Urge Your Members to Oppose the National Landscape Conservation System Act - S. 1139
Please click the Send This Message button to send a letter to your Member of Congress urging opposition to the National Landscape Conservation System Act. Legislation (S. 1139) has been introduced in both Houses of Congress that will statutorily create a bureaucracy to manage specially designated BLM lands. If enacted, this legislation will almost certainly mean a loss of recreational opportunities on public lands. This bureaucracy would be tasked to "restore" the over 106 million acres of wilderness that is already off-limits to OHV, mountain bike and other forms of recreation as well as areas that currently can allow all types of recreational uses like wilderness study areas. You can bet they will "restore" these areas by limiting access and that they will be looking to add more land to "manage" through excluding legitimate forms of recreation. Please do not miss this opportunity to weigh in on such an important issue!
Please click the Send This Message button to send a letter to your Member opposing S. 1139.
As a constituent of a Member on the appropriate committee you have an important role to play as Members most value input from the people who can vote for them. Click below to oppose the National Landscape Conservation System Act.
Launched by Americans For Responsible Recreational Access
Text of the Letter You Sent (October 11, 2007)
Subject: Please Oppose S. 1139
As a constituent and a member of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access I write in opposition to S. 1139, the National Landscape Conservation System Act.
S. 1139 would statutorily establish a bureaucracy to manage specially designated BLM lands in restrictive fashion that runs counter to the multiple-use manner in which the BLM has traditionally managed its lands. The bill would eschew existing management requirements in favor of management objectives designed to deny access for many recreational uses. In addition, the legislation would require that specially designated BLM lands be managed in accordance with any law or regulation "relating to" that unit. This is troublesome as the language is vague and would invite lawsuits to establish which laws "relate" to the management of particular lands.
Also, the legislation would legally place Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) in the National Landscape Conservation System with the same management goals as other specially designated lands. As it currently stands motorized and mechanized recreation can be provided for on WSAs, as they are not officially designated as Wilderness Areas. If enacted, this legislation would likely make WSAs de facto Wilderness areas as the NLCS would have a mandate to manage WSAs in the same fashion as other specially designated lands.
Thank you for your consideration.
Background on the Issue
ARRA
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