I got this from SAWS today, please read!

[RX1MountainMan]

SAWS members:
A Montana SAWS member sent information and his comment about the US Congressional hearing on H.R. 2016. (The National Landscape Conservation System Act). Following is information about the resolution and links to look into this further if you choose before sending your concerns to Rep. Rehberg about this.
The full house is scheduled to vote on the resolution on this Wednesday, April 9th.
Please contact your congressman regarding this April 9th vote in US Congress.
To e-mail, phone or fax REP. Denny Rehberg: Use the following contact information.
Congressman Dennis Rehberg
Phone: 202-225-3211
Fax: 202-225-5687

Website: http://www.house.gov/rehberg/contact.shtml

The following information is from one of the national websites providing information on governement actions.
This "dissenting" view was not prepared by SAWS-click on the link provided for the entire opposing view which summarized why this resolution will not be good for recreational opportunites including snowmobiling.
DISSENTING VIEWS ON H.R. 2016
We strongly oppose H.R. 2016. The true purpose of H.R. 2016 is to prevent many locally popular, wholesome family recreational opportunities and almost all economic activities from taking place on 26 million acres of BLM land. H.R. 2016 will create a two-tiered system within the BLM under which some BLM land can be carefully managed for multiple use while other vast tracts would be walled off from almost all human use and managed for `preservation' or in layman's terms, no use. While well- meaning, few supporters of this bill live in the areas most affected by the legislation and fewer still ever truly get know first hand the rural communities of farmers, ranchers, and others whose ability to provide for their families can be devastated by decisions we so cavalierly make from afar. More that one third of the land in the United States is federally managed, but in much of the West, that ratio is reversed and doubled.

 

[Scott]

I hope Denny is the man with some pull to keep our opportunities for multiple use open to us.

 

[T-Bone]

Email sent.

 

[SnowSnob]

I just love how we find out about these things later and later.
Pretty soon we'll hear about this crap after the fact....yeah real fair.

 

[SnowSnob]

The National Landscape Conservation System bill did pass in the House today-recorded as follows.

Montana Representative Dennis Rehberg did vote against this action.

http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html
H.R. 2016:
to establish the National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes

6:10 P.M. -
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 278 - 140 (Roll no. 174).
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
6:02 P.M. -
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 208 - 212 (Roll no. 173).
5:42 P.M. -
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
5:37 P.M. -
DEBATE - The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Cannon motion to recommit.
5:36 P.M. -
Floor summary: DEBATE - The instructions contained in the motion seek to add language to the bill stating that nothing in this Act shall affect the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment within the National Landscape Conservation System.
Mr. Cannon moved to recommit with instructions to Natural Resources.

The instructions contained in the motion seek to add language to the bill stating that nothing in this Act shall affect the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment within the National Landscape Conservation System.

5:35 P.M. -
The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2016.



The following summary was sent to me. Things aren't looking good for 26 million acres in 13 Western States.

17 National Conservation Areas, 15 National Monuments, 38 Wild and Scenic Rivers, 161 Wilderness Acres, 5203 miles of National Scenic and Historic Trails, and 604 Wilderness Study Areas -- all in the 13 Western States. Not surprisingly, the bill sponsors are predominantly from the east, and no member from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Utah or Wyoming is cosponsors.
These five states alone have 82% of the Wild and Scenic Rivers, 62% of the National Historic Trails, 45% of the Wilderness Study Areas, and 33% of the National Scenic Trails. Specifically, HR 2016 will:

1. Codify by statute the NLCS, adding an additional layer of bureaucracy to traditionally multi-use BLM lands in the restrictive fashion of the National Park Service.

2. Elevates protecting the values for which the components of the system were designated, above existing management requirements, placing a higher value on landscape preservation than what the existing law provides.

3. Elevates the purposes of conserve, protect, restore above other purposes.

4. Management requirements set forth in the bill are vague, opening an invitation for environmental groups to unduly influence how the lands will be managed.

5. Authorizes land managers to trump access rights and productive uses if viewed to conflict with protecting the values for which the land was designated.

6. Contains no provision where local governments can raise and address local impacts.

The Bush administration has shown no interest in protecting the multiple-use status of the 26 million acres either, as Interior Secretary Kempthorne's staff was sent to testify in favor of the measure.

The Senate has already passed the companion bill out of committee, where it is also waiting for a floor vote.

Doesn't sound good. Glad we got a fair chance to fight it.

We should sue just the the f'in Greenies do when they don't get there way.