[XRdsRev]

National Heritage Areas are not allowed by law to use Federal money they receive for land purchases. Some NHA's don't even own any land. The NHA's are overseen and administered by PRIVATE organizations made up boards of directors to which any private citizen can apply for consideration to become a board member.

The only way a National Heritage Area can buy land is to raise the money itself or they can use a state program if applicable to get money (just like any municipality or non-profit can).

The whole concept of National Heritage Areas is so as not to create new National parks but instead to help related privately owned and publicly owned sites to come together and tell their story in a coherent way and to pool resources so they can spend their money and plan their interpretation etc. in a cohesive and economical way.

Every proposed National Heritage Area goes through a process of public input long before it ever gets to a vote at the Federal level. Pro and con forces have time to say their piece and contact their legislators to support or oppose any proposed area. Usually there are a series of public meetings at which time anyone can speak about what they want or don't want from a NHA. All Federal funding and designations only last for 10 years and then have to be resubmitted for approval which is a difficult and time consuming process.

[Sweetjustusnow]

Oh wake up. Your post is so absurd. Take a little lesson from the past history of these two faced, swindlers. You can start here; http://www.prfamerica.org/
http://www.americanpolicy.org/prop/main.htm (See: More Articles at the bottom of the APC site).
http://www.castlecoalition.org/
http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/nationalpsfrms.htm
"The proposed National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Act would appoint an arts, tourism, and preservation organization, the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance, as the "managing entity" of the area. Their plan for managing the area's natural and cultural resources would be subject to the approval of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

The Alliance would receive $10 million in matching federal money for tourism promotion, "heritage" businesses, and preservation. Critics are concerned that the bill gives unilateral federal authority to a private group for managing public funds and resources. They are also concerned about federal control of economic policy and possible property rights infringements".

(Duh....ya think)?

Clauses in the bill prevent the Alliance from legislating on property rights or purchasing property, but property rights advocates claim that federal and matching money, government or non-government, will come with strings attached to zoning and land use regulation. Heritage area proponents boost the legislation as economic development, but critics point to negative social and economic impacts of government-sponsored tourism programs in other parts of the West".

One of the quickest ways to 'connect the dots' is to visit http://www.Google.com and search the official government websites. There's no need to look for 'conspiracy theories' when a look directly into the horse's mouth will tell the true story.
Unless you believe that that the Trojan horse at the gates is nothing more than a large kid's toy.

Then take a look at the abundance of grassroots organizations that are trying to stop these infringements from OCTA and others. They get their hearings alright, but their voices are ignored. They also have more citizens voicing objection than the stinking organizations that wish to steal others property for their own purposes.
That so called " pubic input" you refer to by citizens is a bald faced lie. The only input is from special interest groups such as OCTA. They go on to posted private property with out the land owners permission. The land owner is kept in the dark if at all possible. Why do you think that is?
If you care to find out more about their doings read the stories at the APC site under Property Rights. My own story is there as well.

All the feel good rhetoric doesn't white wash the history of the NPS and their "foot soldiers".

Take a look at the map on this site of the property that is already in the hands of the US Government.
http://www.freedom21.org/alternative-2/chapter2.htm

One other thing, there is a segment of people in this country who are in top positions of power that worship the dead instead of honoring the living. I'll leave it to you to guess who they are. Sound intriguing? I hope so.

[o_zarkman44]

The Sierry Club and other similar organizations are more than willing to buy out BLM leases in order to protect the land. I am sure those environmental groups have some fat contributors just waiting to designate someone elses land away from private ownership and control.

[Terriergal]

National Heritage Areas are not allowed by law to use Federal money they receive for land purchases

Ok so they just need to shuffle the shells a little more.

[Terriergal]

All Federal funding and designations only last for 10 years and then have to be resubmitted for approval which is a difficult and time consuming process.

And because it was so difficult to obtain you KNOW that land will never NOT belong to the government again.

[nygoose]

So, I guess everything is ok and the feds are not expanding their land holdings. Whew, I was worried for a while.