From: alra@governance.net Subject: Senate Alert – Invasive Species Vote Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 – E-mail: alra@landrights.org or alra@governance.net Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003 Senate Alert – Invasive Species Vote Urgent Action Required. Call and fax your Senators today. If you like the Endangered Species Act, You’ll love the Invasive Species Act, which has been included in the Senate version of the Transportation Act, (SAFETEA) (S-1072). Congratulations to those who faxed opposition to “invasive” species regulation in the House version of the Transportation Act (SAFETEA). You won, and it’s gone – from the House Bill. However, it is still in the Senate version which passed the Senate. Now a conference committee is meeting to iron out the final law. If the final bill includes Invasive Species, you’re cooked. It is vital that you act now to kill Invasive Species in conference this week. Send 4 quick identical faxes to Sen. Inhofe with visible “cc” to your Senators -----1. Fax and call Senator James Inhofe, Chairman, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Fax 202-224-5167. You may call any Senator at (202) 224-3121. -----2. Fax and call Senator James Inhofe, at his own Senate Office, Fax 202-228-0380. Use the Capital Switchboard number of (202) 2124-3121. -----3. Fax and call both your Senators. Ask them to commit to calling Senator James Inhoff to express opposition to this attack on private land and Federal land use. Here is a quick link to the fax numbers of your Senators: http://www.theorator.com/senate.html Here’s a sample fax: (Change it to use your own words if you can. But send it.) *********************************************************** Dear Senator Inhofe: Please remove from the SAFETEA Transportation Bill, S.1072, all reference to “invasive species” and “native plants”, and delete Sec. 166 of Title I, Sub Chapter F, in its entirety. Invasive species is major environmental legislation that needs debating on its own merits, or lack of them. The issue is poorly defined as any species that is nonnative and could cause harm. There are no restrictions on the bureaucracy making the designation, no takings protection for private land use. Without careful limits to regulatory power, the potential for abuse is greater than that of the Endangered Species Act. Sincerely, name, mailing address, email address *********************************************************** Please do send the faxes. There are talking points below for writing your own, but if you’re shy on time, just go ahead and use this one as better than nothing. Invasive Species is hot and heavy in the Senate. You can go to http://www.landrights.org for more information on Invasive Species. Jim Beers has a complete list of articles on the home page. Talking Points – Invasive Species: -----1. Basic Issue: Implication that everything “nonnative” is “harmful”. Native poison ivy is more harmful to children than non-native fescue that is the major component of soccer fields. -----2 Definition: No universally accepted definition of “Could Cause Harm” and no required objective review of such determination. Credible scientists disagree. Already Western counties have eradicated weeds and been threatened by critical habitat protection under the Endangered Species Act for the identical plants. -----3. Private Land: There is no takings compensation for restricting plants or animals on private property. Agency personnel are unrestrained in extending federal restrictions to private land. -----4. Forestry: hybrid trees and GMO’s are nonnative. Regulators can say they could cause harm to native ecosystems and proscribe their use on private forests. -----5. Clean Water Act: In some states tall fescue, rye grasses and crownvetch are already forbidden on public land. How long would it take to restrict their use for BMP’s? -----6. Sportsmen: pheasants, boar and rainbow trout are nonnative. The National Park Service already seeks their removal from the Smokies. -----7. Gardeners: English ivy and Russian olive are listed as invasive (harmful) in National Forests in the South. -----8. Pets: German shepherds and French poodles are nonnative and meet the definition of invasive in that they could bite. This is urgent. Please forward this message as widely as possible. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.