CA: State considers melding Sierra conservancies

Sac Bee ^ | 7/18/04 | Eric Stern

[NormsRevenge]

Along a stretch of a state highway leading to Yosemite National Park, a band of conservationists has been buying up vacant land.

The group has cobbled together about 400 acres in a desirable meadow off Highway 120.

But the scrappy Tuolumne County Land Trust is no match for a proposed golf-course community that would rise next to its land onto a spur of Table Mountain, a 500-foot lava formation fabled by Western author Bret Harte. "A little land trust like ours - nobody even listens to us," said Marlee Powell, who also is Sonora's mayor.

The only way to compete with developers is to get more money, she said. So the land trust is closely watching a bill in the Legislature that would create a Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

AB 2600 is five years in the making and would create a massive government branch stretching across 20 counties in the snow-capped mountain range.

[NormsRevenge]

It's "melding" time :-\

catchy bumper sticker

[calcowgirl]

Sierra Conservancy Ping

[farmfriend]

For a comprehensive thread on this bill:

Socialist agenda being pushed through the California Legislature

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I am starting a bill tracking news letter. Please contact me if you are interested in receiving it.

[NormsRevenge]

Great thread, I'll pass on the newsletter! Thanks!

What would life be like if we had a part-time legislature 8-?

I hear Ted Costa is rolling again with a reform initiative too... along with a bunch of other initiatives etc..

[SierraWasp]

John Gamper, director of taxation and land use at the California Farm Bureau Federation, said taking more land off local property tax rolls "to build bike trails in El Dorado Hills" is absurd. He said many counties with large swaths of tax-free government land can't afford to give up any more."

READ THIS YOU FREEPERS!!! IF THIS ISN'T A CAUSE CELEB FOR WWW.FREEREPUBLIC.COM... WHAT IS???

I simply cannot understand the abject apathy on this subject on this fantastic site!!! Can someone explain it to me???

We fought for Klamath Falls, we fought for the FL swamp people, now are we going to let them abort property rights and slap another layer of government on the people of the Sierra-Nevada??? Unbelievable if true!!!

[farmfriend]

Now now, the florida swamp thing was killed by this forum too. My chapter co-leader was even banned over it. My fight with the mods goes way back.

[SierraWasp]

During the committee hearing, held in a room with a mural of the Yosemite Valley, Sen. Rico Oller, R-San Andreas, said the bill infringes on the personal freedom of landowners.

"It will be exactly what we fear," he said.

[hedgetrimmer]

I'm going to write an article about the conservancy for a foothill newspaper.

What are the most important areas to hit on, in your opinions? I'd appreciate your input.

[calcowgirl]

The conservancy estimates it will need about $300,000 annually for staffing, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Deirdre Alpert, D-San Diego, has expressed reservations about spending money on a new state agency during a budget crisis.

You know, SW, maybe the way to beat this thing for now, especially for those of us who have Dems "representing" them, is to call/write and just scream about the money. Alpert is supposedly on the edge because of the budget crisis. I think I'll send some new letters saying "we can't afford it". Maybe that's easy enough for these leftists to understand.

This year's effort has gained momentum with the support of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called the Sierra range "one of the state's crown jewels" during last year's campaign. He has dispatched officials from his Resources Agency to hammer out a deal.

Of course, I'll send another reminder to Arnold, too. He seems to forget he is a Republican "fiscal conservative".

[Jim Robinson]

Horse hocky. The guy couldn't stand the fact that his chapter events were not allowed in breaking news and quit. ALL chapters post their events into activism, not breaking news. Breaking news is usually reserved for BREAKING NEWS items.

[SierraWasp]

"Even though the intent of the conservancy is to preserve land, the idea runs counter to the independent spirit of longtime Sierra residents and ranchers, said Brent Harrington, president of the Regional Council of Rural Counties."

Finally! Someone has spoken out from this collection of over 20 Sierran County Supervisors against this socialistic land scheme to suffocate individual freedom to not only "own," but to control what one owns!!!

[farmfriend]

The guy couldn't stand the fact that his chapter events were not allowed in breaking news and quit. ALL chapters post their events into activism, not breaking news. Breaking news is usually reserved for BREAKING NEWS items.

This is true but at the time there were two other chapter posting in breaking news that were allowed to stay. None of their stuff was time sensitive like ours. The rule you are siting was only created afterwards.

[Jim Robinson]

B/S

[farmfriend]

B/S

I can prove it but will take this off the forum if that is agreeable to you.

[Jim Robinson]

Forget it. The guy was not banned. He quit because he couldn't stand to abide by some very simple rules.

[calcowgirl]

I'm going to write an article about the conservancy for a foothill newspaper.
What are the most important areas to hit on, in your opinions? I'd appreciate your input.

You know, I am probably the least versed in this subject of those who have been fighting these battles for years. I only started reading about the Sierra Nevada conservancy and others 6 months ago or so. What I read, I didn't like. I am generally most outraged at the assault on private property rights and also the opportunity for corruption. The inside deals, land swaps, unelected officials getting paid excessive salaries, unmonitored elections and taxing procedures, etc. are rampant. The Washington Post did a good series a year or so ago on the sleazy maneuvers of the Nature Conservancy. The Malibu Times has exposed many problems with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Many others are cropping up across the nation.

Maybe someone else can get you focused on the key points... there certainly is enough material out there. I haven't kept a good set of links, but I'd be willing to round some up if you need them. Sorry I can't help more... I am still learning on this subject. (Maybe Rico Oller would be willing to give you some help?).

QUOTATION: The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.

ATTRIBUTION: Karl Marx (1818–1883), German political theorist, social philosopher, and Friedrich Engels (1829–1895), German political theorist, social philosopher. repr. In Karl Marx: Selected Works, vol. 1 (1942). The Communist Manifesto, sct. 2 (1848).

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Can someone explain it to me???

2004 election.....Soros......||||War on Terror....Iraq;.....Iran;;;;Pakistan;;;;;;Waziristan.... the list goes on....

[Carry_Okie]

This is about water ht. With control of water control of land is a snap. The Sierra range is the largest water collector in the state. In order to make water scarce and big tracts of land cheap, just push farmers out of business (while cashing in on foreign ag) with a higher price for water. Pop up conservancies and open space to maintain a land shortage and mark up all those houses their friends (such as Kaufman and Broad) will build.

In order to make water expensive, list fish, frogs, salamanders, whatever with the only remedial action being releasing more water from dams. They'll demand more summer flow than ever occured naturally (Klamath and the Columbia are both precedents there). The only alternative for developing more water will then be desalinization. Because the RICOnuts won't allow nuclear they'll use GAS.

Hence the central position of the NRDC, in creating 303(d) TMDL regulations for nonpoint sources, in foisting the Conservancy through the governor's office, and in cashing in on natural gas shortages and high energy prices. They're the biggie in all this. TNC may have more money, but it's the NRDC that gets things done.