The following is a press release from the American Land Rights Associaton:
The House will now take up the Senate passed version of the Transportation (Highway) Bill or it may pass its own version. Either way, this process could move fast.
-All property owners must take immediate action.
If the LWCF Land Acquisition Amendment is included in the Highway Bill it means a huge increase in land acquisition funding for the Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management.
Threatened are inholders, landowners, ranchers, farmers, miners, forestry advocates and many others. It also means a threat to off-highway vehicle users. Access will be cut off to Federal lands.
It also threatens and undermines local communities with the loss of tax base as the LWCF converts private land into government ownership.
It threatens Rural America.
-Here’s what the environmental groups said with glee about the Senate LWCF Amendment your Senators voted on:
-From Energy and Environment Newsletter:* “The result is an amendment that supporters now say would provide perhaps the largest-ever federal boost to conservation and environmental efforts in the nation.”
-“This could be the biggest infusion of conservation dollars in history,” said Joshua Saks, legislative director for the *National Wildlife Federation.* “This would be a remarkable achievement.”
-In summary, the Senate doubled the money they take from taxpayers for the Land and Water Conservation fund to buy land by adding $700 million for each of the next two years on a guaranteed basis (no need to for Congress to appropriate).
There is no Congressional appropriations process for this money in the LWCF fund and little or no oversight in spite of our country facing a huge deficit.
Stop The LWCF Highway Bill Land Grab, Go To www.landrights.org <http://www.landrights.org/> for more details.
Source: American Land Rights Association
Posted by Northern Ag Network