PUBLIC LAND GRAB ALERT! LATimes:millions of acres at stake in House bill

[Nothing Without Hope]

This one is important, folks. If the House version of this bill is passed, millions of acres of our public lands could be gobbled up by developers.

The GOP backers of the bill say that only a small amount of land would be involved, but they are lying, according to the "experts on natural resource law" consulted by the LA Times, who say that it could result in millions of acres of public land being sold for very little and opened to development.

I urge you to read the entire article and also Sen Feinstein's letter to Rep Pombo and its explanatory introduction, which I will give in its entirety after excerpting the LAT article.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lands16nov16,1,6393764.story?coll=la-headlines-california
November 16, 2005
latimes.com

Some Fear a Vast Sell-Off of U.S. Land

A House bill would let mining firms and others buy federal acreage at a deep discount. Foes say it affects many holdings in the Sierra and deserts.
By Bettina Boxall, Times Staff Writer

A budget bill that the House of Representatives is expected to vote on this week would force the federal government to put "For Sale" signs on public recreation lands in California and the West, including national forest holdings throughout the Sierra Nevada and remote parts of the Mojave Desert.

(snip)

Slipped into a massive budget-cutting bill late last month by the House Resources Committee, headed by Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), the provision has been eclipsed by higher-profile battles over two other controversial plans that would expand oil drilling offshore and allow it in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Those proposals have been dropped for now, but the land-sale provision remains

The bill would lift an 11-year-old moratorium on the patenting — or sale — of federal lands to mining companies for a fraction of their mineral worth. While the patent fees would rise from $2.50 or $5 an acre to $1,000, the price would continue to exclude the mineral worth, which can amount to billions of dollars.

In a rewrite of an 1872 mining law that reverses long-standing federal policy that the government keep public lands, the proposal also orders the Interior Department to sell land adjacent to mining claims for "economic development."

(snip)

The legal experts consulted by the LAT said that if passed, the provision would allow ANYONE to "stake a new claim on those neighboring parcels, do some survey work and, without having to prove a valuable mineral discovery, purchase the land for as little as $1,000 an acre."

The SENATE version of this bill does not contain the mining provisions and Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Max Baucus of Montana have said they will fight it. Here is the full text of a letter sent by Sen. Feinstein to Rep. Richard Pombo, who inserted the disastrous provision:

http://feinstein.senate.gov/05releases/r-mining-pombo.htm

Feinstein Calls on Pombo to Withdraw Provision Allowing Sale of Nation’s Public Lands for Mining

November 9, 2005

{Italicized in the original - explanatory material preceding the letter to Rep. Pombo}Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged the Chairman of the House Resources Committee, Richard Pombo, to withdraw a provision that would open up millions of acres of public lands – including areas in National Parks – for sale to mining interests.

Chairman Pombo inserted the provision into the Budget Reconciliation bill, which will be considered by the House of Representatives tomorrow.

The provision would lift the Congressional moratorium on the sale of mining claims, imposed since 1994, and allow claimants to purchase the underlying public lands for $1,000 per acre, or “fair market value” for the surface estate, whichever is greater. Claimants would not have to pay for the far more valuable minerals underlying the lands. Nor would they have to prove that their claims contain mineral deposits before they can purchase the rights to the land.

This could mean that as much as 4,500,000 aces of public lands, National Forests, and National Parks could be sold nationwide.

Following is the text of Senator Feinstein’s letter to Chairman Pombo:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“I am deeply concerned that you propose to sell off significant parts of America’s treasured public lands, including areas in National Parks, Wilderness areas, and National Forests, as part of the House budget reconciliation bill.

I understand that the bill would in essence lift the Congressional moratorium on the ‘patenting’ of mining claims, imposed since 1994, and allow claimants to purchase the underlying public lands for $1,000 per acre, or ‘fair market value’ for the surface estate, whichever is greater. Claimants need not pay for the far more valuable minerals underlying the lands. Critically, while the 1872 Mining Law requires patent applicants to prove that their claims contain valuable mineral deposits before they are entitled to patents, your proposal appears to effectively repeal this requirement.

This provision could allow claimants to carve out numerous private enclaves within our public lands, without even proving that mining deposits lie beneath them. According to the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM), in FY 2004 there were 228,638 active mining claims nationwide. If these mining claims are each 20 acres in size, which is typical, it appears that as much as 4,500,000 acres of our public lands, National Forests, and National Parks containing existing mining claims are subject to privatization under your language. And the language allows the purchase of potentially huge blocks of contiguous BLM and National Forest lands as well -- stating that ‘blocks’ of mining claims or millsites may be purchased if contiguous to claims on public lands where the applicant presents evidence that mineral development work including such activities as remote aerial surveys has been performed.

The effects could be particularly severe on the National Parks protected under the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, which I sponsored. There are 432 unpatented mining claims in the Mojave National Preserve and 286 such claims in Death Valley. The sale of these lands could fragment the desert parks. Equally at risk are close to 40,000 acres with active mining claims in the Tahoe National Forest north and west of Lake Tahoe.

Moreover, your bill also appears to require the Secretary of the Interior to sell ‘mineral deposits’ or lands containing ‘depleted’ mineral deposits to anyone desiring them, ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law.’ Although certain conservation lands are exempted from this sweeping provision (National Parks, Wilderness areas, National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, National Wildlife Refuges, National Recreation Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Trails), it appears that potentially millions of acres of National Forests and BLM lands would now be required to be put up for sale by the Interior Secretary merely because they contained ‘mineral deposits’ – a term undefined in your bill – or even ‘depleted’ mineral deposits.

Such significant legislation for our public lands needs to be fully debated on the merits, not forced through Congress in a reconciliation bill. I urge you to withdraw these land sale provisions from the reconciliation package.”

###

NOTE: THE FEINSTEIN LETTER TO POMBO IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN PDF FORMAT:
http://feinstein.senate.gov/05releases/r-mining-pombo.pdf

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. kick - let's make sure we keep land to fight over. The House GOPs are

scheming to give away our national lands to their developer buddies to make it "profitable."

I have to quit for the "night." I hope other people keep this kicked - it's sigficant and NEEDS ACTION!

[SpiralHawk]

2. k and r

Mega important.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. I agree, but so far it's gotten little attention here at DU.

May I ask a favor? If you can, would you please check a couple of times until early afternoon to see that this thread is kicked into visibility? I have to go away from the computer until then and I'd hate for it to totally die when I can't be here. Of course, if you're unable to do this, don't worry about it. Thanks in either case.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "We always have hope." - Grandfather William Commanda

And we always have a KICK to support the health of the earth that every human being depends upon for clean water, air, and food.

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Thanks - I'm leaving now. I've posted a headsup to this thread in the

Environment/Energy Forum here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x34984
thread title (11/16 Environment/Energy): Headsup on a GD thread: MASSIVE PUBLIC LAND GRAB ALERT – House bill

"see" you later! :hi:

[SpiralHawk]

6. A plan of action

What are we going to do about this? Are there any organized campaigns, or petitions?

If anyone finds something strategic we can focus DU's energy into, please post it here...

No time to waste.

[WyLoochka]

8. We can call and fax

the GOPers who went on record against drilling in the ANWR. There is a slight possibility that some of them actually care about conserving our public lands. Anyone have the list handy?

This is mega important. We have to stop the sale of our public lands. There are thousands of mining claims all over my state, Arizona. Having been to many of them, it takes little imagination to envision what extreme and permanent damage the sale of that land and adjacent lands, for the sole purpose of momentarily satisfying the greedy who would then only, as they always do, demand more and more and more, would do to this beautiful state and all western states.

Please help on this one folks.

This land is your land - this land is my land....

[Lorien]

13. Here's a group that's airing ads to expose Pombo:

www.PomboInTheirPocket.org

[dusty64]

7. I loathe that pombo

POS. Hopefully he is also going down soon.

[Lorien]

12. Help him go down in flames, visit:

http://www.pombointheirpocket.org/

From Defenders of Wildlife:

Make no mistake -- Richard Pombo is in the pocket of wealthy developers and oil industry lobbyists. Developers and real estate interests have given Pombo more than $199,000 in campaign contributions. With more than $85,000 in his last campaign, Pombo is also one of Congress’ biggest recipients of campaign cash from the oil and gas industry. He's even been called one of "the 13 most corrupt members of Congress" by the non-partisan Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.(1)

All this campaign cash goes a long way toward explaining Pombo’s motives for unleashing what the New York Times has called a “steady stream of environmentally destructive legislation.” (2)

Last month, he steamrolled a "Wildlife Extinction Bill" through the House of Representatives, placing our wolves, sea otters, and other treasured wildlife at risk of extinction. Pombo has introduced legislation to allow drilling off our coastlines. He is leading the charge to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling while lifting environmental safeguards. He has supported efforts to allow more toxic mercury pollution in our air. And he even proposed selling off 15 of our national parks!

Pombo has abused his power for too long. It’s time to let his constituents know what he’s doing in Washington in their names. Please help us air these ads and bring the truth to light.

Congressman Pombo may represent the interests of his biggest donors, but he doesn’t represent the interests of his constituents. According to a recent poll, the majority of Rep. Pombo’s constituents support the Endangered Species Act -- the same law Pombo is trying to gut. And, while his constituents are paying record prices at the pump, Pombo voted against legislation to increase fuel efficiency for automobiles and has even proposed freezing the fees that oil companies pay to operate on public lands.

[Kolesar]

21. did they vote on the budget yet?

[Nothing Without Hope]

32. I have not heard that they have - I've been unable to get info on vote

schedule except that the budget bill with or without Pombo's outrageous rider (it passed in the House) is due for a vote "this week" - this from the Nov 16 LA Times article in the OP.

[Rainscents]

38. No not yet... This will go to Senate and Congress commitee for vote

If it goes through, then, it will come out to congress floor and if it pass in Congress, then, it goes to Senate.

[Kolesar]

43. I shall call tomorrow

Got the gop congressman's info on a post-it note in my dayplanner. Hint: always write these guys down in pencil.

[Time for change]

9. The greed of our government and their corporate masters knows no bounds

Than you for posting this.

[SpiralHawk]

10. Floating effortlessly back into public view

this thread arises for your attention. Kick.

[montana500]

11. kick

nm

[natrat]

14. supporters of this need to be exposed for the thiefs they are

[Digit]

15. Kick

[texpatriot2004]

16. Help - Take Action to Save Millions of Acres of Public Lands

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2251865&mesg_id=2251865

[SpiralHawk]

24. There's the action link to another DU thread (above)

Take time to click away -- and follow through.

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. Thanks for your support.

:hi:

[newyawker99]

17. kick

:kick:

[DeepModem Mom]

18. My response to this involves language I don't like to use here --

may these rapacious evildoers someday reap their just reward.

[Lorien]

19. Too important to allow it to sink

:kick:

[earth mom]

20. Damn them all! And a KICK!

:kick:

[natrat]

22. this pombo freak really is crooked

hopefuly fresno area will vote him out before the diebold machines come in

[Nothing Without Hope]

23. More on this Pombo bill (AP): 15-20 million acres at stake. Vote this week

This Associated Press article from Nov 11 notes that the vote on the compromise budget bill (the Senate version, which passed last month does NOT have this outrageous rider that Pombo inserted) was postponed until THIS WEEK.

http://www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=4653

Budget bill seeks to overturn mining ban

By: John Heilprin
Associated Press
November 11, 2005
(snip)

Under existing law, companies have had to convince the Interior Department that the land has a valuable mineral deposit and it can be mined at a profit. Department officials say companies typically spend about $10,000 to $15,000 per acre trying to document that it is economically viable to mine there.

Once a patent is granted, the law does not let the government challenge a company if it drops its plan to mine at a site and resells the property as real estate.

Up to 6 million acres of public lands — those where some 300,000 active mining claims are staked now — could be "patented" under the mining law provision. That includes Western deserts and high prairies, national forests and national parks. There are 900 preexisting mining claims on national parks alone, mostly in California and Alaska.

But officials with the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the mining claims, estimate the amount of public lands that the law could potentially allow to be sold off ranges as high as 15 million to 20 million acres.

(snip)

Quote from Dave Alberswerth, public lands director for The Wilderness Society:

"If this provision became law, it could literally lead to the privatization of millions of acres of public land, including national park and national forest land."

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. NEWS PAGE from environmental group (EWG) keeps up with developments:

http://www.ewg.org/news/news.php

Go to the page at this link for the current list of linked environmental stories collected by this organization, The Environmental Working Group, EWG. Here is the current list - it continues to be updated. I'll bold the ones on the Pombo's mining provision - you can see it's the major subject of concern:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11/16/2005
Associated Press
Rehberg opposes mining proposal

11/15/2005
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Group fears sale of Black Hills land

11/15/2005
Spokane Spokesman-Review
Bill could be mother lode of land abuse

11/14/2005
Time Magazine
Big Tuna: Angling for Battle

11/14/2005
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Black Hills land could be sold for vacation homes

11/14/2005
Salt Lake Tribune
Public Land Giveaway: Mining law changes mask a horrible idea

11/14/2005
McClatchy News Service
Bill would put federal land up for sale

11/14/2005
Truthout
Pombo's Poison Pills

11/13/2005
Des Moines Register
Brasher: Grassley fights to plug loophole in subsidies

11/13/2005
Asheville Citizen-Times
Public land sales deserve full public debate

11/12/2005
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Bill would open public land

11/12/2005
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
House bill would sell public land at low price

11/12/2005
Fargo Forum
Farm aid on budget bubble

11/12/2005
Montrose Daily Press
Low prices, fuel costs hurt corn growers

11/11/2005
Mineweb
Lift of Ban on Mine Patents Awaits House Vote

11/11/2005
Toledo Blade
Ohio 14th, Michigan 21st on farm subsidy list

11/11/2005
Stockton Record
Pombo: Bring back prospectors

11/11/2005
Deseret Morning News
Mining plans assailed

11/10/2005
Denver Post
Congress should ax public land giveaway

11/10/2005
Sacramento Bee
Pombo hopes to help mining

11/10/2005
CBS 5 San Francisco
Are Your Cosmetics Safe?

11/10/2005
Weekly News Trade Digest
New Report Reveals Unequal Distribution of French Farm Subsidies

11/9/2005
New York Times, Front page
Mountains of Corn and a Sea of Farm Subsidies

11/9/2005
Central Valley Business Times
Central Valley congressman blasted for ‘land patent’ proposal

11/9/2005
Albuquerque Journal
House Bill Alarms Udall; Pearce Supports Mining Measure

[Lorien]

41. Thanks for the links!

Good God, Pombo is crooked!! :grr:

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. Pombo's bill would also cost taxpayers $2 billion a year! ACTION PAGE:

It would GIVE AWAY publically owned oil, gas and mineral rights when the public land was sold (very cheaply) and the big oil and minining companies would no longer have to pay royalties - they would own the land outright!

This is from the ACTION PAGE linked to upthread by texpatriot2004:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2251865

Call Your Representative TODAY!
The House leadership is still trying to pass the budget bill, and will try to bring it to a vote on Tuesday, 11/15. It still includes the mining language that would authorize the purchase of the many millions of our public lands, in some cases inside our National Parks.

How to Call
Get your Representative's contact information here. We're asking that you call (instead of send a email/fax letter) because calls carry much more weight with your Representative -- and because of the urgency of the issue.

When you get them on the phone, please ask them to oppose the Budget bill because of the mining subtitle. Tell them that the mining langauge in the budget bill could -

• Put our special places at risk. It would allow mining companies to purchase thousands of acres of mining claims inside National Parks.
  
  
• Privatize our public lands. It would allow corporations to purchase millions of acres, whether they contain minerals or not -- for any purpose, such as real estate development.
  
  
• Cost taxpayers $2 billion per year. Under Pombo's proposal energy companies could buy public lands on which they now pay the federal government (and therefore all American taxpayers) royalties for extracting publicly owned oil, gas and coal. If energy companies own the land, they may not have to pay the royalties any longer.

Here is an ACTION PAGE ON THIS:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pombo

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. Read EWG's report: "Dirt Cheap - America's Land in Speculator's Hands":

http://www.ewg.org/reports/dirtcheap



It has state-by-state analyses, maps and much more.

The introduction:

http://www.ewg.org/reports/dirtcheap

Parks and Public Lands Would be Up For Sale

A little-known provision in the current House budget reconciliation could precipitate one of the largest land giveaways in American history. The provision, spearheaded by Congressman Richard Pombo of California, would put millions of acres of mining claims in the American West up for sale, including land inside or adjacent to National Parks, wilderness areas and other natural treasures. Real estate speculators, oil and gas companies, foreign mining corporations or anyone who is willing to pay as little as $1,000 per acre could buy the land and develop it in any way they wanted.

The impact of the Pombo proposal would be staggering. It would:

• Put 5.7 million acres of public lands with existing mining claims up for sale immediately upon passage, including more than 2 million acres of claims inside or with 5 miles of national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, national forests and prized public assets.
  
  
• Open up as many as 350 million acres of public lands for sale to the highest bidder.
  
  
• Eliminate the current requirement that mining claim holders demonstrate valuable mineral deposits under the land.

Since 1994, Congress has imposed a moratorium on the sale of land with mining claims in an effort to end years of multibillion-dollar taxpayer rip-offs. Pombo's legislation, approved by the House Resources Committee and expected to reach the House floor next week, reverses that policy, but it doesn't stop there. The bill would also remove the requirement that mining claim holders substantiate the presence of valuable mineral deposits under the claim. Under the Pombo bill, anyone can stake a mining claim to any piece of public land open to mining and then simply buy it. Foreign mining corporations, real estate developers, or oil and gas companies rolling in record profits could simply stake claims and take title to millions of acres of land that for more than 100 years have been owned by the citizens of the United States.

(snip - this is only the introduction)

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. Vote on the Senate/House bill was supposed to be this week

I have not been able to find out when the budget bill in which the House version has Pombo's outrageous "mining provision" is scheduled for a vote. Does anyone else know? The LA Times article dated Nov 16 said the vote would be "this week."

[0rganism]

30. As I predicted, they are liquidating the nation's assets

Push additional capital to the industrialists, gut the park service, and finance the national debt at the same time. It was bound to happen sooner or later, emphasis on sooner.

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. Abraham Lincoln saw this clearly.

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching. It unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. The money powers prays upon the nation in times of peace and conspires against it in times of adversity. It denounces, as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. Corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of a few, and the Republic is destroyed."? Abraham Lincoln (1864)

Yet the Republic recovered - it's up to us to see to it that we get through this terrible time.

[Lorien]

40. OUR lands to profit THEIR political contributors

and the GOP faithful will approve, even though they are selling the land for pennies on the dollar (Pombo wants only $1000 per acre)! This MUST be stopped!!

[blue neen]

33. Some work that was done on this last week:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1916256

I'm glad that you posted this, because we need to do everything we can to stop it. When I called Rep. Murtha's office, they weren't even aware of this travesty!

[Nothing Without Hope]

35. Not aware of it! Well, that's quite possible since Pombo's rider was

slipped into a long budget bill without fanfare. After all, he wanted it to pass without people realizing what he was trying to get away with.

All the more reason to PUSH PUSH PUSH on this!!! That article last week said the voting might be "as early as Thursday" - that could be TOMORROW!!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. Pombo - responsible for this outrage and others - is DIRTY, DIRTY, DIRTY:

Here's just one site on this, a find of Lorien (upthread, reply # 13) and texpatriot2004:

http://www.pombointheirpocket.org





PombointheirPocket.org is a project of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and was created to expose Richard Pombo's ties to special interest developers, oil companies and lobbyists.

A few weeks ago, Pombo did the bidding of these special interests by steamrolling a bill through the House of Representatives that guts vital protections for wildlife in the Endangered Species Act.

Richard Pombo has taken over $199,786 in campaign contributions from developers and real estate interests (OpenSecrets.org). He is also one of the largest recipients of oil and gas cash in the entire Congress, taking in nearly $85,000 in his last campaign (OpenSecrets.org). It should be no surprise, therefore, that Pombo has written legislation to benefit big developers, proposed drilling for oil off the coast of California – and even proposed selling off 15 national parks to benefit his special interest cronies.

Pombo also has what’s known as a leadership PAC, called of all things – RICHPAC. RICHPAC took over $400,000 in contributions in 2004 from lobbyists and developers. His most notorious contribution came from the indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff who gave him the legal limit of $5,000. Go to Opensecrets.org and see the entire list of contributors.

Top Industries Supporting Richard Pombo in 2004:

Oil & Gas $85,693
Lobbyists $65,923
Crop Production & Basic Processing $54,200
Casinos/Gambling $51,000
Lawyers/Law Firms $43,050
Electric Utilities $40,450
Real Estate $36,750
Forestry & Forest Products $33,750
Agricultural Services/Products $31,000
Mining $24,659
Misc. Transport $20,900
Livestock $19,181

Rep. Richard Pombo received the legal limit from Jack Abramoff - $5000. One wonders what more has gone on behind the scenes and whether the true numbers for donations from fat cats and special interests bear any resemblance to those reported.

[Nothing Without Hope]

36. Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial "Public Lands: Golden Giveaway":

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/248316_mined.html
Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Public Lands: Golden giveaway

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Outraged by a controversial deal in which a Canadian mining giant paid a mere $9,000 for clear title to harvest an estimated $10 billion in gold from U.S.-owned lands, Congress in 1994 slapped a moratorium on such giveaways perpetrated under the federal Mining Law of 1872.

Since then, the law has languished, in need of serious reform relevant to the 21st century, not the 19th. But House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., under the guise of reforming the law and under cover of the omnibus budget bill, proposes an even worse public lands giveaway.

Under the Pombo proposal, private parties could again "patent" mining claims on public lands under the 1872 law and again extract hard rock mineral deposits without paying federal royalties. But they would no longer have to prove that valuable mineral deposits exist on the land to buy it and the land could be resold to developers.

(snip)

Republicans say the changes would generate about $326 million in revenue over 10 years. But applying an 8 percent royalty on minerals extracted from public lands, which coal mining companies already pay, would raise more money in half the time.

(snip)

[jeffreyi]

47. Who do we call/email, and when? and kick and nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

48. Call/email your Reps & Senators. Here are links to an action page:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2251865&mesg_id=2251865

and

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pombo

Both involve the same action group.

Here's an excerpt from the 2nd of these links:

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pombo
TAKE ACTION! HR4241, the Budget bill containing Pombo's mining language, is scheduled to come to a vote on Nov 15. We need your help! Send (and please amend) the letter below to your Representative telling him/her to oppose the Budget bill as long as it contains Pombo's mining subtitle.

The House version of this omnibus budget bill already passed with Pombo's horrible rider included. The Senate version does NOT have the rider. Now a compromise version is being produced. I am trying to get a clearer take on the drop-dead date. There is NO DOWN SIDE TO ACTIVISM NOW, whether the final vote is tomorrow or weeks from now.

As the OP shows, some Senators are coming out as being opposed to this Pombo rider. We need to educate and push on the fact that WE WILL NOT ACCEPT POMBO'S RIDER.

[Lorien]

49. THANK YOU!

:yourock:

[dmr]

37. kick

[Rainscents]

39. Kick this!

[Nothing Without Hope]

42. KICK - Still trying to pin down the date

One commenert upthread said that their Pennsylvania Rep said they had no idea of this situation - Pombo and the other GOP monsters are trying to slip this one by us all. WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

44. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

46. Pombo's site explains why redistricting helped him win election in 2002:

Something that needs attention next time, because this corrupt jerk has to be ejected.

http://www.richardpombo.com/11cd.htm

California's recent redistricting process has brought the 11th Congressional District to the Bay Area. The new district now includes portions of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara Counties. Some of the largest populations in this seat include Danville, Lodi, Pleasanton, Tracy, Stockton, & Morgan Hill.

Under the newly drawn district, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 8 points. The registration in the new seat shows that Republicans lead the Democrats 46% to 39%.

This new Republican strength showed up during the 2002 General, when Congressman Richard Pombo gained over 35,000 more votes than his Democratic opponent - 21% more votes.

Moreover, East Bay and Central Valley Democrats and Independents have a long history of crossover voting. As evidenced by George W. Bush's a convincing eight-point victory over Al Gore in this district.

[Lorien]

50. Ewww...one needs a shower after visiting his site

I'm sure his is another snake shaped district, which is fitting.

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. one last kick for the night n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

52. kick for the AM n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

53. kick n/t

[jeffreyi]

54. kick

I am on the phone right now with Sen. Boxer's office, trying to find out the status of this.
Update. The omnibus bill passed the Senate, but without the Pombo amendment. It went back to the house, now it's HR 4241, and the Pombo thing is an amendment to it. So I just called Doolittle's office (CA and Washington) and expressed my displeasure. The guy at the CA office wanted to argue with me, if you can believe that. God these people are dickheads. Doolittle will probably vote with Pombo. Assholes.
Call/contact your congressperson in the House of Representatives!!!! Tell them that you are calling about HR 4241, the Pombo amendment. If I have that wrong, please post with a correction!

[Nothing Without Hope]

56. Thanks so much for this! I hope you will post additional updates

as you learn more. We can start a new thread when we have a firmer idea of the time course of what happens next with this bill - when is the FINAL vote, what are the crucial dates, who are the crucial people. From what i have seen - and your experience is consistent with this - I believe that there's no such thing as doing too much and speaking to too many Reps and Sens about this abomination.

Until we start a new thread, let's keep this one kicked. Not an easy job in General Discussion, but more people see it here. UNFORTUNATELY, I'LL BE OUT OF TOWN AND AWAY FROM DU FROM SATURDAY 11/19 THROUGH 11/29, so someone else is going to have to carry on with this. When a new thread is started, it should link back to this one for background.

Here's the summary I got from the Thomas site:

***********
H.R.4241
Title: To provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(a) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.
Sponsor: Rep Nussle, Jim (introduced 11/7/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.RES.542, S.1932
Latest Major Action: 11/9/2005 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 542 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4241 with 2 hours of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions.
House Reports: 109-276
ALL ACTIONS: (color indicates Senate actions)
11/7/2005 9:00pm:
The House Committee on The Budget reported an original measure, H. Rept. 109-276, by Mr. Nussle.
11/7/2005 9:00pm:
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 151.
11/9/2005 10:32pm:
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 542 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4241 with 2 hours of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions.

[lonestarnot]

57. anything new on this?

[Nothing Without Hope]

58. I'm going to do a round of finding and posting excerpts and updates

from Google News now - check back later tonight. In the meantime, look at what jeffreyl ran into when he talked to his reps about this horrible Pombo public land giveaway.

[lonestarnot]

62. cool.. jeffreyl on this thread?

[Nothing Without Hope]

64. actually, I misread his name - it's jeffreyi. In the meantime, I've

posted more articles below.

Here's the jeffreyi post I was talking about:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5372231&mesg_id=5384759

The more I read about this horror of the Pombo amendment, the more I feel that we have to fight it tooth and nail. It was slipped into a big budget bill at the last minute, secretly, with no public hearings. And it would allow foreign and domestic investors to buy up OUR public lands and national forests and "develop" them or ravage them, fence them off, take whatever minerals were there using whatever devastating technology they pleased, and leave then barren and ruined. No royalties for the minerals they took, either.

This is beyond outrageous. It is permanently catastrophic and also a major scandal that the corrupt House GOPs would try to pull this off. Yet the major media have hardly mentioned it. The LATimes, but as far as I know, NOT the NY Times or the Wash Post.

[lonestarnot]

66. Thanks... but have you checked the H.B. # that jeffreyi posted because

calling re this tomorrow morning. Can you verify HB # for me on jeffreyi's post. Thanks.

[Nothing Without Hope]

67. It's correct, but I'm going to post a clarification before I shut down for

the night. Please check back at this thread before you make your calls tomorrow.

I'm also going to PM a number of DU regulars in the hope that they will pick up this cause too. I'm going to be away from my computer Nov 19 through Nov 29th and I don't want it languish without attention. This is a huge, huge issue and we have to publicize and fight it!!!!

I'll also put together some more talking points - there are some in some of the links upthread, but there are also points that are not made all in one place. Don't know if I'll get that part done tonight too but I'll try. I really need to hand this off to other people until i get back.

[lonestarnot]

73. Right on... calling now!

[lonestarnot]

65. DUing DUing DUing and tomorrow will post a done!

[jeffreyi]

55. kick nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

59. Story from ABC News/SF- Oakland-San Jose: makes Pombo sound good:

The article does not attack Pombo's insane, greedy land giveaway. It allows him to make his statements of "how it's good for the economy." They give "both sides." Some interesting info, though, and there is also an action page for contacting Reps.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=politics&id=3639761

Congress Debates Sell-Off Of U.S. Land

By Mark Matthews
Nov. 16 - KGO

(snip)

And it's not just Democrats. Republican and former Congressman Pete McCloskey is considering a run against Pombo in the Republican primary. McCloskey co-authored the Endangered Species Act that Pombo wants to change.

Pete McCloskey, former congressman: "He's wanted to evicerate the Endangered Species Act because it slows down development. I mean this is a battle for the soul and beauty of Northern California."

(snip)

Rep. Pombo: "Yeah sure I am, I'm doing something. I mean all these issues that have been hanging over the Congress for 20 or 30 years. I'm actually doing something about it and that makes people mad."

Congressman Pombo's mining law proposal is part of a budget reconciliation bill that is due to be voted on this week. If you want to contact him or your own representative, you can do so from our Taking Action page: http://talkingpolls.com/abc7lpc/action.cfm

[Nothing Without Hope]

60. Protest vs Pombo amendment by the largest US jewelers' association

They say they are increasingly concerned about how the gems and precious metals they use are obtained and they are appalled at what Pombo is trying to get away with.

PRESS RELEASE (US Newswire):

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56766

Jewelers of America Urges Congress to Strip Pombo's Land Grab from Budget Reconciliation Bill

11/15/2005 3:04:00 PM

To: National and Business desks

Contact: Steve D'Esposito of EARTHWORKS, 202-887-1872 ext. 203 or 202-255-2717 (cell); Ian Gary of Oxfam America, 202-375-3628 or Mary Mitchell of the Rock Creek Alliance, 208-610-4896

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Jewelers of America, the nation's largest retail jewelry trade association, sent a letter to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert on Monday night urging him to strip controversial 'mining' provisions from the House budget reconciliation bill. The letter, signed by Jewelers of America President and CEO Matthew A. Runci, expressed grave concern that the mining provisions authored by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) "would result in a massive giveaway of public land giveaway to corporations and private interests."

The House Republican leadership pulled the budget reconciliation bill from the floor last Thursday when it became clear that they did not have the votes to pass it. The House is expected to resume discussions on the bill today with a vote possible this week.

EARTHWORKS, a Washington, DC-based environmental organization, Oxfam America, a humanitarian relief and development organization, and Westerners for Responsible Mining, a coalition committed to protecting public lands and communities in the western U.S. welcomed the unexpected action by Jewelers of America.

"We applaud Jewelers of America for their strong stand against this sneak attack on our western public land heritage," said Steve D'Esposito, president of EARTHWORKS. "All of us who have a direct stake in this issue, including local communities, jewelry companies, mining professionals and mining companies, should stand together. By allowing the reckless privatization of our public lands, Pombo's provisions would promote land speculation and real estate development, which could threaten the interests of responsible mining companies." D'Esposito added.

An excerpt from the Jewelers of America letter states: "Any reforms to the mining laws must be done in the 'light of day' with full consideration by the committees of jurisdiction and with ample opportunity for the public to examine and comment on the legislation. Disguising major changes in our environmental laws as 'miscellaneous' and merely a 'revenue raiser' simply does not serve the public interest. These lands have been held in trust for the public and should be treated as such." (A copy of the letter is posted at: http://www.bettermines.org/pubs/JoA%20letter.pdf)

"Jewelers of America has demonstrated that companies that sell products containing gold and other metals are becoming increasingly concerned about how their products are produced. They want to see respect for the environment and community rights, including the rights of Native Americans, whose sacred lands could be destroyed by this legislation," said Ian Gary, policy advisor for Oxfam America.

Jewelers of America has a stake in the outcome of this legislative battle because its retail members depend on the consumer appeal of gold and other minerals and metals. If the "land grab" Rep. Pombo is pushing in the budget bill becomes law, the nation could witness more on-the-ground battles erupting as mining corporations and other private interests buy treasured public lands, such as the portion of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness where a highly controversial silver and copper mine, the Rock Creek Mine, has been proposed. Tiffany & Co., a member of Jewelers of America, ran an open letter in The Washington Post in 2004 calling for protection of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness from a proposed mine.

"Thanks to Jewelers of America for standing up for special places like the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area," said Mary Mitchell, executive director of Rock Creek Alliance, based in Sandpoint, Idaho. "Congress should listen to Jewelers of America and other business and community leaders and take the mining provisions out of the budget bill.

Mitchell and others are concerned that Revett Minerals Inc. could simply buy public land adjacent to the wilderness and move ahead with the mine without any federal agency oversight of the potential impacts that pollution from the mine would have on the nearby Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho's largest freshwater lake.

Altogether, more than 270 million acres of federal public lands in the West would be thrown open for sale if the current version of House budget bill becomes law. Those places that are threatened include national parks, forests, and sacred sites, such as the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, Joshua Tree National Park and Tahoe National Forest in California, and Mt. Tenabo in Nevada. Former high-level government officials, including Mike Dombeck, former Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and John Leshy, former Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior, also oppose the measure.

For more information and sources, please contact: Harlin Savage, Resource Media, 720-564-0500, ext. 1, or email: [e-mail]

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

[Nothing Without Hope]

61. Oregonian article points out that under this law, miners would not have to

restore land that they had ravaged while getting out the minerals - they could just buy it for very little money and then it's THEIRS, and they could leave it devastated forever. And this is in our national parks other public lands. It could be done right next to the Grand Canyon, as pointed out in another article. You don't even have to prove that there are good minerals under the claim. It's a fire sale of land to ruin and fence off as the buyer - including foreign buyers - please, and they get to keep all the gold, oil or whatever without paying royalties as they do now.

This is EVIL. PURE EVIL.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1132199726277010.xml&coll=7

Mining law changes draw fire as giveaway

Public land - Critics see huge problems, but the backers defend the budget bill provision
Thursday, November 17, 2005
MICHAEL MILSTEIN

Miners could buy up national forest and other public lands in Oregon and Washington under a provision buried in a hulking budget bill expected to go before Congress this week.

(snip)

Though the land would be sold for mining, buyers could do whatever they want with it once it's theirs. That includes the building of houses, resorts or other businesses, and represents a potentially significant privatization of lands under control of the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. The measure's backers said the sales would affect no more than 360,000 acres of the West's public lands, which have become a recreational playground for the masses. But experts dispute that tally, saying it is much higher, possibly shifting millions of acres into private ownership.

(snip)

An outcry over the near giveaway of public acreage -- some to foreign mining conglomerates -- led Congress to suspend patenting of federal land in 1994. But the change before Congress this week would lift that suspension, making the land available once again.

It also would allow miners to buy played-out mining claims they otherwise would have to restore.

(snip)

[Nothing Without Hope]

63. LTTE today in Concord NH paper - WE NEED TO MEDIA BLAST THIS OURSELVES

http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051117/REPOSITORY/511170350/1029/OPINION03

No sale, DALE EUGENE MITCHELL, Tilton - Letter

November 17. 2005 8:00AM

This week, the U.S. House will consider a bill that could negatively impact anyone who enjoys our country's public lands. A provision included at the last minute in the House Budget Reconciliation Bill, with no public hearings, would allow mining companies to buy outright - not simply lease, as presently allowed - public lands throughout the West. The mining companies could then sell the land for development. Most of the lands that could be sold have never been slated for disposal.

If you hunt, fish, hike or camp on public lands anywhere in the country, you stand the chance of losing access to land you technically own. Imagine a trophy home in the middle of your favorite hunting spot, or a condominium project overlooking your favorite hiking trail or trout stream.

The author of this provision, California Republican Rep. Pombo, calls it a catalyst for sustainable economic development. We must send a message to the House that this bill is unacceptable to the millions of Americans who visit public lands and enjoy the long-term resources they offer to us today and to our children and grandchildren for years to come.

We should remind Pombo that sustainable economic development on public lands comes in the form of hunters, anglers, hikers, cyclists, ATV riders, campers and wildlife enthusiasts who return year after year to their favorite places. Selling these lands to industry and giving industry the right to sell them to the highest bidder sets a dangerous, shortsighted precedent.

DALE EUGENE MITCHELL
Tilton

[Nothing Without Hope]

68. ***THE HOUSE BILL WITH THE POMBO AMENDMENT HAS JUST PASSED***

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1933081
thread title (11/18 LBN): House passes Sweeping Budget Cut Bill (in wee hours after initial defeat)

In addition to the cuts for the people who can least afford them, it still has the Pombo amendment as far as I know - a major, mega disaster in the making - and some GOP Reps are saying they won't vote for the final House/Senate bill unless the ANWR drilling is put back in.

The Senate version of the budget bill does not have the Pombo language, which was slipped in at the last minute without a public hearing. IT MUST BE KEPT OUT OF THE FINAL COMBINED BUDGET BILL. So far, it's been almost entirely under the radar - WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT before this bill reaches its final House/Senate form.

[Nothing Without Hope]

69. New LA Times op/ed on the Pombo land-grab provision (though Pombo's

name isn't mentioned). Note that the author's background is given just after his name in the excerpt - he knows what he is talking about. This is a dire warning - yet so far the other major papers have IGNORED IT.

THIS MUST CHANGE.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-dombeck18nov18,0,7854074.story?track=tothtml

Your birthright, up for grabs

For sale cheap: 270 million acres of national forest and public land. It could happen under a budget bill being debated in Congress.
By Mike Dombeck
MIKE DOMBECK, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, served as the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management from 1994 to 1997 and chief of the U.S. Forest Service from 1997

November 18, 2005

ALL MY LIFE, I have introduced people to our nation's public lands, as a seasonal fishing guide in the Upper Midwest, as the head of the Bureau of Land Management and as the chief of the U.S. Forest Service — agencies that manage hundreds of millions of acres of public land. One thing I learned was that Americans love their national forests, parks and grasslands.

Americans inherit a birthright that is the envy of the world: hundreds of millions of acres scattered across all regions of the country. The public estate includes famous places, such as Yellowstone National Park, and obscure places that make up picnic spots, fishing holes and weekend getaways. It has been that way for 100 years, thanks to the conservation legacy sparked by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Unfortunately, our federal public lands are now under siege in Congress. It seems that some folks simply do not like the idea of the public owning land. These radicals and ideologues are taking advantage of the fact that Americans are preoccupied with economic insecurity, high fuel prices and a war abroad to promote their personal interests by pushing language in the federal budget bill that would put a "for sale" sign on 270 million acres of national forest and other public land.

Here's how it would work:

(snip - more at link)

[jeffreyi]

79. Mike Dombeck most certainly knows what he is talking

about...he used to be Chief of the Forest Service, and before that he was the head person at the BLM. He was a good FS chief, too....very much into long-term considerations in public land management, not at all the quick profit and damn-the-consequences sort of manager. It was regrettable that he left but that position is now political and changes with whomever is in the Administration. We must stop this odious putrid evil somehow. This is way over the line, a much bigger and closer-to-home issue than even the Iraq war, for me anyway.

[Nothing Without Hope]

70. ***RELATED THREAD: "HOUSE votes to end public land"***

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5390348
thread title (11/18 GD): HOUSE votes to end public land

[senaca]

76. Tancredo introduced H.R. 3855 in September which is like Polombo's

It seems to me that should Polombo's amendment get retracted by the Senate, then Tancredo's bill may be the next onslaught.

[Nothing Without Hope]

83. We have to watch them VERY carefully. Pombo's rider was put in secretly,

at the last minute, with no public hearings or national media coverage. It's only this past week that the LA Times have picked up on it and the NYT and the WaPo don't seem to have mentioned it in their discussions of the House budget bill. They tallk about the ANWR drilling provision, which was at least temporarily removed, but they don't mention the Pombo outrage.

Clearly the GOP knows that such a move would be massively unpopular and are trying to do it by stealth, avoiding any public scrutiny until it is a done deal. Just like with the Patriot Act.

We cannot let this happen.

[Nothing Without Hope]

71. Kick - I'm leaving until mid-afteroon, hope this stays visible n/t

[blindpig]

72. Kick

When this stuff is gone there's no bringing it back. A pox on Pombo.

[blindpig]

74. Kick. n/t

[montana500]

75. KICK

nt

[wordpix2]

77. KICK and WTF? The *&%$#@!! asshole BushCo GIVES our lands to developers

and Chinese creditors who hold U.S. loans for the billions we owe--the criminals need to be brought to justice and that means all of BushCo.

[Megahurtz]

78. Sneaking Evil Bastards!

:mad:

[Nothing Without Hope]

80. kick - if we don't mega-blast and push on this issue, we will lose our

precious national lands and resources to these greedy pigs forever. And so far, except for the LA Times, the major national media have been virtually silent on this!!!!

[jeffreyi]

81. What's the next step on this?

Assume the next stop for this POS is the Senate? Is there any concerted effort to stop it besides the one link above? I checked NRDC and ASFEEE...nothing. Anybody know anything?
Thanks.

[Nothing Without Hope]

84. Opposition is forming in the Senate. In the opening post I cite a letter

to Pombo by Diane Feinstein, asking him to remove his rider. (Of course he wouldn't.) A Montana senator is also said to be opposed. But all too many don't seem to be aware of this issue at all, or perhaps they either favor it or don't care enough to buck the GOP pressure.

We have to change that. Media blast and Congress blast. Get the word out about what is at stake. As is shown in one of the articles upthread, the lack of mineral royalties means that the Pombo amendment would actually COST THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS enormous sums in order to give away their national lands. So you give it away to the greedy and lose royalty revenues for it too. The GOP way.

[Nothing Without Hope]

82. ***WaPo: Congress is taking a 2-wk vacaton - now we must organize

and execute an effective and strong media- and Congress-blast campaign. The people of the country don't realize just what the monsters in Congress are trying to get away with. We must push the media and the Congress members. The votes are very close - we DO have leverage. And if the people find out what has been going on, including so-far almost secret horrors like the Pombo amendment in the House budget bill, they will be OUTRAGED. The truth is on our side and we have to get it out.

We need to understand the language of the House and Senate budget bills well enough to assemble clear, documented talking points on all the most important issues - and there are a number of them.

I am leaving and will be away from my computer from tomorrow through the 29th - I can't participate until I return. I am hoping very hard that DU takes this issue and runs with it with all stops pulled.

Here is that GOP-biassed WaPo article on the 2-week adjournment of Congress:

What a blatantly partisan description of what has happened. Free Press? Nope, bought and paid for. Judge for yourself, keeping in mind just what greedy horrors were in that House budget bill that passed and also just who is responsible for the fiscal emergency the country is now in. And who is STILL seeking additional tax cuts for the wealthy, rejected a windfall profits tax on the oil companies, and refuses to consider withdrawing from Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111802165.html

Congress Boosts Pay, Postpones Other Work

By DAVID ESPO
The Associated Press
Friday, November 18, 2005; 7:57 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Republican-controlled Congress helped itself to a $3,100 pay raise on Friday, then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation.

(snip)

Both the House and Senate were in session after midnight Thursday, working on the tax and deficit-cutting bills at the heart of the GOP agenda.

"What it does is start to turn down the escalating costs ... for our children and our grandchildren. One of the things that we cannot leave to that next generation is a huge deficit that they can't afford," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said after enactment of a $50 billion deficit-reduction bill.

Democrats dissented, with one eye on the 2006 elections.

(snip)

[jeffreyi]

85. NWH, just posted a message

but I think it got lost. There's a lot going on right now. Anyway, thank you for all you've done re this issue, and have a great holiday. As stated in the other message...will look around and see who is on this, it oughta be a big one. At least we have a little bit of time now. Thanks again!

[montana500]

86. kick

nm

[montana500]

91. This should be at the top for the next month.,

nm

[Nothing Without Hope]

87. ***People, I'm going to be away from a computer for the next 10 days

starting sometime Saturday morning. I am very concerned that this issue - the Pombo rider and its great secret land grab. It really seems to be going under the radar, though it might well be more devastating than ANWR drilling. We need organized talking points and close monitoring of what is being done with this as well as media- and congress-blasting on this issue. (And of course all the other outrages of the budget.) Will you all please keep this issue alive? We all stand to lose very heavily indeed if we allow the House GOPs go ram this into the combined bill and into law.

Thanks for your support,
Hop

[Nothing Without Hope]

88. ***LAT op/ed MAKES IT CLEAR- The Pombo amendment IS STILL IN BILL:

We are in big, big trouble. The Senate MUST remove this language from the compromise bill or US national lands are gone forever - and US taxpayers will PAY for giving them away because of the loss of royalties for mineral/oil extraction.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-lands19nov19,0,7436968.story?track=tothtml
latimes.com : Opinion : Editorials

LAWS OF THE LAND

Mining for trouble
A PAIR OF DAMAGING environmental proposals have been stripped out of the budget bill before Congress. Thanks to bipartisan opposition, no new oil drilling will be allowed off the nation's coasts or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
November 19, 2005

Yet an equally troubling provision remains in the bill, placed there by Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), who as head of the House Resources Committee has pushed an extraordinary number of wilderness-trashing ideas this year. This one would allow the government to sell off millions of acres of public land for mining, for as little as $1,000 an acre. The deal comes complete with mineral rights, which are generally worth far more than the land.

Buyers would not need to prove there are minerals in the ground, and the owners have no obligation to try to find them if there are. They could decide to develop the land into a housing development or an office complex, or they could just keep the land for themselves, no public trespassers allowed. The deal includes land in national forests; it also would open up old claims in national parks to mining. These are lands now used for hiking, camping and off-roading — and held by the public for its future. Prospective buyers would need to invest only $7,500 in land surveying or other "mineral development work" to turn these into private lands. Where do we all sign up for a deal this rich, at our own expense?

There's little in this for the budget — or the public. The budget would gain a minimal, one-time boost with each sale, and would suffer the permanent loss of public resources sold at rock-bottom prices.

The budget bill squeaked by the House late Thursday, with this measure attached. It will be up to the Senate-House conference committee to halt the attempted giveaway of public treasures. If that fails, the best recourse would probably be to contribute to groups such as the Nature Conservancy, in the hopes that they will buy up large blocks of land to hold in the public interest. Should that day come, it will sadly mean that public land is safer in the hands of a private organization than in the possession of the government.

(snip)

[Nothing Without Hope]

89. ***I've started a new thread with the new LAT article on the Pombo grab***

Clearly now, it's STILL in the budget bill that the House just passed in the wee hours of Friday morning.

Here's the new thread, in General Discussion. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS CAUSE - I have to leave my computer for 10 days starting Saturday morning. I'm terribly worried at how few people seem to be aware of this massive, horrible gambit by the GOPs to strip away our national lands and forests for short-term greed and actual cost to the taxpayers in lost royalties.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5403658
thread title (11/19 GD): LAT: Pombo land-grab is STILL IN THE BUDGET BILL that just passed - ACT!!!

This is MONSTROUS and the media have been ALMOST SILENT!!! WE MUST ACT!!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

90. Kick - this is urgently important RIGHT NOW!

Congress will reconvene in two weeks and they will want to pass their budget - will the Pombo land-rape still be there? I think it will be unless we all fight this thing. Media blast, push your Reps and Sens. Expose what is happening - this is a stealth attack that so far has sailed right through the radar.

WORSE than ANWR drilling, but almost nobody is talking about it in the major media except the LA times.