Washington riders Bill in Leg. Yellowstone to Yukon

This will affect those of us who hunt too......being someone(s) will have to pay for it.
Please go to washingtons website, find your legislators and send them your opposition. I have already sent this alert to everyone I know that would care.


----- Original Message -----
From: bralerts@sharetrails.org

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscribers in Montana, Idaho and Washington,

This is a Legislative Action Alert for the state of Washington, but we wanted to include our members in Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

We have split this alert into two sections: the "what you need to know" section and the "what you need to do" section. The "what you need to know" is REQUIRED READING for anyone who wants to protect not only their right to access public lands, but also for anyone who is concerned about protecting private property rights.

The "what you need to do" section is for our Washington State members. BRC members in WA should scroll down to that section and take action right now. Please also send this alert to all of your friends and family. Action is requested by Thursday, February 27, 2008, so please do it today.

If you have any questions or comments, please give us a call or email.

Brian Hawthorne and Ric Foster
BRC Public Lands Department
208-237-1008 ext 107
brbrian@sharetrails.org
brrichard@sharetrails.org

_________________________________________________________

BRC ACTION ALERT:
WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCY TO COOPERATE IN EXTREME WILDLAND AGENDA
ACTION ITEM BELOW


WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Ken Jacobsen (D), Washington State Senator for the 46th Legislative District (Seattle), introduced a bill that would require Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife to actively participate in a component of the Wildlands Project, affectionately known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y Initiative). The Y2Y Initiative concerns lands in the 7th Legislative District (the northeastern corner of the state) and across Montana, Idaho, and Oregon.

The bill, SB 5318, inserts a new section to the Fish and Wildlife section of the Revised Code of Washington. The section reads:

The department shall participate with wildlife management agencies and conservation organizations in other states and provinces, comprising the Canadian Rocky mountains ecoregional area, in the cooperative programs of the Yukon to Yellowstone conservation initiative. Where the Yukon to Yellowstone conservation initiative has identified priority species, habitats, or landscapes lying within Washington state, the department shall actively seek to involve local governments, landowners, and local conservation organizations in the initiative. The department may integrate these activities with its cooperative work with other states and provinces sharing ecoregional areas with Washington state.

Jacobson's legislation here would codify a very dangerous shift already taking place in state wildlife agencies. Agencies originally chartered to manage wildlife for the benefit of the sporting public are moving closer to the agenda of these radical wildlands groups, where predators are used to manage wildlife and man (hunters) are all but removed from the equation.

The philosophy behind the Y2Y Initiative is directly related to the belief that human use and occupation must be eliminated from vast areas in order to "save" the Earth's ecosystem. Requiring any state agency to cooperate with the agenda of these wildlands groups is bad enough, but the legislation is sufficiently vague to be extremely dangerous.

It is interesting to note that this wildlands business is where public land recreation interests intersect with private property rights. Chuck Cushman, of the American Land Rights Association (ALRA), says SB 5318 will hurt ranchers, miners, forestry, farmers, and jeopardize private property rights. He recently wrote in an email to ALRA members saying, "If Y2Y passes into law in Washington, it will set the stage to pass it into law in the other states. People living in other states affected by Y2Y must get in touch with their legislators immediately and head Y2Y off."

Cushman is right to be concerned. I've met Dave Foreman, the "father" of the "re-wilding" movement (see: www.rewilding.org/). I have no way of knowing if a state Senator from Seattle knows, or even cares, but Foreman's vision is all about de-populating vast areas of the West. Foreman and his acolytes believe in the biological imperative, constitutionally protected property rights be damned!

The situation here also provides BRC with a really excellent object lesson regarding how these ultra-radical groups work together. Take a look at the Y2Y Initiative's network: CLICK HERE , Note the numerous anti-recreation groups in their network. Groups like the Friends of the Clearwater (FOC) are also featured on the "mini-grant" page. Note also that FOC received a nice $1000 for a "Public Road Inventory in Idaho County." For those of you keeping score at home, Idaho County is home to the Clearwater National Forest, where radical greens are eagerly supporting the U.S.F.S. illegal de-facto Wilderness scheme. See BRC's alerts on the issue: New Comment Deadline On FS Attempt To Implement Unlawful Policy

According to the Y2Y Initiative's website, the Friends of the Clearwater grant will be used to:

"... identify and document Idaho County roads and trails that may impact wilderness, roadless areas and wildlife habitat on public lands. This project will contribute to the Y2Y mission by identifying the threat of roads to public lands in the Y2Y region. Roads and motorized use are primary causes of adverse impacts to public land and wildlife in the Clearwater region."

Take a gander at the other grants this Y2Y group has given: CLICK HERE

So it seems that SB 5318 would require the Washington State wildlife agency to actively participate in the same agenda of the groups pushing for closure of County roads. Isn't that nice? A state agency helping to diminish recreational access, private property rights and even public access rights held in trust by a County. Dave Foreman must be very pleased!

The situation here is also a timely object lesson on how important the upcoming elections will be. Especially the local county commissioner and state representative elections. As the "environmental lobby" pushes its bought-and-paid-for politicians in urban areas to propose legislation that hurts rural economies far away from their district, rural legislators must stand strong and be motivated to fight.

BRC encourages our members in Washington State to join pro-OHV groups like the Washington Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance (WOHVA) and local clubs like the Tri-County Motorized Recreation Association (TCMRA).


WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
The Washington State House has re-scheduled their hearing on a bill titled "Participating in the management of Washington's portion of the Yukon to Yellowstone Rocky mountain ecosystem," also known as the "Yukon to Yellowstone Wildland Project Endorsement Bill" (SB 5318), in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 27th at 1:30 pm.

The Hearing will be held in the John L. O'Brien Building at the State Capitol in Olympia. If possible, make plans to attend the hearing even if you don't want to testify. Call (360) 786-7988 for more information. The hearing is public and you can testify by just showing up.

To get the list of Members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee CLICK HERE. The Chairman and other Members have concerns about SB 5318; you need to tell them you share those concerns and are opposed to SB 5318.

Call, fax and e-mail your Washington State Representatives and tell them they must oppose the Yukon to Yellowstone Initiative. You can also leave your legislator a phone message. Here is the Washington House Hotline Number to leave your legislator a message: (800) 562-6000. To find your legislator CLICK HERE.

If you live outside Washington, call and e-mail all your friends in Washington to alert them to the danger. We are better off fighting this bill in Washington State than on your own doorstep.

MORE INFO ON SB 5318
The following info was sent to us by Chuck Cushman with the ALRA:

Senate Bill 5318 (Participating in the management of Washington's portion of the Yukon to Yellowstone Rocky mountain ecosystem.) Passed in the Senate (30 to 19) on February 13, 2008.

The following legislators voted for Senate Bill 5318:

Brown (D)
Eide (D)
Fairley (D)
Franklin (D)
Fraser (D)
Hargrove (D)
Hatfield (D)
Haugen (D)
Hobbs (D)
Jacobsen (D)
Kastama (D)
Kauffman (D)
Keiser (D)
Kilmer (D)
Kline (D)
Kohl-Welles (D)
Marr (D)
McAuliffe (D)
McDermott (D)
Murray (D)
Oemig (D)
Prentice (D)
Pridemore (D)
Rasmussen (D)
Regala (D)
Rockefeller (D)
Shin (D)
Spanel (D)
Tom (D)
Weinstein (D)

The following legislators voted against Senate Bill 5318. Make sure you call, fax, e-mail or visit them and thank them for their opposition to the bill.

Benton (R)
Berkey (D)
Brandland (R)
Carrell (R)
Delvin (R)
Hewitt (R)
Holmquist (R)
Honeyford (R)
King (R)
McCaslin (R)
Morton (R)
Parlette (R)
Pflug (R)
Roach (R)
Schoesler (R)
Sheldon (D)
Stevens (R)
Swecker (R)
Zarelli (R)




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Thanks to Powdergirl in Fould Plug
Do we want this problem in Washington? Can you say "Spike only" In NE Washington?

, 09:40 AM
PowderGirl
Member Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: McCall, Idaho
Posts: 54


Save Our Elk

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I'm not sure if you guys have seen this website or not but thought I'd post it here. The slide has very graphic and disturbing photos and I have definitely learned some things - one is, no one pregnant should be in the forest! Ohh man - my heart is still somewhat pounding after going though this website...

Save Our Elk

I know that there has been a huge decline in our wildlife - I and my family have personally witnessed it in the Elk City/ Red River area in north-central Idaho....


Then:
We used to wake up to several heards of elk in the meadow in front of the house nearly every morning in the 80's and early 90's. Many would come in the evenings too. The dear were always floraging right next to the house to, especially in the evenings - grandma had to take many measures to keep her beautiful garden in tact. At night we'd hear heards of elk walking on the hillside right next to the house as sticks cracked and their hooves clanked against rocks and stomped on the hollow sounding ground. We had two salt licks and often that wasnt enough to accomodate them all. We've had dear, elk and moose in the back pasture all at one time - waiting for their turn at either of the salt licks.

We even had many visits by black bears - once, when I was 3, my grandma and I were in the back yard hanging wet laundry when a black bear came for a visit. We turned around and darted for the front yard - my grandpa just happened to be in the front yard - he heard something and looked up and around the corner of the house came the dog, little me, my grandma and the bear all in single row fashion! My grandpa actually laughs at the situation - the bear turned away though and was gone, he was not threatening us, just curious I think and only came back a few more times before Fish and game trapped him and several others over the years and relocated them.

I also remember as a older child, sneeking up on the dear through the creek ditches while they were licking at the salt licks. I always stayed down wind, making it diffuicult for them to figure out I was there - they would get awefully annoyed with me - they'd stare at me as I would hold really still, like a cat getting ready to pounce on its prey, every time the prey wasnt paying attention, the predator makes quite moves to get closer. Well, I got the crap scared out of me one time - I got too brave, I was within 20 feet, the dear started stomping and snorting at me - that's all i needed, I wasnt about to get malled by the deer.

I also used to take off on little hikes around the house - I'd venture 1/4 to 1/2 mile away in the woods - just me and my dog. It was safe then. No one worried about it.

In the evenings, we'd listen to the coyotes howl and yip - sometimes very close to the house. They were never a threat but of course, I was scared of them as a small child.

There were wolves around then too - they were Timber Wolves and they stayed far away in the remote back country for the most part. You were lucky if you saw a foot print or a feces.


Now:
The meadows are empty most mornings and evenings, the one salt lick is rarely visited and the howl of multiple wolf packs fills the eveing air. The house sits on the edge of a high mountain meadow/valley which stretches for many, many miles - we can hear wolf packs from one extreme end to the other, some in the middle and a few from behind the house - all in a matter of 10 - 20 minutes. It is actually an incredible thing to hear, I must say, (especially to hear two or three going at once, again, all from different directions) but at the same time, it is very unnerving. My grandparents even witnessed a wolf chase an elk THROUGH THEIR FRONT YARD and have seen a pack feasting not far from the house in the meadow.


No, they are not scared of us. There is no way I could let my children play outside without one of us right by their side up there now. I'm not too worried about it here in McCall but they still are not far away. I do worry about human safety - see the videos on the "It Gets Worse" page but we can avoid them by staying in our homes right?

I worry most about our wildlife. Will my children ever get to experiance what I did? Not in their childhood - maybe mid life, if we do something now?


EDIT:
Wow - I've gotten through most of this website, clicking on all the "Click Here" buttons - it sounds like our elk situation is very bad!

And guess how snowmobilers are affected by wolves?

"The wolf caused depradation is so bad that the IF&G has closed off the Clearwater River area to snowmobiles."

http://rliv.com/pic/elk trapped.pdf
__________________

Thanks Sandy!

____________________________________________________________________________________


Thank you so much for taking the time to email expressing your
opposition to SB 5318. I am not aware of a House version of this bill.



I agree with you and should this bill come before me, in its current
form, in committee or the House Floor I plan on voting NO.

I encourage you to visit the Legislature's excellent website
(http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature) to track SB 5318 , or to view any
other legislation that is before the legislature. The legislative
website offers a wealth of information on legislation and the lawmaking
process, and tools for watching specific bills. Another resource I
recommend is TVW, the state's public affairs network, which lets you
listen to (and sometimes view) legislative committee meetings, debates
and votes online as they happen (http://www.tvw.org).

Again, thank you for taking the time to participate in the legislative
process.

Sincerely,
Dan Kristiansen
State Representative
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/kristiansen
360-786-7967




HOUSE INTERNET E-MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE

TO: Representative Dan Kristiansen


BILL: 5318 (Against)

SUBJECT: SB 5318

MESSAGE:

Please vote against any house version of this bill.
Thank You

NOTE: We are 99% sure that this constituent is in your district





My reply was much shorter, but thank god the same response. All 3 of my reps are GOP and they all are in compliance with us.