WVEC Action MemoJuly 20 , 2005Below:
From: American Lands Alliance & The Endangered Species Coalition Pombo Gearing Up to Introduce Wildlife Extinction Bill House Resources Committee Chair Richard Pombo has tipped his hand. Details of his planned Anti-Endangered Species Act legislation have been circulated on Capitol Hill and written about in the New York Times and other major papers. (See http://www.stopextinction.org/ for this coverage.) The Endangered Species Act is a safety net that protects wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. Rep. Pombo's bill would cut large holes in this safety net. In the coming months, Congress will likely vote on Pombo's plan to gut the Endangered Species Act. It is critical that Members of Congress stand up for our natural heritage and oppose his scheme to repeal the protections that the Endangered Species Act provides. We need your help to stop this bill. TAKE ACTION: Please call or write your Representative and ask them to oppose Representative Pombo's bill that would weaken the protections of the Endangered Species Act. To call your Representative dial the Capitol switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 To email your Representative look up the e-address at: http://www.house.gov/ Background Representative Pombo's Developers' Wildlife Extinction bill would gut the Endangered Species Act on behalf of developers, oil companies, timber companies, mining companies and extreme property rights groups. We have not yet seen the full legislative language, but have seen a summary of the major points. According to reports, the bill would:
The Endangered Species Act is a safety net that protects wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. It has been enormously successful in preventing the extinction of hundreds of species, including bald eagles, gray wolves and Pacific salmon. We must not diminish protections for these magnificent animals, or for the places they call home. For more information, visit http://www.stopextinction.org/ Lisa Dix From: American Lands Alliance Call on Congress to Eliminate Federal Timber Sale Program Subsidies Representatives Jim Leach (R-IA) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) are getting ready to introduce the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (NFPRA). The NFPRA would protect and restore national forests by redirecting federal spending of over $1 billion in yearly timber sale subsidies to put rural communities to work restoring forests. It will save taxpayers money, reduce the deficit, cut corporate welfare and help communities adapt to wildland fire. TAKE ACTION: Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 and ask them to help end taxpayer waste and sign up to be an original cosponsor of the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act today .
Background Over 130 members of Congress have endorsed the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act in the past, as well as over 220 Ph.D. scientists, including Pulitzer Prize winning author Dr. Edward O. Wilson, 200 conservation organizations, religious groups, businesses, and, according to numerous polls, the majority of the American public. Even large Fortune 500 companies such as Staples Office Supply, Inc. and Lowe's Hardware made specific commitments in support of ending federal subsidies for public lands logging. For more information go to: http://www.forestadvocate.org/campaigns/protect&restore/about.htm Talking Points
Dear WVEC members, In the future, we will be sending you occasional "Memos" (like this one) that contain notices from other organizations that relate to issues in West Virginia. We do this to give you the opportunity to take action on these issues from the comfort of your home in a timely fashion. Please do not confuse these occasional "Memos" with the "Action Alerts" that come your way. The "Alerts" will continue to be more of an emergency nature, with immediate action being the key. Thanks |