in our camp and some damage will be irreparable. Ancient forests clearcut cannot regenerate with their complement of specific flora and fauna. An extinct species is gone forever.

It's gotten to the point that I want more than putting things right, more than justice. I want revenge. I want these fuckers busted so bad that when it's over they're penniless, broken, wretched creatures with half a dozen incurable diseases. Just about the only thing that might bring a smile to my face. :rant:

[truthisfreedom]

11. why isn't Congress involved in this? why hasn't this been a transparent

process?

where does it say that the "prez" can dictate the policy of national parks, turning them into a combination of disneyland and the ponderosa?

[BeFree]

12. Big, BIG decision due soon

In the Great Smokie Mountains National Park, a decision will soon be made on whether to build 38 miles of road through a wilderness area.

Such a road will cause a great deal of damage to the wildlife and ecology of the largest roadless area in the eastern US.

There are great and powerful republican interests involved in seeing the road constructed. However, certain park policies stand in their way, and this attempted rewrite of those policies is surely a way to get around that roadblock.

There is an EIS underway to determine the Environmental Impact to the park were this wilderness area to be punctured by asphalt. Go to:
http://www.northshoreroad.info
That is the Official National Park website detailing the EIS.
They are accepting public comments.

[wordpix2]

13. BIG DECISIONS LIKE THIS ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

http://www.nrdc.org/land/

[WhiteTara]

15. here's a press release from the forest service

Forest Service Looks Into 'Green' Status
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051029/ap_on_re_us/forest_certification

GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Private timber companies have been getting "green" certifications for the past decade to boost sales among consumers who want to be assured that forests are not harmed by producing the lumber they buy.

Now the U.S. Forest Service, battered by court battles over balancing logging against fish and wildlife habitat, is looking into it.

A portion of the Fremont National Forest in southern Oregon and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania will be the first of several national forests to undergo an audit under the standards of two major systems: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, developed by the U.S. timber industry, and the Forest Stewardship Council, an international group based in Germany that grew out of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The national forest audit will also include Mount Hood and Siuslaw in Oregon, Medicine Bow in Wyoming, Chequamegon-Nicolet in Wisconsin and all national forests in Florida.

The Forest Service said it is following a global trend to have third parties declare forest management as sustainable, and needs the public's confidence as it faces new challenges, such as invasive species, global warming and combatting unauthorized off-highway vehicle trails. Wanting to go slowly, it will just go through the audit process, and won't immediately seek final certification.

Soo, let's see what happens. I know that when I drive through Oregon the only way I can bear to do so, is during the rainy season when everything is shrouded in mist so that the clearcuts aren't so apparent. It is a very sad tree farm of a state that used to be the Great Northwest. Sigh.