**You can reach your elected officials through the Capitol Hill switchboard
at (202) 224-3121.  Please call now.**

The Omnibus Bill has moved to House "floor" for debate and the "motion to
recommit" vote is scheduled for tonight. It moves to the Senate after the
House has completed its action.

Moderate Republicans in the House yesterday helped to remove some offensive
riders that threatened the National Forests in Alaska from the huge spending
bill, but, there still remain several damaging riders that are totally
unacceptable.

In the Senate, please call Senator Harkin and ask him to support a
filibuster to strip the remaining Tongass Rider off the bill. Right now both
Senators Boxer and Harkin have expressed some interest in doing a
filibuster.  We need to get more Senators to sign on to supporting a
filibuster -- TODAY.  Also please distribute this e-mail to others who might
be helpful.  The more quality calls the better.

1. Urge your U.S. Representative to VOTE YES ON THE MOTION TO RECOMMIT.
Rep. Obey (D-WI) is leading an effort to stop the riders by asking
Representatives to vote to "recommit" the bill to negotiations.  He needs
the support of your Representative. The have scheduled the vote for 7:00 pm
tonight, Thursday. Please call your Representative and urge him or her to
"Oppose ALL anti-environmental riders and support the 'motion to recommit."

2. Urge our U.S. Senators to SUPPORT EFFORTS TO DEFEAT ALL
ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL RIDERS.
In the Senate, there is an effort underway to strip the remaining riders
and improve funding for conservation programs.  We need your Senators to
raise objections to these riders.  Please call your Senators and urge them
to "Oppose ALL anti-environmental riders and support any efforts to remove
them."

The Bill still contains the following anti-environmental riders:

* Tongass Anti-Wilderness Language which rubber-stamp a wilderness review on
the Tongass that is not even complete yet, precluding any appeals or court
actions regardless of potentially significant legal violations and disdain
of public comments.Could this action ever be explained or justified to
Americans?  No. Under this rider, the Forest Service would be accountable to
NO ONE.

* The Stewardship Contracting rider which would turn management of public
forests over to the timber industry by allowing the agencies to enter into
an unlimited number of 10-year contracts with logging companies between now
and 2013 to would let them significantly increase logging on public lands
with little congressional oversight.

* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge language which permits the use of FY 2003
funds to conduct work in preparation for oil leasing in the Refuge, without
Congress specifically appropriating such funds.

* Language which exempts renewal of the aging Trans Alaska Pipeline from
environmental and public review.

Other riders still remaining include the following:
- Yazoo Pumps projects in Mississippi would authorize damaging and wasteful
activities
- Devils Lake project, another new Corps of Engineers boondoggle

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