How to keep government accountable

CFP ^ | February 21, 2005 | Henry Lamb

[MikeEdwards]

The Missouri legislators, who read, before voting to approve a water law (HB1433) in the waning moments of last year’s session, no doubt, thought that they were creating something to help protect clean water in a nine-county area. That’s what they were told by reputable employees of the state agencies, and influential lobbyists from environmental organizations.

The new law created a nine-county district in which water policy would be developed and enforced by appointed--not elected--officials.

None realized that the law they adopted was, in fact, an important step toward the implementation of a plan conceived more than 15 years ago by government officials and environmental organizations convened by, and systematically working through, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, in Gland, Switzerland.

The plan, generically known as "ecosystem management," is designed to manage natural resources on an "ecosystem" basis, rather than on the basis of arbitrarily-drawn state and county political boundaries. Equally important, is the transfer of management authority from elected officials to appointed officials. The "watershed" is the primary building block of every ecosystem.

HB1433 successfully designated nine Missouri counties as a watershed, and created an appointed body to govern water--the essential ingredient in every ecosystem.

Ten years ago, in the same area of Missouri, the same government officials and environmental organizations attempted to impose the entire ecosystem management plan on the same area by proposing the creation of a UN Biosphere Reserve for Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. The plan failed because local citizens learned how the plan would diminish private property rights and transfer authority from local elected officials to professional bureaucrats. . . . .