Fax Alert

April 10, 2000

To: PFUSA members, supporters and friends From: Jeff Harris, PFUSA executive director

Urge legislators: No more special land designations!

Tired of the Clinton Administration creating monuments and other special land designations, but don’t know what to do about it? Pool your voice in with thousands of others this week and let’s be heard!

PFUSA is joining with other grassroots multiple use organizations this week to put some pressure on Congress to stop the land grabs! Please put a call in to your congressman and senators requesting them to introduce or support a resolution directing President Clinton and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to cease and desist from any further executive proclamations concerning the creation of monuments or other special public land designations.

The continuous bureaucratic actions that bypass Congress to create a Clinton-Gore "legacy" by locking the public off public lands are destroying the West and its families, cultures, and communities. Our elected representatives in Washington are in a position to protect us from this. Congress has the power to overturn the Antiquities Act, for example, or even de-authorize national monuments. Instead they sit on their hands and express outrage! Even if the President vetoes their efforts, it’s progress. Put it up for a vote and let’s see who’s with us and who’s agin’ us!

"A great number of congressmen and senators quietly appreciate the assumed presidential authority to create and enact legislation because it allows them to see their goals accomplished without having to assume political responsibility," says Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who has introduced (but not found enough support for) legislation restricting a president’s power to issue executive orders. Does that describe your legislators? If not, they should be willing to help us.

Legislation amending the Antiquities Act would be nice, but short of that, a resolution would be the next best thing. We need to clamor for congressional action until it’s done!

Don’t delay! Public lands near you may be next!

House Switchboard (toll free): (877) 389-7321 Senate Switchboard (toll free): (888) 449-3511 Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Clinton-Gore-Babbitt have several more land set-asides planned in the "Political Sacrifice Zones" of the West. Will we sit by silently without making an effort to stop this abuse?