We've had enough!

Who could have guessed that South Florida's swamps would become the staging ground for what is shaping up to be the biggest battle for property rights this country has ever seen? The immediate target is the CERP – the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. The bigger target is The Wildlands Project, but the real target is the basis on which land-use management regulations are formulated.

Land-management policy, once the exclusive domain of local elected officials, has been hijacked by environmental ideologues who have devised a new "collaborative" decision process to advance their conservation objectives, leaving the regulated community with no one to hold accountable at the ballot box.

When government agencies began condemning land, flooding farms, forcing conservation easements and, in general, displacing private land owners to make way for the Everglades Restoration Plan, the people most affected got together and decided that "we've had enough."

Some of these folks were not even aware that they are simply the latest victims of a national program to transform America into what is described as The Wildlands Project – an effort to convert "at least half" of America's land area into wilderness, off limits to humans, and put most of the remaining land under strict government control.

The people who live in the Klamath Basin know lots about The Wildlands Project. Federal agencies and environmental organizations used the Endangered Species Act as an excuse to shut off water to 1,400 farm families in an effort to force the land owners off their land.

The people in Ohio's proposed Darby Refuge area know lots about The Wildlands Project. The Nature Conservancy, and other environmental organizations attempted to drive out private land owners from nearly 50,000 acres of prime farmland to create a wildlife refuge.

All across the country, communities are facing the same kind of transformation, forcing private land owners off their land, to expand wilderness areas, corridors, or buffer zones – consistent with the objectives of The Wildlands Project.

In official parlance, The Wildlands Project is known as "ecosystem management," and "sustainable development." Scores of different techniques are used to slowly tighten government's grip on land use, either by outright acquisition of private land, purchase of development rights, conservation easements, zoning restrictions or in-your-face regulatory control.

For years, property-rights groups have been waging almost futile battles at the local and state levels. Several of these groups met in Alamogordo, N.M., in May to begin to develop a national strategy to combat the erosion of property rights, and stop the relentless spread of The Wildlands Project.

Jay Walley, of the Paragon Foundation, one of the sponsors of the Alamogordo meeting, met with several grassroots organizations in South Florida on June 29. These organizations are joining forces to create a statewide coalition of organizations, which will be supported by hundreds of organizations from all across America.

The Freedom 21 Campaign, meeting in Nashville, Tenn., on July 19-20, will refine the plans that were launched at Alamogordo. Among the issues to be addressed, is a strategy to stop the transformation of America into the wilderness vision presented by The Wildlands Project.

Early ideas favor revival of the "caravans" that brought thousands of people from across America to Klamath Basin, and to the Darby, to insist that government get out of the way and let the people live their own lives. A few weeks before the November elections, caravans from every corner of the country could converge in the swamps of Florida, bringing thousands of people not only to demonstrate solidarity with the Everglades victims, but to coordinate political strategies designed to bring land-use abuses to a screeching halt.

Throughout the summer, thousands of people are mobilizing to see that candidates are informed, and forced to declare their position on The Wildlands Project, and other measures that erode private-property rights.

The national grassroots plan of action is not limited to the Everglades, but is being constructed to address similar issues in every community. No longer will the environmental organizations go unchallenged. No longer will so-called "stakeholder" councils be dominated by professional environmental-organization employees and government-agency officials. No longer will the affected land owners be the last to know what others have planned for their land.

Collectively, the people of America are saying "we've had enough!" And their voices may be heard the loudest, echoing through the swamps of South Florida.

The following is from Jay Walley and the Paragon Foundation, I am so sorry I do not know how to do the hyperlinks so that they are clickable, nor the picture attached, however, here it is and thanks a million to all of you who send it out as an SOS!

A Plea For Help

"Some 200,000 acres are now targeted for removing the people to restore the Everglades." Henry Lamb, executive vice president of the Environmental Conservation Organization

"Our residents and farmers are being flooded and forced from their properties by federal agencies. So far there have been fourteen flood-related deaths and more than $1 billion in flood-related losses." Madeleine Fortin, president, East Everglades Legal Defense Foundation

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is accelerating these problems by attempting to circumvent a direct congressional directive and expand its project authorization by language placed in the House version of the current Department of the Interior appropriations bill. This bill could be voted on as early as the week of July 8th.

Thousands of citizens in south Florida will be devastated if this language is not removed from the appropriations bill. You may read about our plight at: Trouble Brewing In Florida's Swamps http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28194

Transforming America http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28187

I know that you receive dozens of requests for help by email each week. However, we are desperate. Please take time to read the following information and draft a short letter to the Department of the Interior appropriations members listed below. Please send this information to your lists.

We are in your debt.

Madeleine Fortin, president, East Everglades Legal Defense Foundation 21801 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33187; Phone 305-255-7098; E-mail: mfortin@bellsouth.net

The following language appears as a Rider in the House version of the current Department of the Interior appropriations bill: "In response to a local magistrate's ruling, the Committee makes clear Congress' intent regarding the expeditious completion of the flood protection system for the 8.5 Square Mile Area and further clarifies that Congress intended the Army Corps of Engineers to implement a flood protection system known as 'Alternative 6D' which combines both land acquisition within the 8.5 Square Mile Area and construction of an interior levee and seepage canal."

Background: In 1989 Congress passed the Everglades Protection Act which ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to provide Everglades National Park with a natural hydrologic regime and to protect the 8.5 Square Mile Area community that would be affected by this. The language in this law was very specific: "The Secretary of the Army is authorized and directed to construct a flood protection system to protect the developed land within such area."

Congress intended that the entire community be provided with structural flood protection. Rather than do as they were ordered by Congress, the Corps has embarked on a "compromise solution" called "Alternative 6D." This "Alternative" will protect only one-third of the community -- at three times the cost -- and will result in condemnation of hundreds of homes and farms and flooding of most of the community.

In response to the Corps actions, area residents have filed a lawsuit in federal court. The magistrate's initial opinion in this case is that the Corps lacks Congressional authority to condemn land outside the footprint of the originally authorized project, and has failed to fulfill its Congressional directive to protect the entire community. Now it appears the Corps is attempting to circumvent this legal opinion by adding the above Rider to an appropriations bill. As long as this project remains unfinished, water cannot be released into the park in the volume necessary for ecosystem functioning. This water is being stockpiled north of the park. It has overloaded the canal system and raised the level of groundwater throughout the entire Miami-Dade County area, flooding urban and agricultural areas. So far there have been fourteen flood-related deaths and more than $1 billion in flood-related losses.

We would like your assistance in getting the above Rider removed from this bill for the following reasons: * A Department of the Interior appropriations bill is an improper vehicle for the Corps of Engineers to seek to circumvent a direct Congressional directive while at the same time expanding its project authorization. * The Corps' selection of "Alternative 6D" will cost at least $90 million and protect only one-third of the community. Adhering to the original project will cost $30 million and protect the entire community. "Alternative 6D" will result in condemnation of hundreds of homes and farms, but will not delivery any added environmental benefits. "Alternative 6D" will take years to implement, while the original project could literally be started tomorrow. Most of the people in the 8.5 Square Mile Area community are low-income, minority farmers who have no place else to go. * Without serious debate, the above Rider would repeal the part of the 1989 Everglades Act which required the Corps to construct flood protection for the 8.5 Square Mile Area. * The Rider is an attempt to circumvent a preliminary judicial decision that found the Corps' proposed action illegal. * The Rider also attempts to circumvent environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, and judicial review of the proposed action under these laws. * The Rider ratifies a flawed, controversial, and unnecessary action.

Please call, email, or fax the above letter to the following Congressmen. The toll free number for all of them is 800-648-3516.

Congressman C.W. Young, (R-FL), Chairman of the Appropriations Committee; Attention: Brian Walsh; Fax 202-225-9599 Bill.Young@mail.house.gov

Congressman Joe Skeen (R-NM); Attention: Paul Ostrowsky; Fax 202-225-9599; E-mail Paul.Ostrowsky@ mail.house.gov

Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-TX); Attention: Jim Richards; Fax. 202-225-2237; E-mail Jim.Richards@ mail.house.gov

Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH); Fax 202-225-3059; E-mail: Go to http://wwwa.house.gov/regula/

Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ); Attention: Kevin Messner; Fax 202-225-0378; (No Email Available)

E-mail: Kevin.Messner@ mail.house.gov Congressman Norman Dicks (D-WA); Attention: Pete Modaff; Fax 202-226-1176; E-mail: Pete.Modaff@mail.house.gov

Congresswomen Carrie Meek (D) Florida; Attention: John Shelble; Fax 202-226-0777; E-mail: John.Shelble@mail.house.gov

Meanwhile in condo land, we had a situation in the parking lot. A resident was blocking another person's car and wouldn't let her leave. Our commie condo commanders were out there, the cops came and my next door neighbor asked me to go out to the parking lot just for oversight purposes.

I stuck it out with the blocked in group and the other resident still wanted the car towed even though the owner of the car was leaving anyway. The cops said no way to the blocker and it was pouring rain too. The President of the Association told me to shut up right from the get go and she lost her temper in front of the cops. She may not be President after this year so I hope she enjoys herself while she can. She's going to have an exit like x-42, in shame.

I remained cool and calm out there in the rain and pointed to where the folks should park in the future to stay out of trouble (also told them to vote for me next year so we'd have a proper Board of Directors.) ALWAYS CAMPAIGNING.... Somebody stop me!

Not really off topic because homeowners' associations and condo associations are overstepping their bounds too. We are losing our rights as owners and the inmates are running this prison I call home. It was practically Disneyland when I was the President. Now it's a prison.

God Bless Condo Owners who are subjugated by overzealous directors who don't have a clue as to what they are doing. One fellow is a legal immigrant from Bosnia. He was in special forces in Bosnia and he said our Board of Directors is worse than what he faced living in Bosnia. I believe it... After I take back my condo association, then I'll take back America. FV

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