Free Republic

Fourteen hundred farmers owning 200,000 acres in the Klamath River Basin of southern Oregon and Northern California were denied their water rights during the summer of 2001 because of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Nearly $200 million of life savings and hard work were wiped out instantly as the farmers were left with essentially worthless land. They are not alone. This has been the legacy of the ESA from its inception. It has confiscated billions of dollars of private property, harmed or destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and has not saved one endangered species!...

The newest threat to property rights, which are the foundation of American liberty, is posed by H.R. 2388, "The National Heritage Areas Policy Act." Sponsored by Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.), H.R. 2388 is due for a vote any day now. The bill sets up a process for the creation of National Heritage Areas. It dangles federal tax dollars under the noses of the states, essentially begging them to designate land as a Heritage Area. Once land is designated, it is subject to the whims and dictates of the National Park Service, setting the stage for myriad property rights abuses...

May 31, 2002 by: John Stewart An independent group recreation advocates has been investigating the California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) and their involvement with the California Wild Heritage Act of 2002 proposed by Senator Boxer, D-CA. Initially exposed was conflict of interest on the part of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) employees and CWC that involves the misuse of the USGS logo and official titles of employees on a lobbying letter to California Governor Gray Davis. In that letter, dated 30 April 2001, a group of individuals claiming to be “scientists” signed a letter to Governor Davis advocating support for habitat...

<p>So many federal agencies have been exposed falsifying environmental data that you have to wonder how many other frauds remain undetected. First came the December revelation that employees of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service had planted fake wild lynx hair in states where there were no lynx, so that the areas could be labeled critical habitat, and thus off limits to human use.</p>