Nevada Backroaders

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 (http://www.publiclandsnews.com), 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 http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/, 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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_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

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

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%20Omnibus ... 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%20Omnibus ... E-mail.pdf

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

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 http://thomas.loc.gov

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

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/LIS/r ... vote=00003

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

I'm so glad our voice matters.

_________________



ɹǝʌo ǝɯ ןןoɹ sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

All

Please take the time to write your representative and let them know how you feel about this monster of a bill.
If you are not sure who your representative is, here is a good link: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Here is a link to all the representatives and their web pages: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

Here is the main page for the House of Representatives with links to email your representative: http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml

There is also a link for what is on the calendar, so we can watch when they plan on voting on this bill.

Todd

_________________
Member of the following:
BRC, Cal4Wheel, and my local clubs.

I thought that they HAD voted on it.

and I'm not optimistic now that Nevadans voted in Dina Titus over Jon Porter.

but I'm getting too political.

_________________



ɹǝʌo ǝɯ ןןoɹ sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

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


Get BRC's Latest News & Alerts via RSS!
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlueRibbonCoalition

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

Final vote was defeat by two votes, nice victory but time to get back to work since they never give up!

http://gunowners.org/a031109htm.htm

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.

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

they are voting on this today.. http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp I sent in my opposition, hopefully not too late

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 - http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/ 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

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

Looks like there is no stopping HR146/S22 Omnibus Land Bill form becoming law

From Pirate 4x4 - http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthre ... ost9566718

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 http://www.thomas.gov 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)

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ctj4CH5UE

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVTGK1uY ... annel_page

Latest from BRC:

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

_________________
Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

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 - http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp 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 - http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp 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 www.SaveTheTrails.us

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Access Army - Joint Chiefs of Staff
Blue Ribbon Coalition - Life Member
BRC Kickin’ Access Technology (KAT) Team - Charter Member
Graduate of Del Albright's RLTC course
Just Good Trails - Trail Boss
Tread Lightly - Tread Trainer

Thanks for keeping the updates coming Brian.

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Jeep, it's a way of life and life is good!