Wyoming legislators passed, and Gov. David Freudenthal signed into law Mar. 4, a resolution opposing the proposed NREPA federal grab of over 20 million acres of the West.

The resolution outlines Wyoming’s opposition to H.R. 980, sponsored by a New York City Democrat and backed by radical Green groups.  It calls on the House Natural Resources Committee to vote down the bill.

Thousands of Wyoming jobs, and hundreds of thousands more in the area designated for federal takeover, depend on access to land for grazing, timber harvesting, resource and energy development and recreation.  Under NREPA, such activities would be outlawed and those jobs eliminated.

Eliminating those jobs and access to land is the intent of NREPA.  David Brower, founder of the League of Conservation Voters and Friends of the Earth, once boasted that loggers losing their jobs because of federal anti-logging legislation is “no different than people being out of work after the furnaces of (the Nazi concentration camp) Dachau shut down.”

WTP is working with legislators in other states to organize opposition to NREPA.

Synopsis of S.1470: Temp Jobs, Way More so-called “Wilderness”, and Access Denied

Western Tradition Partnership (WTP) is urging its members – and all citizens who enjoy access and use of “public” lands – to fight Jon Tester’s so-called “jobs” bill, which is nothing more than a bait-and-switch play to ban humans from our forests. Brian Schweitzer came out in support of the bill just weeks ago.

“Jon Tester and Brian Schweitzer are two peas in a pod when it comes to carrying water for Montana’s radical environmentalists,” said Jacob Leis, Director of Membership with WTP. “This bill is nothing more than another federal bailout – only instead of banking CEO’s, Tester is using taxpayer funds to take access rights away and pay off his environmental extremist friends.”

“Most of the alleged jobs will be tearing out long-established roads and closing access, leaving our forests to overgrowth and more catastrophic fires.”

Tester was embarrassed earlier this fall, when he claimed that Kerry White, the tireless leader of Montana’s Citizens for Balanced Use, “helped” him craft the bill. In a statement posted here, White called out Tester’s cynical tactic of claiming the bill’s opponents as supporters, and he even had the gall to send White a “thank you” note.

“This is a last-ditch effort by Tester to throw a bone to his eco-radical pals, since he couldn’t get NREPA passed (sign WTP’s anti-NREPA Wilderness petition here),” Leis concluded, “but throwing away forest access over some elusive logging rights and temporary jobs – which will consist of destroying roads in our currently accessible forests – is unacceptable and will result in the loss of the Montana way of life.”

For an excellent analysis of the REAL hidden dangers of this bill, read this excellent Clark Fork Chronicle linked here by Fred Hodgeboom, President of Montanans for Multiple Use. WTP is also urging Montanans to get Congressman Rehberg off the fence on this bill by opposing it at one of his upcoming public Wilderness Bill hearings, which will be held in counties impacted by the proposed legislation:

The locations are:

Madison County – Ennis
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 10 AM
Madison Valley Rural Fire Station 1
537 US HWY 287

Beaverhead County – Dillon
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 12:30 PM
University of Montana Western, Auditorium Main Hall
710 South Atlantic

Butte-Silver Bow County – Butte
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:30 AM
Montana Tech – SUB Copper Lounge
1300 West Park Street

Granite County – Philipsburg
Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Taylor-Knapp Building, Sapphire Gallery, Banquet Room
212 E. Broadway

Powell County – Deer Lodge
Friday, January 8, 2010 at 10 AM
William K. Kohrs Library, Meeting Room
501 Missouri Avenue

"Little Jon"" Tester looks awfully small...

Often, we see issue advocacy leaders maligned for opposing bad legislation. Now, Jon Tester has clearly crossed an ethical line in claiming that a leader in the fight against Wilderness bills actually SUPPORTS his latest Montana Land Grab. Imagine if Conrad Burns had “thanked” Friends of the Earth for supporting his pro-drilling legislation under the “evil” Bush regime!!!

Left-wing Democrats’ failure to ban humans from massive swaths of the Northwest under NREPA (see petition opposing any and all such land grabs at www.WildernessGoneWild.com ) has clearly prompted Tester’s cynical attempt to buy off the desperate timber lobbyists with meaningless baubles. This bill – and Tester’s disgusting tactic – is a perfect example of why pro-multiple use interests (including timber and energy) should NEVER compromise with radical environmentalists on watered down legislation at the expense of the people!

Following, a repost of an email (in blue) sent by Kerry White to members of his Citizens for Balanced Use pro-access organization:

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Members and supporters of CBU need to be aware of the following deception from Senator Tester!

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Go to www.WildernessGoneWild.com for the full story. H.R. 980 or NREPA is a 24 million acre land grab, sponsored by a New York City Congresswoman. This is complete insanity!

Click to Enlarge

For Release: April 22, 2009

Contact: Jacob Leis

Phone: 888-987-8721 x3

Obama Administration revives Clinton forest road ban

Federal bureaucrats do end run around grassroots opposition to NREPA

HELENA – Access and productive use of twenty-four million acres of Northwestern federal land is at risk once again, due to a tag-team of Administration rules and the resurrection of the so-called Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). The bill, sponsored by a New York City congresswoman would criminalize “mechanized travel” – including bicycle riding – on 24% of Idaho, 7 million acres in Montana, and 5 million acres in Wyoming.

Issue advocacy group Western Tradition Partnership has announced a massive grassroots effort to oppose these measures with calls, emails, and faxes to Senators through its website www.WildernessGoneWild.com .

“This is like Night of the Living Dead.” said Jacob Leis, Director of Membership for WTP, “NREPA and the Clinton Roadless Rule have been dead for over a decade, killed by the grassroots, but now they’re back.”

“The Obama Administration’s shameless throwback to the discredited Roadless Wilderness scheme will place our forests in danger, once again, of catastrophic destruction by fire,” said Leis, adding “We are urging the people to call on Senators Baucus and Tester to stop appeasing the eco-extremists, cut the lip service and oppose all Western land grabs.”

Only two of seventy-one original co-sponsors represent districts in the 5 affected states, which include Washington and Oregon.

Leis added, “While only a handful of radical environmentalist groups support H.R. 980 (NREPA), this radical agenda could pass due to the undue influence of East- and West-Coast liberals in Congress.”

“That is why the grassroots are outraged, and why nothing short of a promise of filibuster by Senators Baucus and Tester and other key Western Democrats will put this issue to rest.”

Many of these areas are responsibly used for timber and extractive resources, and also provide rights-of-way for the electric grid, especially for wind-generated power being generated in Montana and transported to market in California. Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming stand to lose tens or hundreds of millions in business and revenue income through lost tourism, and loss of productive value.

“With the continuing bad economic news and more Americans struggling to keep their jobs and small businesses afloat, NREPA is extremely irresponsible,” said Leis.  “We estimate that hundreds of businesses and small towns will be devastated when recreationists decide to go elsewhere to enjoy the outdoors.”

For more details, please go to www.wildernessgonewild.com .

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