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Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 16:47:11 -0500
From: Parklines <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: National Park Lines 2001-15
National Park Lines 2001-15, Friday, April 13, 2001
News for NPCA's Park Action Network
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Take Action Center:
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/
Become a Member of NPCA: http://www.npca.org/support_npca/
In This Issue:
1.Support Rep. Holt's Bill to Ban Snowmobiles in Parks
2.Bush Parks Budget Makes Little Progress
3.Jet Skis / PWCs - Good News & Bad News!
4.What are YOU doing for Earth Day?
5.Park Speak
6.Sample Letters for Non-Web Users
SUPPORT REP. HOLT'S BILL TO BAN SNOWMOBILES IN PARKS:
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ Reports that
the Administration, through a closed-door settlement with
the snowmobile industry, wants to overturn the NPS rule to
phase-out snowmobiles -a rule supported by 85% of the public
comments received- has led Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) to fight
back. Along with 17 other members of Congress, Rep. Holt
has introduced "The National Parks Snowmobile Restrictions
Act of 2001" (H.R. 1465) to protect national parks from
excessive use of these inappropriate machines. TAKE ACTION!
Go to http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ and
send a free letter to your members of Congress urging them
to co-sponsor H.R. 1465. The letter extends a thank you in
case your member has already co-sponsored the bill. To find
out if she/he has or not, you can contact
[log in to unmask] or visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type
in the bill number. For more information about this
legislation, contact [log in to unmask] If you do not have
access to the web, a sample letter and contact information
are provided below.
BUSH PARKS BUDGET MAKES LITTLE PROGRESS:
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ Last
September, candidate George W. Bush criticized the Clinton
Administration for its failure to respond to the increasing
pressures of park visitation and made a commitment to
"preserve the natural beauty that draws us [to the national
parks]." However, this budget proposal makes little
progress for the parks, and what progress is made focuses on
roads and roofs instead of wildlife and antiquities. The
budget distributed on 4/9/01, looks like a C- effort at
best. This budget does not show leadership on park
protection, nor does it make a bold statement about park
protection. It is hard to see how President Bush is working
to restore the parks and fund park protection in the short
term. TAKE ACTION! Go to
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ and send a
free letter to President Bush, urging him to redirect the
Administration's efforts towards greater park resource
protection. For more information on the budget proposal,
contact [log in to unmask] If you do not have access to
the web, a sample letter and contact information are
provided below.
JET SKIS / PWCs - GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS:
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ The fight to
keep jet skis and other personal watercraft (PWCs) out of
national parks continues. The good news is that Cape Cod
National Seashore (MA) has gained further protections.
Furthermore, a federal judge has agreed that the National
Park Service must prohibit PWC use nationally unless they
successfully complete a full environmental review as
required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
This process must be completed no later than the fall of
2002. But, the challenge continues. House Reps. Jim Hansen
(UT), Joel Hefley (CO), and Walter Jones (NC) have asked
Interior Secretary Gale Norton to overrule the
Superintendent of Cape Lookout National Seashore and put jet
skis back into that beautiful barrier island park. This
isn't just about Cape Lookout NS, folks, it's about the
national rule! TAKE ACTION: Go to
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ and send a
free letter to Secretary Norton and tell her to support the
park's decision to keep jet skis out. If you are from CO,
NC or UT, please also visit
http://npcaAction.ctsg.com/index.asp?step=2&item=321 to send
a letter to the above members of Congress, and tell them we
don't want more noise and pollution in our park waters. For
more information contact NPCA Director of Park Recreation &
Use Kevin Collins at [log in to unmask] or visit
http://www.npca.org/across_the_nation/visitor_experience/.
If you don't have access to the web, sample letters and
contact information are provided below!
HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR EARTH DAY? We have a great
idea! Join up with a March for Parks in your area - it's an
NPCA Earth Day event, and hundreds of local, state and
national parks will be celebrating Earth Day park-style!
Find one in your area by going to:
http://www.npca.org/take_action/march_for_parks/events.asp.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-AREA PARK ADVOCATES - JOIN US ON APRIL 21!
Next Saturday, April 21, NPCA will be joining with our D.C.
Community Partners and holding a March for Parks -
Neighborhood Appreciation Day at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens!
We're looking for volunteers to help us with some community
projects such as river clean-up, wildflower planting,
birdhouse building, and more! Come on out and meet NPCA
staff, join the parade, hear music, watch spectacular
dancers perform, view a native reptile and amphibian
program, TAKE ACTION, and so much more!! To learn more
about this event and how you can volunteer visit
www.npca.org/take_action/march_for_parks/kenilworth.asp or
contact [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], or
[log in to unmask] To learn more about our March for Parks
Program visit
http://www.npca.org/take_action/march_for_parks/
and to learn more about NPCA's Community Partners Program
visit
www.npca.org/cultural_diversity/community_partnerships/.
We can't wait to meet you and believe me when I say;
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is one special park you won't
want to miss! Rain or shine - it's free - celebrate with
us!
PARK SPEAK: (Note: Sorry for last week's snafu! Here's the
Wallace Stegner quote you might have thought was coming! To
thank you for your patience, you get a "double-feature" Park
Speak!)
"Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever
let the remaining wilderness be destroyed=85 Without any
remaining wilderness, we are committed wholly, without
chance of even momentary reflection and rest, to a headlong
drive into our technological termite-life, the Brave New
World of a completely man-controlled environment."
- Wallace Stegner
"We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity
belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which
we belong, we will begin to use it with love and respect." -
Anonymous
SAMPLE LETTERS & CONTACT INFORMATION: If you can access the
web, just go to
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ Otherwise,
use the sample letters below to send your own message. If
you are not sure how to contact your member of Congress,
contact [log in to unmask] for assistance.
SUPPORT REP. HOLT'S BILL TO BAN SNOWMOBILES IN PARKS: Write
your Representative and urge him/her to co-sponsor this
important legislation. If they already have, send them a
thank you note! If you need assistance, contact
[log in to unmask]
The Honorable (Your House Member)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 1465, the
National Park Snowmobile Restrictions Act of 2001.
Introduced by Representative Rush Holt, this bill would
enact overall National Park Service standards developed last
year on where snowmobile use should be allowed in national
parks. It would not affect snowmobile use outside of
national parks.
On January 22, 2001, the National Park Service published a
rule in the Federal Register to phase out snowmobiles in
Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Open for the
public's opinion, this rule was supported by 85% of the
public comments received. The Administration, however, has
chosen to ignore the voice of the people, and has already
delayed the effective date of this rule by 60 days, until
later this month. Now there are reports that the
Administration wants to overturn the rule by settling a
lawsuit, without going through a new, public rulemaking
process.
The people have already spoken - we want our national parks
protected, and we want snowmobiles phased out. For the sake
of the public process and our priceless national parks, I
urge you to co-sponsor Rep. Holt's bill, H.R. 1465.
If you have recently become a co-sponsor of H.R. 1465, I
sincerely thank you for your dedication to protecting our
national parks.
Sincerely,
BUSH PARKS BUDGET MAKES LITTLE PROGRESS: Write to President
Bush at [log in to unmask] and urge him to redirect
his Administration's efforts towards greater park RESOURCE
protections!
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush,
I am writing in regards to your Administration's national
parks budget proposal.
In response to the increasing pressures of park visitation,
you had made a commitment to "preserve the natural beauty
that draws us [to the national parks]." However, your
budget proposal of April 9, 2001, makes little progress for
the parks, and what progress is made focuses on roads and
roofs instead of wildlife and antiquities.
This budget does not show leadership on park protection, nor
does it make a bold statement about park protection. Every
day, more money is needed to operate our national parks. In
total, the parks need $600 million more per year to protect
resources.
Continued commitment to fund the Natural Resource Challenge
is indeed encouraging news. This will give our national
parks needed assistance in understanding some resource
problems. Unfortunately, it is simply not enough. It is
hard to see how your Administration is working to restore
the parks and fund park protection in the short term.
With such a strong statement on national parks last year,
the American people had hoped for a strong commitment in
this budget. I urge you to redirect your Administration's
efforts towards greater resource protection.
Sincerely,
JET SKIS / PWCs - THE GOOD NEWS & THE BAD NEWS: Please
contact Sec. Gale Norton and urge her to uphold the PWC ban
at Cape Lookout National Seashore, and to ultimately uphold
the national rule to protect parks from these inappropriate
machines. If you live in CO, UT, or NC, please see Letter
#2, and send a message to your Representative letting them
know you don't want PWCs in our park waters!
LETTER #1: [log in to unmask]
The Honorable Gale Norton
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Secretary Norton:
I am writing to urge that you uphold the recent decision
made by Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, to
ban Personal Watercraft (PWCs, also known as Jet Skis) from
national park waters.
The public strongly supports the removal of these noisy,
polluting thrill-craft from all of our national park waters.
In Provincetown, MA, adjacent to Cape Cod National Seashore
(MA), the people have voted on further restrictions
regarding PWC use. Nationally, a federal judge agreed that
the National Park Service must prohibit PWC use unless
environmental reviews are successfully completed.
My concerns aren't just with Cape Lookout - I am concerned
about all of our national park waters plagued by PWCs. The
use of PWCs is entirely inappropriate. I urge you to stand
behind the public and the parks, and uphold the ban at Cape
Lookout National Seashore, as well as the national rule.
LETTER #2
Reps. Jim Hansen (R?UT): FAX ONLY: 202-225-5857
Joel Hefley (R?CO) FAX ONLY: 202-225-1942
Walter Jones (R?NC): [log in to unmask]
The Honorable (Reps Name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
I am writing regarding the use of personal watercraft (PWCs,
or Jet Skis) in our national park waters.
These noisy, polluting thrill-craft do not belong in our
national park waters. They disturb wildlife, pollute the
air and water, and are a nuisance to park visitors. They
contradict the mission of the National Park System, which is
to preserve the resources for the enjoyment of future
generations UNIMPAIRED.
The Superintendent at Cape Lookout National Seashore made
the right decision to ban PWCs at this park. It is in the
best interest of the park, and park visitors. We don't
want more noise and pollution in our national park waters.
Sincerely,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*National Park Lines is a publication of the National Parks
Conservation Association's Park Action Network. To learn
how you and your friends can become more involved in
national park advocacy, contact our grassroots staff at
[log in to unmask] Take Action! Sign your friends up!
Just go to http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/.
Comments? Suggestions? Tell us how we can improve! Write
[log in to unmask] Learn more about NPCA at www.npca.org.
To be removed from this list please send an email to
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Photographer
The University of Iowa
University Communications & Outreach - Publications
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http://www.uiowa.edu/~urpubs/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
voice: 319 384-0053
fax: 319 384-0055
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