HR Bill 1505 allows for DHS takeover of seashores and coastal areas

Lossofprivacy.com ^ | 7/22/11 | Irene

[Nachum]

A new house bill wants to allow the Department of Homeland Security to have jurisdiction over all federal lands on national seashores and coastal areas.

HR Bill 1505, the “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act,” would force the Secretary of the Interior to cede authority of coastal public lands, as well as lands located along the borders of Canada and Mexico, to the Secretary of Homeland Security when the latter sees fit. It would give the Dept. of Homeland Security the ability to construct roads and fences, deploy patrol vehicles and set up “monitoring equipment” in the National Seashore with impunity. And it would waive the need for the Dept. of Homeland Security to comply with environmental laws in areas within 100 miles of a coastline or international border.

The laws from which the Dept. of Homeland Security would be exempt include the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Air Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and virtually every other piece of environmental legislation passed by Congress.

The bill is not without opposition. Congressman William Keating , who also sits on the House committee for Homeland Security, is concerned about the language in the bill as it appears to allow for outright destruction of parts of the United States as long as the DHS claims that there is some sort of security risk. There are also massive environmental and legislative problems to be taken into consideration as well.

…the proposed legislation would give unprecedented authority to a single federal agency to destroy wildlife habitat and wetlands, impair downstream water quality and restrict activities such as hunting, fishing and grazing. It would leave Congress and the public without a voice, even though at stake are hundreds of popular destinations,” including Glacier National Park, the Great Lakes, the California coastline and Cape Cod, said Jane Danowitz, director of U.S. public lands for the Pew Environment Group.

Areas in which environmental laws would be waived under the proposed law include the entire border of Alaska, most of Puerto Rico, all of Hawaii and all of Florida. Other national parks that be would affected include Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainer National Park in Washington, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Big Bend National Park in Texas, Acadia National Park in Maine and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.

This is far too sweeping legislation. It essentially allows the DHS to do whatever it wants, including destroying habitats and coastlines, all in the name of security. There would be no oversight and no recourse for anyone or anything in the affected areas.

When is this overreaching of government going to be enough? Would you like to visit any of the places named above if they were swarming with armed military, checkpoints, and “random” stops, especially if you had no recourse to complain about them? What are the “other purposes” in this bill and just how far will it be stretched to fit the mission of the DHS as it changes day to day? We need to stop this bill while it’s still in committee. Once it becomes a law, these former parks and seashores will no longer be a place for a family to enjoy a weekend together. It will be a militarized border, questionable to no one.

[Joe Brower]

"This would encompass all of Florida." Great.

I am once again reminded, "A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves"...

Florida Freeper

[little jeremiah]

Thanks. Their silence means one of three things IMO:

1. It’s okay by them, or no big deal.

2. It’s not okay by them, but they’re neutered wabbits wetting their pants in fear.

3. It’s not okay by them and they plan to change it later when they can.

Unfortunately I am sure it is not #3. For most of them, they seem on board to a large degree, also there’s the aspect of riding the gravy train until the wheels fall off hoping they can jump off just before it goes over the cliff.

[GOPJ]

"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves"

Great quote - thanks for the ping.

[GOPJ]

Would you like to visit any of the places named above if they were swarming with armed military, checkpoints, and “random” stops...

More 'laws' - less freedom...

[Greenperson]

Oh, I hear you, Joe. Totally.

The infringement came when they passed all these bills. ALL should be repealed, instead of simply waived for Border Patrol. All these bills are arguably unconstitutional. The left uses these types of nice-sounding bills (who is against clean water?) to impose restrictions on the freedom of the people and, especially, landowners.

I hate the DHS, too. Too much power. That’s always the problem. They invent these agencies without considering how they can be used in the wrong hands.

All Americans need to be suspicious of anything this government does. We need to go way back to America as envisioned by the Founders. Land of the FREE. Government OF, BY, and FOR the people instead of the reverse.

I simply wanted to enter additional facts into evidence. For everybody’s consideration.