Here is one of the Iowa News Service radio stories for today.

February 28, 2006

Is Your Favorite Getaway on the Auction Block?

Des Moines, IA - Hidden away in the President's proposed budget is the idea
of selling off thousands of acres of public land to help offset the cost of
certain programs.  An ill-conceived plan according to Doug Scott with the
Campaign for America's Wilderness.

Suggested script:  ONE OF THE ITEMS TUCKED AWAY IN THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSED
BUDGET IS SELLING OFF NEARLY 300 THOUSAND ACRES OF NATIONAL FOREST AND OTHER
PUBLIC LANDS AND USING THE ROUGHLY 800 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SALE TO PAY
FOR CERTAIN RURAL SCHOOL AND ROAD PROGRAMS.  DOUG SCOTT WITH THE CAMPAIGN
FOR AMERICA'S WILDERNESS SAYS IF YOUR VACATION GETAWAY IS ON THE LIST YOU
MAY BE LOCKED OUT.
"The only real reason why some private party would choose to buy a piece of
this land would be to develop it in some way. And one thing that we know for
certain it will not be used for is access to the public."

SCOTT SAYS THOUSANDS OF ACRES ON THE LIST TO BE SOLD ARE RIGHT NEXT DOOR IN
MINNESOTA, MISSOURI AND THE DAKOTAS.
"I know that on the list on are over 20 thousand acres of national forest
land in Missouri. I know that there's many thousands of acres of grasslands
administered by the U.S. Forest Service across South Dakota.  These are
places with trails, with fishing streams, with hunting opportunities."

Suggested tag: SCOTT IS CONCERNED THAT FEDERAL LAND SALES ARE BEING DRIVEN
BY THE NEED TO BALANCE THE FEDERAL BUDGET RATHER THAN EFFICIENTLY MANAGING
FEDERAL FORESTS.

Editor's note: Doug Scott is at 206-2000-0804.  For more information go to
www.leaveitwild.org

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