What an interesting question! We have all been reared to believe that the NPS was so good for the preservation and conservation of lands for the protection of future generations. Well, many have screamed out against the NPS since around the early 70’s, but their voices fell on deaf ears or those ears that did not have the time or inclination to listen. And of course the lack of media coverage to bring the pro’s and con’s to the awareness level of the public commons....those of us that live on the land and really care about it! The media has done a very poor job in bringing up all the issues of having a national park vs. not having one!
There are many unhappy “once upon a time” landowners, but to make matters even worse, their are many unhappy “public land users“, that are fast realizing that the NPS is not their friends either! These folks thought that the original landowners were being paid “fair-market value”, some even think they were paid millions and got rich off of their lands to the NPS.....WRONG! Those that advocated land acquisition of the private land owners for increased public access that the NPS swore they would provide, are fast finding out that the NPS is now in the business of doing all they can to decrease any sign of human disturbance within the boundaries of the lands “””they own””! Dang, and here I kept thinking that “public lands” are owned by me, you and them!!!! WRONG!!!!!!!! The “DO NOT ENTER” signs are everywhere, or NO motorized vehicles, NO motorized boats, etc. and so on! Heck, even No horses!!!!!!!
Now take the Pilgrim family into the case scenario! They live in a small community in Alaska, just outside the boundaries of a small community that was established over a hundred years ago.....this is a family that chooses to live on “their own” as it were, without aide and assistance but just hard working and down to earth living! They rely on each other and the small community of which they are a part of. Yet now they are in the fine hairs of the wondrous NPS! Even though they are living in an area that President Carter declared a National Monument, Alaska took the most important intuitive of securing State’s Rights over Big Government by passing “The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) which provides the following:
“ guaranteed Alaskans the right to hunt, fish, recreate and even operate mines in the park. Although the ability to create new roads or trails in the park was eliminated or severely curtailed, the right to use valid existing routes was pledged. RS2477 routes were specifically singled out for protection.”
Now the NPS is threatening this family and for that matter the local community for doing under law what they are allowed to do! The NPS is at this time attacking a very religious, caring and loving family with the threats of armed Rangers, helicopters and the such, trying to intimidate this family and scare them into selling their property! So much for the so called “Willing-Seller Concept”!!!!!!
We along the New River, just outside of the city limits of Hinton, WV have and continue to be treated the same way.....armed guards at the so called public meetings, and diverse to out and out lies from the NPS and their supportive agencies!
Yet, I do not fear for my life , but these folks have been threatened! For example from an email I received from a local of the area!
“They will be accompanied by a NPS 'Special Events Team' of 6-8 armed Rangers, plus local Rangers. This is ridiculous. NPS has painted the family as being dangerous and is escalating this thing into something bizarre.”
What is this family (and community guilty of???????) Protecting themselves, their land, their heritages, their way of life and what they choose to leave their children and their children’s children! As well the right to manage their roadways that allow access to their homes!
I think it is time, especially considering that the National Park Service alone,( and this is just the NPS...not counting the other federal land agencies) has put all American taxpayers into debt for over $6 Billion for maintenance fees! In other words the NPS can’t and won’t effectively take care of what “”THEY”” own! They are using illegal tactics such as, as in direct violation of, USCS 42, 1982 and 1983 where the threat of “Color of Law, Intimidation of Law, etc, violates the very civil rights of landowner ship!
Sheila Davis Sisters of the River PO Box 202 Jumping Branch, WV 25969 (304) 466-3676 country357@stargate.net http://www.newriverfriends.org
Congressman Sam Graves-Missouri "mailto:sam.graves@mail.house.gov". Governor Murkowski Fax: (907) 465-3532
President George W. Bush: "mailto:president@whitehouse.gov"
Rick Kenyon Wrangell St. Elias News (WSEN) McCarthy, Alaska Phone: 907-554-4454 (4 hours behind EST; 1 hour behind California time) Fax: 907-554-4494 Website: "http://mccarthy-kennicott.com" Email: "mailto:WSEN@starband.net"
you are more than welcome! Always glad to show just what these folks really are now of days!
a " . " What ya mean?
Marked the thread, so I could find it to read later.
Sometimes I use it on threads that have alot of posts,
so I know where I read to.
don't it make you want to puke! Let's go and take the old folks' homes, their hopes and their heritages and all, just cause they are old...where the Hell does this kind of thought processes come from? Oh never mind, the federal pigs!
Years ago I had a positive attitude toward the NPS. I organized several events to bolster their visitation at several large National Military Parks. The last fifteen years have shown a distinct change in the attitude of the NPS employees. First, the NPS rangers have been armed and are paid to go to LE for weeks at a time and qualify with weapons. If they change a weapon, they are sent back for a week to learn how to use another weapon. Second, reenactors use reproduction period weapons for their demonstrations. The last event I attended, the NPS employees were taking the SERIAL NUMBERS of every reenactor weapon used and made it clear that anyone that did not give their numbers to the NPS were not to be allowed to do the demonstrations. Gun registration to cover the loophole black powder weapons present. The NPS individuals are becoming arrogant and paranoid toward demonstrations volunteer reenactors do at NMP. The NPS employees block vote democrat almost to 90%. The last election I had to listen to these government Nazi idealogues rant about Bush and the Republicans. I have a lot of pride in our heritage and Civil War battlefields but with the attitude of the NPS now, I would just as soon disperse the NPS.
I so understand how you feel! I did not know that they were making black powder re-inactors register.....is there no shame???
Yet, this should serve to show the tyranny of what has become the NPS under Clinton and Babbitt!
I have often thought that the Sherwood Forest analogy was right on. Remember, the peasants used the forest for their very livelihoods;fuel,building material,grazing for their animals and food. All these uses were stopped just as they are so being today. Then fees were charged, then the forest was restricted to King and his friends only, just as the forests and other public lands are incrementaly being restricted today. They want to return the forests to their "pre-european state", which means no people allowed. Pre-european being undefined of course, since no one was around to take notes, it's a state that exists only in the minds of the NPS/USFS/BLM.
This land was your land, this land was my land
Now it's BLM land, now it's NPS land,
from the redwood forests, to the gulfstream waters,
This land, it once belong to me...
It used to belong to you and me...
Which park. We have been doing living history demos at
Gettysburg for the last 5 years or so and have never been
asked about s/n's on our weapons. For a change this year
we are going to Antietam.
damn! Just got back! Hubby had to go for a 2 and ahalf hour trip....so I missed some of this!
Thank you for your dedication to this important issue, which affects ALL of us; the freedom to own private property is a basic American value, and these out of control feds MUST be exposed.
Thanks for the ping. The NPS, NFWS, Smart Growth Organiztions, BLM, etc. are slowly eroding our invidual rights to own and control our property. Watersheds have contributed to a new notion of a Viewshed. In another generation or two we will wake up to see Agenda 21 fully implemented and travel limited to special corridors with keep out biospeheres surrounding all the major populated areas. I used to think this was tin foil hat material; I am convinced that it is not. The leftist have done a perfectly remarkable job brainwashing the last couple of generations of public school kids. Some of the things these kids believe about the environment would make your socks roll up and down.
You have hit the nail on the head for sure! Folks had better wake up and guit listening to the feel good fuzzy bs spewing from the mouths of these agencies....and the NGO's behind them!
Some more info! Provided by Julie Smithson of PropertyRightsResearch.org
As always, if you'd rather not receive these emails, please just send me an
email saying "Unsubscribe" in the subject line, and you'll be removed, easy as
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National Park Lines 2003-12
(Note: How the driving forces behind inholder harassment and recreational
access -- and, in time, ALL access by the public -- work their agendas. Please,
read clear through. Share with others. Read with your intellect instead of your
emotions. The inference regarding 'Friends of the National Parks' awards to
legislators is that those not on the list are NOT 'Friends.' Please note that
almost without exception, the 'Friends' winners are proponents of the United
Nations. What a 'coincidence!' The agenda is Control. Pitting one group against
another is a tried and true means of accomplishing Control.)
June 3, 2003
From:
parklines@npca.org (Parklines)
Don't Pave Our Parks
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)
Roads to Ruin to Overrun Colorado
Colorado Governor Bill Owens is jumping on the administration's
open-door policy for states to claim ownership of rights-of-way on
public lands so that the state can build roads through some of the most
spectacular national parks in Colorado, as well as national wildlife
refuges, and designated wilderness.
Owens' administration recently sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior
Gale Norton claiming rights-of-way in all federally held lands in Colorado,
including national parks such as Dinosaur National Monument, Great Sand Dunes
National Monument and Preserve, and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Take Action
http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ActionAlert.asp?strAction=link&l ngAlertID=321
Whether you live in Colorado or visit the state's national parks, your voice
is crucial.
Let Governor Owens know how his decision to open our precious national parks
to extensive road-building threatens not only the magnificent parks of
Colorado, but also the experiences of the millions of people who visit those parks
every year.
Send a letter to the governor urging him to rethink his position and
protect the parks, their resources, and the tourism they bring to the
state.
Visit us online at
http://www.npca.org For more 'information' on Alaska's parks:
Recognizing the challenges ahead, NPCA's vision is to protect Alaska's
remarkable parks from undesirable development and damaging uses; to see that the
parks remain unspoiled, naturally functioning ecosystems; and to ensure that
access to and use of the parks is compatible with the preservation of park
purposes, resources, and values. Specifically, NPCA recommends that the National Park
Service:
adopt regulations that define "traditional activities" in parks and other
conservation areas as utilitarian activities necessary for sustaining a
traditional rural way of life, not including recreational activities or the use of
motorized vehicles as an activity in and of itself;
establish a set of specific principles and guidelines regarding reasonable
regulation of motorized and non-motorized transportation to protect the full
range of natural and other values of the parks;
define private inholders' right of access to their lands without requiring a
host of new roads or railroads through the parks;
adopt permanent regulations to decide highway right-of-way claims, under
federal law, that recognize valid, existing roads but preclude development of
trails and footpaths into thousands of miles of new roads through parks and
wilderness;
adopt regulations that permanently close the pre-ANILCA, wilderness portion
of Denali to snowmachine use;
adopt a special Alaska provision in pending national legislation on
commercial air tours over national parks that allows reasonable regulation while
accommodating both Alaska’s unique access requirements and the need for natural
quiet and solitude in Alaska parks and wilderness; and
ban use of personal water craft in all the Alaska park units as a motorized
form of recreation incompatible with preservation of wilderness values and
related recreation opportunities.
Finally, ANILCA required the National Park Service to study additional
potential wilderness areas in Alaskan national parks and offer recommendations to
Congress on areas suitable for federal wilderness designation. The Park Service
conducted these studies and recommended designation for 19 million acres in
the 1980s, but action was stalled.
The Department of the Interior should formalize these recommendations and
have them forwarded to Congress by the president for action this year.
http://www.npca.org/wild_alaska/flash.html Are YOUR Members of Congress Friends of the National Parks?
The National Parks Conservation Association recognized 49 senators and 166
representatives in the 107th Congress (2000-2002) with a Friend of the National
Parks award.
The award recognizes those members of Congress who actively work to preserve
and protect the integrity of our national park system by casting pro-park
votes on the floor of the House and Senate.
To find out if your congressional leaders are Friends of the Parks, please
provide the following information. Once you learn how they voted, you will be
able to send a letter to thank them for protecting the parks or to encourage
them to do so. See the list of winners.
http://www.npca.org/take_action/votes/activistinformation.asp Alabama
Rep. Hilliard (D-7th) 83%
Arizona
Rep. Pastor (D-2nd) 83%
Arkansas
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) 100%
Rep. Vic Snyder (D-2nd) 100%
California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) 100%
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) 100%
Rep. Thompson (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Matsui (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Woolsey (D-6th) 67%
Rep. Miller (D 7th) 100%
Rep. Pelosi (D-8th) 83%
Rep. Lee (D-9th) 100%
Rep. Tauscher (D-10th) 83%
Rep. Lantos (D-12th) 67%
Rep. Stark (D-13th) 83%
Rep. Eshoo (D-14th) 83%
Rep. Honda (D-15th) 83%
Rep. Lofgren (D-16th) 83%
Rep. Farr (D-17th) 83%
Rep. Condit (D-18th) 83%
Rep. Dooley (D-20th) 67%
Rep. Capps (D-22nd) 83%
Rep. Sherman (D-24th) 83%
Rep. Berman (D-26th) 67%
Rep. Schiff (D-27th) 83%
Rep. Waxman (D-29th) 100%
Rep. Solis (D-31st) 67%
Rep. Watson (D-32nd) 83%
Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-33rd) 67%
Rep. Napolitano (D-34th) 67%
Rep. Waters (D-35th) 67%
Rep. Harman (D-36th) 100%
Rep. Millender-McDonald (D-37th) 83%
Rep. Horn (R-38th) 67%
Rep. Baca (D-42nd) 67%
Rep. Sanchez (D-46th) 83%
Rep. Davis (D-49th) 83%
Rep. Filner (D-50th) 83%
Colorado
Rep. DeGette (D-1st) 67%
Rep. Mark Udall (D-2nd) 83%
Connecticut
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D) 100%
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D) 100%
Rep. John Larson (D-1st) 67%
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Christopher Shays (R-4th) 67%
Rep. James Maloney (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-6th) 67%
Rep. Simmons (R-2nd) 67%
Delaware
Sen. Joseph Biden (D) 100%
Sen. Carper (D) 100%
Florida
Sen. Bob Graham (D) 100%
Sen. Nelson (D) 100%
Rep. Boyd (D-2nd) 67%
Rep. Corrine Brown (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Karen Thurman (D-5th) 67%
Rep. Jim Davis (D-11th) 83%
Rep. Mark Foley (R-16th) 87%
Rep. Meek (D-17th) 83%
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-19th) 83%
Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-20th) 83%
Rep. Diaz-Balart (R-21st) 33%
Rep. Hastings (D-23rd) 83%
Georgia
Sen. Max Cleland (D) 67%
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-2nd) 67%
Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-4th) 83%
Rep. John Lewis (D-5th) 67%
Hawaii
Sen. Inouye (D) 67%
Sen. Akaka (D) 67%
Rep. Abercrombie (D-1st) 67%
Illinois
Sen. Richard Durbin (D) 100%
Sen. Fitzgerald (R) 67%
Rep. Rush (D-1st) 67%
Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-2nd) 83%
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-4th) 67%
Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-9th) 83%
Rep. Jerry Costello (D-12th) 67%
Rep. Johnson (R-15th) 67%
Rep. Lane Evans (D-17th) 83%
Rep. David Phelps (D-19th) 67%
Indiana
Sen. Evan Bayh (D) 100%
Rep. Visclosky (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Roemer (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Hill (D-9th) 83%
Rep. Carson (D-10th) 83%
Iowa
Sen. Tom Harkin (D) 100%
Rep. James Leach (R-1st) 67%
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-3rd) 67%
Kansas
Rep. Dennis Moore (D-3rd) 83%
Louisiana
Rep. Jefferson (D-2nd) 83%
Maine
Sen. Snowe (R) 67%
Sen. Collins (R) 67%
Rep. Thomas Allen (D-1st) 83%
Rep. John Baldacci (D-2nd) 83%
Maryland
Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D) 100%
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) 100%
Rep. Benjamin Cardin (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Wynn (D-4th) 83%
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Constance Morella (R-8th) 83%
Massachusetts
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D) 100%
Sen. John Kerry (D) 100%
Rep. John Olver (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Richard Neal (D-2nd) 67%
Rep. McGovern D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Frank (D-4th) 83%
Rep. Marty Meehan (D-5th) 83%
Rep. John Tierney (D-6th) 83%
Rep. Edward Markey (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-8th) 67%
Rep. Delahunt (D-10th) 83%
Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin (D) 100%
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) 100%
Rep. Stupak (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Barcia (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Dale Kildee (D-9th) 83%
Rep. Sander Levin (D-12th) 83%
Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-13th) 83%
Rep. Conyers (D-14th) 67%
Rep. John Dingell (D-16th) 83%
Minnesota
Sen. Dayton (D) 100%
Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-3rd) 83%
Rep. McCollum (D-4th) 83%
Rep. Sabo (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Bill Luther (D-6th) 67%
Rep. James Oberstar (D-8th) 83%
Mississippi
Rep. Thompson (D-2nd) 83%
Missouri
Sen. Carnahan (D) 100%
Rep. Clay D-1st) 100%
Rep. Gephardt (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. McCarthy (D-5th) 83%
Montana
Sen. Max Baucus (D) 100%
Nebraska
Sen. Nelson (D) 67%
Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid (D) 100%
Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-1st) 83%
New Jersey
Sen. Robert Torricelli (D) 100%
Sen. Corzine (D) 100%
Rep. Robert Andrews (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) 67%
Rep. Jim Saxton (R-3rd) 67%
Rep. Smith (R-4th) 67%
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th) 83%
Rep. Ferguson (R-7th) 67%
Rep. William Pascrell (D-8th) 67%
Rep. Steven Rothman (D-9th) 83%
Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th) 83%
Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th) 83%
Rep. Menendez (D-13th) 83%
New Mexico
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) 100%
Rep. Tom Udall (D-3rd) 83%
New York
Sen. Charles Schumer (D) 100%
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) 100%
Rep. Steve Israel (D-2nd) 67%
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-4th) 83%
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-5th) 83%
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-6th) 83%
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-8th) 67%
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-9th) 83%
Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-10th) 83%
Rep. Major Owens (D-11th) 83%
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-12th) 83%
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-14th) 83%
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-15th) 83%
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-16th) 67%
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-17th) 83%
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-18th) 83%
Rep. Sue Kelly (R-19th) 67%
Rep. Michael McNulty (D-21st) 83%
Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-23rd) 67%
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-26th) 83%
North Carolina
Sen. John Edwards (D) 100%
Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-2nd) 83%
Rep. David Price (D-4th) 83%
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Melvin Watt (D-12th) 67%
North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad (D) 100%
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) 100%
Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-At Large) 67%
Ohio
Sen. Mike DeWine (R) 67%
Rep. Ted Strickland (D-6th) 83%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-10th) 83%
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-11th) 67%
Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-13th) 83%
Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden (D) 100%
Rep. David Wu (D-1st) 67%
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-4th) 67%
Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-5th) 67%
Pennsylvania
Rep. Robert Brady (D-1st) 83%
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-2nd) 83%
Rep. Tim Holden (D-6th) 67%
Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-11th) 67%
Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-13th) 83%
Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed (D) 100%
Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) 67%
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-1st) 83%
Rep. James Langevin (D-2nd) 83%
South Carolina
Sen. Ernest Hollings (D) 100%
Rep. John Spratt (D-5th) 83%
Rep. James Clyburn (D-6th) 83%
South Dakota
Sen. Thomas Daschle (D) 100%
Sen. Tim Johnson (D) 100%
Tennessee
Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6th) 83%
Rep. Harold Ford (D-9th) 67%
Texas
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-10th) 83%
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-18th) 67%
Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-20th) 67%
Rep. Martin Frost (D-24th) 67%
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30th) 67%
Utah
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-2nd) 67%
Vermont
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) 100%
Sen. James Jeffords (I) 67%
Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-At Large) 83%
Virginia
Rep. Robert Scott (D-3rd) 67%
Rep. James Moran (D-8th) 83%
Rep. Rick Boucher (D-9th) 83%
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray (D) 100%
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) 100%
Rep. Jay Inslee (D-1st) 67%
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd) 83%
Rep. Brian Baird (D-3rd) 83%
Rep. Norman Dicks (D-6th) 67%
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-7th) 83%
Rep. Adam Smith (D-9th) 83%
West Virginia
Sen. Robert Byrd (D) 100%
Sen. John Rockefeller (D) 100%
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-3rd) 83%
Wisconsin
Sen. Herbert Kohl (D) 100%
Sen. Russell Feingold (D) 100%
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-2nd) 83%
Rep. Ron Kind (D-3rd) 67%
Rep. Jerry Kleczka (D-4th) 83%
Rep. David Obey (D-7th) 83%
http://www.npca.org/take_action/votes/winners.asp