Posted on 09/21/2002 12:19:58 PM PDT by farmfriend
Grange A Major Player In The Sawgrass Rebellion
The California State Grange is positioning itself as a major participant in the Property Rights war between preservationists and conservationists. State President Leo Bergeron has stated that the Grange must be true to its roots, and to do that, it must once again be ready to fight the forces that would curtail the rights of the individual to own and to utilize their property as guaranteed by the U. S. Constitution.
"The Grange was formed 135 years ago to preserve agriculture in this country," he said.. "Today, the Grange is taking steps to preserve those guarantees we fought so hard for. In essence, we are fighting to preserve a lifestyle in this country, a lifestyle exemplified by Rural America." He is putting action behind those words.
Homestead, Florida is roughly 3300 miles as the crow flies from the Klamath Basin. But the cavalry "charging" to defend beleaguered property owners at the tip of Florida will travel many more miles than that. The "Bucket Brigade" from the Klammath Basin will meet up with the "Shovel Brigade" from Nevada and "The Stewards of the Darby" from Ohio and together with representatives of nearly 700 other groups, will march into Homestead to protest the flooding of farms, homes and cities by our government.
In California, rallies are planned in Tracy and in Sacramento. On September 29th, a rally will be held in Tracy. The rally will gather at the Park and Ride adjacent to the West Valley Mall and Interstate Highway 205. The rally will start at roughly 2 p.m., when the convoy is scheduled to arrive from the Klammath Basin in Oregon, Congressman Richard Pombo is scheduled to address the rally at 3 p.m. Other speakers include Leo Bergeron, CEO of the California State Grange, Michael Shaw of Freedom 21, a representative of the Mountain Coalition, and others The event is being sponsored by the Homestead Land and Water Alliance of Tracy.
An auction of donated goods will be held with the proceeds donated to the Sawgrass Rebellion, the umbrella organization founded in South Florida to protect citizens property rights through legislation, litigation and public education. The local FFA chapter has been invited to provide food as a fundraiser for their Chapter.
The following day, September 30, the California State Grange has obtained a permit to hold a rally on the steps of the Capitol Building. Assemblyman Mike Briggs (Dist. 29) and Senator Thomas "Rico" Oller (Dist. 1) have facilitated in setting up the rally. Speakers include Legislators, and representatives from the California State Grange, Pacific Legal Foundation, California Farm Bureau, and People for the U.S.A. Also scheduled is Holly Swanson, the author of "Set Up and Sold Out!" We have asked that Governor Davis (or a representative from his office) be on hand to accept a symbolic bucket and shovel.
Activities are scheduled to begin on the South Steps of the Capitol building at 11:30am, and conclude about 3:00pm. Again, there will be an auction held as a fundraiser for the Sawgrass Rebellion Organization.
Why a march on Florida? To remind our Government that the Constitution of the United States should not be abrogated by regulatory fiat from bureaucrats.
Ill-conceived land use policy is again wreaking havoc in the lives of American citizens; this time in Southern Florida. In order to "restore the Everglades", the Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service have flooded tens of thousands of acres of prime farmland and residential neighborhoods. The community, which government agencies call the "8.5 Square Mile Area," is made up of small, family-owned farms and ranches. Most farms are five to ten acres in size. Over half the land is used for some form of commercial agricultural production.
Devastating floods in the early 20th century resulted in a massive federal program that constructed 1,700 miles of canals and levees to control the floods and supply water to more than a half-million acres of newly-created agricultural land. Now, six million residents, and nearly 40 million tourists (the city of Miami is affected by this system), rely on the flood control system created by the government. No restoration plan can be devised that will not adversely affect these people.
In 1989, Congress passed the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act. This Act told the Park Service it could buy up all the vacant land in the Northeast Shark River Slough. It also told the Corps to do two things: provide the park with a more natural hydrologic regime, and protect the communities that would be impacted by this. The Corps developed the Modified Water Delivery Project, and the C-111Canal, to do just that. The projects were Congressionally approved and fully federally funded in 1992. The plan had the approval of agriculture, industrial users, public consumption (the city of Miami) and the government.
But neither project has been constructed. Rather than protect the private land owners, the Corps of Engineers now wants to flood two-thirds of the area. Why? Supposedly to protect the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow's environment. Like the fish in the Klamath Basin, imminently qualified scientists have disputed the validity of the action, and like Klamath, the science used to determine the listing has never been peer-reviewed.
The value of the land has plummeted. The few owners who want to sell, cannot sell at a price that will cover their mortgage. Most of the owners don't want to sell. They want the Corps to do what Congress instructed them to do in 1989.
Among the organizations that are promoting the restoration project are: The Nature Conservancy, which received more than $136 million in federal grants between 1997 and 2001; The Audubon Society, recipients of $10 million in federal grants during the same period, and the World Wildlife Fund, which has received more than $70 million in federal grants. The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society funded the writing of The Wildlands Project, according to its author, Reed Noss.
Yet many argue this "restoration" project has already imperiled viability of species such as the Everglades Tree Snail, and the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, which it purports to protect.
Jan Michael Jacobson is the Director of the Everglades Institute. For the last 30 years, Jacobson has lived deep in Florida's Everglades. He is a former board member of the Florida Sierra Club. An unabashed environmentalist and scientist, Mr. Jacobson has joined the growing coalition of residents, farmers and recreational groups in South Florida who are fighting back. Indeed, Jacobson has produced scientific evidence that federal agencies are destroying the Everglades with their unnatural flooding. And his land is among that which is totally swamped, with no dry land.
According to an extensive report in the Washington Post, Stuart J. Appelbaum, the Army Corps of Engineers man in charge, says "We have no idea if this will work." The EPA's South Florida Director says of the project, "It's falling apart before my eyes." And Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, Bob Gasaway, says "I don't see a shred of evidence that all this money will help the environment."
So far, there has been at least $1 billion in flood-related losses and 14 flood-related deaths. Fifty-year old avocado and mango groves are dead. Government stockpiled water raises the groundwater throughout the county. During heavy rainstorms, the entire County floods. Over half the tree islands in the glades are dead, and endangered species are being impacted. Over half the 55 miles of unpaved roads in the community are no longer passable to regular vehicles.
Yet, the government continues flooding, to convert these American farmers and ranchers to "willing sellers", who then must leave their land, dreams, and children's future behind. Many farms and ranches have already been bulldozed to the bare ground!
It has been reported that the goal of the so-called "environmental movement" is to convert 90% of the state of Florida to federal land, providing habitat for any species except human. Déjà vu! Only this time it's not the Russians who want to bury us, it's some of our own citizens.
NorCal-Cap Area Chapter web site.
Yes, Lager was a great help. He filed all the paper work for the permit etc. He and Saundra continue to be wonderful support.
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