Groups rallying to kill public lands garage sale

[montana500]

http://www.wilderness-sportsman.com/

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home

Pombo's mining measure tucked away i nthe House bill will be discussed in conference between the Senate and the House around December 6th. Please contact your congress people, and congressional leaders and tell them to take out the radical Pombo ammendment that would privatize millions of our national forest and parklands.


"Sportsmen's groups and environmentalists are working furiously to kill a measure slipped into a spending bill passed by the U.S. House last week that could allow the sale of millions of acres of public land at cut-rate prices.
The measure would reform an 1872 mining law to open the door for the sale of unpatented mining claims for as little as $1,000 an acre. It would also repeal an 11-year-old ban on new mining claims on public land and allow the sale of land near existing claims.

Conservation groups have estimated that 5.7 million acres of public land nationwide would be in jeopardy of sale immediately under the guise of mining, but would end up being developed into trophy home sites and private hunting clubs.

"They're going to try to privatize some of the best public resources that are out there," said Chris Marchion, president of the Montana Wildlife Federation. "We know that there's this sentiment out there to get rid of public land, but we haven't had to fight one of these for a long time." Hunting and angling groups and environmental organizations are beginning a major drive to get their members to contact their congressional representatives to get the provision taken out of the spending bill."

[kansasblue]

1. DC, I understand that Roosevelt Island may be included.

Some theorize that a large hotel would like the spot.

http://www.nps.gov/this/