Maine Property Rights News
August 8, 2010


ALRA: Concord, NH, Obama's Great Outdoors Land Grab Meeting Mon. Aug 9

Maine newspapers aren't reporting it, but a national government agenda by the Obama administration to take over more private property and further restrict use of land already owned by government nationwide is well under way. As part of this campaign, millions of acres of private property in Maine are once again targeted for Federal intervention on behalf of the viros' decades-old plans.

So-called “listening sessions” are being staged in urban areas around the country to promote the plans. The session closest to Maine is in Concord, New Hampshire on Monday, Aug 9. For details see the national Land Rights Network alert below along with further background. Private property owners who are targeted by the plans are not being informed, but the government has been providing advanced notice to viro activists collaborating with their cohorts inside government agencies.

The “listening sessions” are part of the PR for Obama's “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative”, also known within the Interior Dept. as the government “Treasured Lands” agenda. Government officials and activists are promoting the agenda in terms of vague slogans and poetic-sounding goals, intended in the usual way to promote a political agenda in glowing terms without revealing what they intend to do and the implications and costs for those targeted for government action and control.

Details of the national plans are being kept hidden, but some indications have leaked out. This includes the big controversy that broke out earlier this year over a leaked government document revealing targets for more National Monuments that would be imposed by presidential decree in the west.

Not widely recognized is that the information leaked in that controversy was only one part of a document from one agency in a much broader government initiative including and aimed at private property across the country. While the government refused to respond to follow up requests to release the plans it is developing, documents have surfaced showing that private property in Maine is targeted, with Gov. Baldacci's complicity, as part of the national plans. Secretary of the Interior Salazar has already met with Maine viro pressure group activists and officials.

Following the most recent National Monument controversy some emails were subsequently turned over by the government under a Freedom of Information investigation. They were selected for disclosure with the intent of hiding the content of plans while showing only that officials were discussing drafts of documents, but the emails (which included the Natural Resources Council of Maine) revealed a network of government agencies and activists planning to use their power under the Obama administration to push the viros' broad land takeover agenda underway for decades, including in Maine. Officials, however, are downplaying the documents as mere “brainstorming”.

The government is also soliciting ‘suggestions’ on how to carry out its preconceived agenda at a website intended for viros in the name of the public. They don't want you posting there; make sure you do: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/ProductMostRecent?openview There are more details on this in the alert below.

If you “treasure” your own private property and the private economy you rely on, then join the nationwide effort to defeat Obama's “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative”. The only “brainstorming” by the viros, who have the same goals as always, is looking for new ways to rhetorically package their campaign to dishonestly make it sound like something “different” than previous attempts, that it is demanded by “the public”, and that there is no opposition, none of which are true.


Land Rights Network
American Land Rights Association
PO Box 400 ­ Battle Ground, WA 98604
Phone: 360-687-3087 ­ Fax: 360-687-2973
E-mail: alra@pacifier.com
Web Address: http://www.landrights.org
Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE ­ Washington, DC 20003

Concord, NH,Obama’s Great Outdoors Land Grab Meet Mon. Aug 9

Listening Session and Discussion Information

When: Monday, August 9th, 12:30 ­ 5:00 p.m.
Where: Grappone Conference Center
70 Constitution Avenue
Concord, NH

More National Monuments, W & S Rivers, Nat. Parks and ...

Public Listening Session on President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. This is the Public Outreach bait and switch the Obama Administration is carrying out so he can justify all his new National Monuments and other land grabs.

-----Private property advocates, forestry advocates, multiple-use, ranchers, farmers, miners, rural community and outdoor and off highway recreation advocates must attend.

Don’t fail to be there. You do not have to register ahead of time.

Get there early. Don’t fail to send your own comments and vote even if you cannot attend. The green and enviro groups are commenting like crazy on the Great Outdoors website. It is easy and you can vote on the comments made by the greens. They know that your future is in their hands unless you comment. So you better comment and vote.

You should go to the Vote/Comment Website before you go to the meeting. It will make you more prepared.

Alert ­ Alert ­ Alert

You can fight the land grabbers now early or fight them later when they’re on your doorstep. It is a lot cheaper to fight them early.

There is a concept in law called “laches” or “sleeping on your rights.” If you fail to participate in a planning process, you may be prevented from asserting your rights in court later.

Secret National Monuments and Treasured Landscapes Information Leaking Out -- Obama Administration Has Huge Plans For You.

You are in a race to vote with the greens. If they win, you lose.

The Vote and/or Comment and information is below. You must vote. If possible, you must attend the meeting.

The Obama national land use planning process is moving forward under the name of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.

SEE THE ACTION ITEMS BELOW.

The Obama Administration is planning huge new National Monuments, Wild and Scenic Rivers, New Parks and large land lockup areas. Many millions of acres are at stake. Private land and Federal Land. Millions of acres of Federal land like those managed by BLM and the Forest Service are likely to be locked up in new Wilderness Areas unless you comment and vote.

The Obama Administration is planning on buying billions of dollars worth of private land. Your private land.

-----The Obama American’s Great Outdoors Initiative will be looking at all kinds of new Federal areas and tools for regulatory land use control. Some examples are:

Giant new Wildlife Corridors covering several states and connecting existing parks and other areas.
Numerous new and expanded Wilderness Areas
A massive $5 billion per year off budget land acquisition trust fund
More use of eminent domain
More condemnation of private land and homes
A huge increase in land use regulations
More environmental regulations
Many more National Monuments
New National Trails
New National Heritage Areas
New National Parks
New Wild and Scenic Rivers
New National Lakeshores
New National Scenic Areas
New National Seashores
New National Recreation Areas
New National Grasslands
New National Preserves
National Historic Areas
New Greenways
New Viewsheds
New Soundsheds
New Airsheds (air controls on industry)
New scenic byways with land use controls

The list goes on. There will be more.

Working together, we can stop these proposals.

You can vote and comment on these proposals now by going to:

http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/ProductMostRecent?openview

Many other types of land lockup areas are being proposed in the Obama America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.

-----There is a lot of new information below.

The Secret Obama Great Outdoors memo information is gradually coming out. You want to read the Great Falls Tribune (Montana) article below just published July 6th with more inside information.

These listening sessions are the beginning of the Obama Great Outdoors Initiative that will involve massive land use controls nationwide. Only the environmental groups have generally been getting notified ahead of time.

>From previous Listening Sessions it is clear that an overarching goal is to connect all conservation areas (National Parks, National Forests, BLM and Fish and Wildlife Refuges so that wildlife can freely roam. If you are in the way, they will want your land and you could face eminent domain.

In Montana, for example, they want to set up a Free Roaming Bison area that means ranchers, farmers and landowners lose. In Maine they want control over millions of acres of private property.

They want to Federalize conservation and put the Government in charge of the environment by funding the environmental groups. This meeting is designed to give the impression that the public clamor is for more Federal government with more environment jobs and more spending in spite of the huge economic hole the United States is in.

-----If you value your land, your access to Federal land and your freedom, do not fail to attend this meeting. Your future depends on it.

If you cannot attend, you must go to their website and make comments. http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors

This is a big deal. You do not want to miss out or find out later that you lost rights because you failed to go to this listening session.

-----New-New-New -- Action Items:

-----1. Please forward this message as widely as possible.

-----2. Please sign up at: http://www.discovernw.org/ago-signup.htm
You do not have to sign up ahead of time. Complete directions to the meeting are listed below. For more information on this initiative, please visit http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors

-----3. Read the just published Great Falls Tribune (Montana) article about the secret Obama Administration Great Outdoors National Monument and Treasured Landscapes Memo at http://moosecove.com/propertyrights/GFT-2010-07-06_emails-brainstorming.html

-----4. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT. Be sure to go to this section below and read how you can monitor AND VOTE ON existing comments and make your own comments. The website information is supplied. This action is critical because the Obama Administration is going to use the comments and VOTES as justification for taking your land or regulating it.

-----5. Please call or e-mail Chuck Cushman, Executive Director of American Land Rights, to tell him you are going. He can help you and brief you on what to expect ahead of time. This is really important. Call him at (360) 687-3087. Or send an e-mail to ccushman@pacifier.com We would really like to get an e-mail or call back telling your impression of how the meeting went.

-----6. Be prepared to pin down the meeting leaders about their goals and plans. They are asking you to comment on a giant plan they have not even shown you yet. They are playing bait and switch with you. You must demand a copy of the plan with maps.

It is not likely they will tell you the truth. We’ve uncovered huge land lock-ups in Montana that mean wiping out hundreds of ranchers and small towns. There will be land acquisition of millions of acres under threat of eminent domain.

-----7. Take signs supporting rural communities, private property and multiple use and access to our Federal lands. No more lockups.

-----8. Wear yellow survey tape ribbons to show you support private property, multiple use and rural communities. You can buy the tape at Home Depot. Be prepared to hand out tape at the entrance to the meeting.

-----9. Call your Senators to oppose the Obama America’s Great Outdoors land grab. Any Senator may be called at (202) 224-3121.

It is likely that your Democrat Senators are involved in this huge land takeover. The meetings in Montana and Washington State were held hundreds of miles from the people these land grabs would most affect. Ranchers, miners and others only got one days notice.

-----10. Call your Congressman to express opposition to this planning process that is being carried out largely in secret. They notified all the green groups but not the people who actually live on and work on the land. Any Congressman may be called at (202) 225-3121. You can call any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

-----11. Video tape the meeting. American Land Rights would appreciate a copy of any video tapes or DVD’s you make. We’ll be glad to pay you for them.

-----12. Call at least five friends and get them to go. Obama and his land grab crowd must feel some push back or they are just going to go ahead and declare new monuments and designate huge new off-limits areas. Your future is very much at stake in the coming battle.

-----13. Call your Congressman and both Senators -- Demand more meetings your area.

-----14. After you attend the meeting, we would be glad to get an e-mail with a report of how the meeting went and your impressions.

This listening session is about the plan that is part of the battle between the House Natural Resources Committee and the White House and Interior Departments over the release of secret documents describing the full extent of the Obama Great Outdoors Initiative.

-----It is critical that the listening session be attended by farmers, ranchers, miners, forestry advocates, recreation advocates, private property rights, rural community allies and anyone concerned about the spread of the Obama land use control plans.

-----COMMENTS ­ COMMENTS ­ COMMENTS You must send in public comments whether or not you attend the meeting. You can also vote on the comments by others. By working together we can effectively compete with the greens in the voting process. This is vital to protecting your future and the future of your property.

You do not have to sign up in advance although that is good if you can. The information to sign up by e-mail list listed below.

Please accept our apology for the late notice but the Obama Administration has been very slow to send out announcements except to the environmental groups. So your attendance is critical.

Multiple listening sessions are being held around the country. It is vital that you attend this meeting.

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American’s Great Outdoors Vote Instructions

A voice is powerful, only if it is spoken out loud. Such is the discussion started on the Great American Outdoors IdeaJam located at

http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/ProductMostRecent?openview

There, thousands of comments on hundreds of ideas are made. Many comments are ridiculous and unworkable but all help the Dept. of the Interior to reinforce its position of a stronger and larger government.

This IdeaJam website isn’t just about ideas, it’s about progressives acquiring ammunition to be used against property owners. If you believe government is abusing the Constitutional limits of government on its draconian land-use regulations, its acquisition of land that could otherwise be used to create private sector jobs, its locking up of American natural resources, then it is critical you take the time to go through the comments, and share your concerns.

But let it not stop there. You should ask your friends and neighbors who believe in property rights to also engage in this public debate.

-----First, click on the website: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/ProductMostRecent?openview

-----We recommend then clicking on the “Popular” link. These are the ideas getting the most traction.

-----Register. If you want to vote, you will need to register first. This registration link will come up when you hit the ‘comment’ button, and logging in will be required each time you visit the website.

-----You can easily vote ‘Promote’ (vote yes) or ‘Demote’ (vote no) on the bottom to the left of every topic. This is what makes the topic more or less popular, and is an important step. Please note that not all recommendations are anti-property rights.

-----Each topic has a partial explanation on the main page, but you can read the entire recommendation by clicking on the title of the recommendation. If you want to comment, you must register first. The registration link will come up when you hit the ‘comment’ button, and logging in will be required each time you visit.

Be aware that there are numerous pages of comments. When you finish the first page, got to the bottom and click on the next page.

Our observation is that most recommendations don’t consider the negative impact to our Constitutional rights or the fiscal impact to private industry, the taxpayer, our balance of trade, or our technology base. Comments for or against an idea should be made concisely but with concern about real issues.

Most of this was originally written by Randy Dutton and edited by Chuck Cushman. ccushman@pacifier.com

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E-mails: Interior officials involved in national monument 'brainstorming'

by JOHN S. ADAMS Great Falls Tribune Capitol Bureau – July 6, 2010

HELENA – When an internal U.S. Department of the Interior document identifying 14 new sites for possible national monument designation was leaked to congressional Republicans earlier this year, some folks across the West had flashbacks to President Bill Clinton's last days in office.

On Jan. 17, 2001 – three days before he officially left office – Clinton set aside 377,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management-administered public lands in north central Montana with the stroke of his pen.

Clinton's 11th-hour executive order, authorized by the Antiquities Act of 1906, created the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.

It also created uproar...

Full article here: http://moosecove.com/propertyrights/GFT-2010-07-06_emails-brainstorming.html

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-----Here is a recent Interior Department release:

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON THE PRESIDENT’S AMERICA’S

GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON THE PRESIDENT’S AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE

In April, at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, President Obama established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must be community driven and supported. You can find more information on the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments on-line at: http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

August 3, 2010

Please join senior representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for a public listening session on conservation, recreation and reconnecting people to the outdoors. The session will be held Monday, August 9, from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. in Concord, New Hampshire.

This past April at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must happen at the local level.

Therefore, President Obama directed the principal leaders of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to travel across the country to listen and learn from people directly involved in finding grassroots solutions to conserving our lands and waters and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors. The President indicated that the sessions should engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, youth groups, businesspeople, educators, state and local governments, and recreation and conservation groups.

Private working forests play a critical role in providing for green markets, rural economic development, habitat for animals and birds, places where people go for refuge and wonder, and responding to climate change. This public listening session and discussion is an opportunity for leaders of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to hear from you about the challenges and opportunities facing working forests on private lands and about solutions for building a21st-century private working forest land conservation and recreation agenda and for reconnecting people with the outdoors. Here are the details:

Listening Session and Discussion Information

When: Monday, August 9th, 12:30 ­ 5:00 p.m.

Where: Grappone Conference Center

70 Constitution Avenue

Concord, NH

For directions, go to: http://www.grapponeconferencecenter.com/contact_us.php.

Who: Senior Washington, D.C., and local leadership from USDA and CEQ will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America’s Great Outdoors.

Please: This event is free and open to the public. For planning purposes it would be helpful if you would pre-register by 5:00 p.m., August 6, 2010 by sending an email to Tiffany Benna at tbenna@fs.fed.us with your name, the name of the organization with which you are affiliated, if any, and your telephone number. Include in your email your primary area of interest by noting your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of the Concurrent Breakout Listening Sessions listed below. We will make every effort to accommodate everyone. Please also let us know if you have any special needs.

In the event you are unable to participate in person, please submit your comments and stories via the America’s Great Outdoors website at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.

If you have questions, please contact Tiffany Benna at 603.536.6241, or tbenna@fs.fed.us.

We hope you will participate and look forward to hearing from you.

Choice of Concurrent Breakout Listening Sessions:

1.. Promoting markets and providing incentives for traditional wood products and new markets for working forests;

2.. Providing incentives, investments and policies to support the strategic conservation of working forest landscapes;

3.. Providing incentives, investments and policies to re-connect Americans, including outdoor recreation and educational experiences, to working forests;

4.. Maintaining and managing working forests in the face of climate change; and

5.. Engaging youth to be the future conservation leaders of working forests

The America’s Great Outdoors Team

For more information on this initiative, please visit http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors

New Information:

Jonathan Jourdane
Office of External Affairs
Department of the Interior
202.208.5636
Jonathan_Jourdane@ios.doi.gov

-----Here is the Obama America’s Great Outdoors Website:

http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

More Info: You can find more information on the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments on-line at: http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

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-----Background Information:

Obama launches America's Great Outdoors conservation initiative

By Juliet Eilperin and Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 17, 2010; A02

President Obama launched the America's Great Outdoors initiative Friday, an attempt to reshape U.S. conservation policy at a time when the nation is facing new environmental threats but the government is hard-pressed to afford new spending programs.

In a brief speech at the Interior Department, Obama said he intends to build on "a breathtaking legacy of conservation that still enhances our lives." He said the tradition began with Theodore Roosevelt, whom he described as "one of my favorite presidents," although he added, "I will probably never shoot a bear."

Obama said the nation's growing population, pollution and other factors are "putting a rising strain on our lands." He said government cannot address conservation issues alone, and he urged private industry, local communities, Native American leaders and volunteers to help protect the outdoors.

"Even in times of crisis, we're called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage, because in doing so, we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us as Americans and as inhabitants of this same small planet," Obama said. "And that is the responsibility that we are rising to meet today."

Full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505766.html

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