
In March of 1998, eleven wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, consisting of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the Gila National Forest, as the initial release of wolves in the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program. The US Fish and Wildlife Service partnering with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are in charge of the management of this program. Since their release, the wolf population has grown to approximately sixty wolves and the results have been devastating. These wolves have greatly impacted the numbers of our deer and elk herds in the Gila National Forest. It has also become increasingly dangerous for outdoorsmen to enjoy the forests due to the wolf presence.
Between the reintroduction of the wolf and the proposed road closures in the Gila, our children will not be able to experience the joy of hunting or camping in the Gila that we have all known.
We must act now to
keep the roads open and stop the Wolf Recovery Program!!!
The Mesilla Valley
Sportsman’s Alliance Mission: To promote the
interests of Mesilla Valley sportsmen and recreationalists and to preserve and
protect continued access to all federal and state lands for multiple use by all
citizens.
Resolution
Whereas:
Big game hunting in New Mexico is an integral part of the custom and
culture of the people.
Whereas:
The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area has
had a devastating impact on the deer, elk and turkey population in the BRWRA.
Whereas:
The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program has not
had the “minimal” impact on the ranchers, rural residents, livestock, big
game and recreational opportunities that was promised in the Environmental
Impact Statement.
Whereas:
The US Fish and Wildlife Service are partnering with the New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish to manage wildlife in the Gila to support the wolf
and not the people.
Whereas:
The big game in the Gila belongs to the people of New Mexico.
Whereas:
The presence of wolves, create an unsafe environment for families to
recreate in the Gila National Forest.
Whereas:
Planned road closures in the US Forest Service new Travel Management Plan
will severely limit access to many areas of the Gila National Forest.
Therefore be it
resolved:
The Mesilla Valley Sportsman’s Alliance adamantly opposes any and all
road closures that would limit access in the Gila National Forest and other
federal lands.
Be it further resolved: That the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program be immediately ended and all wolves be captured and removed to sanctuaries.
For more information on the Mesilla Valley Sportsman’s Alliance contact Byron Delk (505)640-3185.
Thanks for your
support
![]()
Date:
Sun, 6 May 2007 17:00:13 +0000
All of the State fish and wildlife agencies are being run more and more from
Washington and specifically from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It is not
just the Endangered Species Act or the kind of employees hired or the sort of
students turned out of the Universities today, although these do contribute to
the problem. The real reason is MONEY. When you see the words “Nongame”,
“Native Species”, “Native Ecosystems”, “Invasive Species”,
“Species of Concern”, “Keystone Species”, or really any of a dozen other
terms of budget art; be aware that they are merely words used to justify giving
Federal tax dollars to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to pa ss
through (with “overhead” withheld of course and “instructions” called
“strings”) to State fish and wildlife agencies to do everything except
hunting and fishing programs. State bureaucrats and politicians love this
“free” money. The state bureaucrats think hunting and fishing are going to
be wiped out anyway and this not only replaces and increases their “budget”
it opens up a whole new world like the Feds have of immeasurable programs that
always need “more” as far as the eye can see. The State politicians are
content to measure their bureaucrats like Highway Department Administrators on
how quickly and how much federal money is obtained. I hope some of you aren’t
crushed by this exposure of Santa, the Easter Bunny, and now “our state fish
and wildlife agencies” real role. As I have said in numerous articles over the
past two years, Congress authorized the US Fish and Wildlife Service to use $80
Million to have the states put together wish lists of all the things they would
“ne ed” to do to their state what the US Fish and Wildlife Service is doing
to the US. State politicians didn’t pay attention and now these gargantuan
wish lists have been rolled up in Washington and Congress is only too eager to
start the money flow for all those things “to keep all of these ‘nongame’
species from becoming Endangered” (to “save the Federal government money”
don’t you know). The amount is over $100 Million per year already and it will
climb every year that Federal politicians want you to love them. To say it will
approach and then exceed a Billion soon would be no exaggeration.Yesterday I
spoke with a retired US Fish and Wildlife Service employee that laughingly told
me I should have “stuck around”. My old Division (the one that give the
hunting and fishing excise taxes to state fish and wildlife agencies for hunting
and fishing programs) is “growing by leaps and bounds”. “They are
reorganizing it to make ‘more 15’s’ (a high supervisor job paying $115,000
+ per year pl us bonuses) because of all the growth in ‘state programs’”.
Translation, the “nongame” funding program will soon surpass and then
replace the hunting and fishing programs. They will hire more anti-hunters and
while building the nongame funding flow from Congress, they will loosen the
rules for hunting and fishing programs till they slowly disappear as is
happening with other Federal efforts nationwide. By the way, the reason the
Georgia Director is so worried about his “nongame” funds from license plates
is that they have to come up with a modest (10-15%) match of state funds to get
the Federal funds (to make it look good). Where do you get the money? The
“Nongame” advocates don’t buy licenses, they don’t support rural
economies; in fact they are the ones destroying ranching and logging and big
game hunting as you are reading this. Care to bet about “Peter (hunting and
fishing) being robbed to pay Paul (“Ecosystem tinkering”)? So there you have
it. When is a tax increase not a tax increase? Why does both State and Federal
governments propagandize Global Warming and school kids implore the government
to list the polar bear because of global warming while the same governments are
dumping hundreds of lynx in the most extreme southern part of their always
changing range when we are all supposed to believe that Colorado will soon look
and feel like Costa Rica and be home to jaguars? And finally, why would a State
(southern at that) DNR oppose a money-generating license plate for kids and
hunting and fishing?The answers are not really answers at all. There is only one
answer. These things are happening because each of us refuses to stop it. We
each prefer to give our state politician a pass when he gets other things and we
all want to believe that our state bureaucrats still work for us. We think our
trade or recreation organization is standing up for us when they are merely
angling for the next job. We are comforted by Federal politicians mentioning
“tools in the toolbox” as possible helps while Federal bureaucrats lie with
impunity and are rewarded for bamboozling rural Americans. So the Federal
politician gets reelected, the Federal bureaucrat gets a “15”, the state
politician gets credit for getting “more” and the state bureaucrat gets a
big bonus for getting so much, so quick. Meanwhile we send money to the people
lying to us about everything from temperature change and polar bears to wolves.
Illusion or conspiracy, I leave it to you.
Joe Delk
Field Representative
Paragon Foundation
H 505-524-1233
C 505-644-3082
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]()
From: Joe Delk <jdelk525@yahoo.com>
Subject: Future for Travel Management in the Gila
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 04:19:55 +0000
From: "John Shamley" <hourofthetime@hotmail.com>
To: jdelk525@yahoo.com
Subject: FW: Learn about federal land management planning efforts in Arizona
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:51:48 -0700
Hey Joe,
Here is some info to share with the Mesilla Valley Sportsman Alliance.
This is more proof of my prediction of a multiple-pronged attack on our
rights and we have already found that most of the other states are going to
do the same. Notice that the agenda and topics are the same for what we are
already fighting with the F.S. over, yet these meetings are held in
difficult places to attend. I believe they will follow the same M.O. and
use the comments that fit their agenda the best from these two meetings.
Also, please spread the word about the new round of Travel Management
meetings being held around the area. We need bodies at the Clifton meeting,
but we have all of the other meetings covered. See out website for the
schedule and locations. http://www.cmlua.com
Wait until you see and hear what they are rolling out now in their plan.
See Ya'
Doyel
From: "AZGFD"
To: hourofthetime@hotmail.com
Subject: Learn about federal land management planning efforts in Arizona
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:43:02 -0600
Learn about federal land management planning efforts around the state
April 5, 2007
Arizona Game and Fish Department to hold informational meetings on how to
become involved in the process
The USDA Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are
revising land use management plans and travel management plans statewide.
These plans include updated guidelines and rules on how public lands are to
be managed (including what activities are permitted), and how and wh ere motorized travel should occur.
The plans could potentially include proposed alternatives that change the
way you currently enjoy public lands, particularly with regard to:
Vehicular access and transportation
Designation of open and closed roads
Dispersed camping and/or recreation
Motorized retrieval of lawfully taken big game by hunters
Public input process
Each planning effort includes a public process for providing comments so
that your issues are considered. The different Forest Service districts and
BLM field offices are in various phases of the planning efforts. More
information can be found on the USDA Forest Service (Southwestern Region)
and Bureau of Land Management (Arizona) Web sites.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been working, and will continue to
work, to ensure that wildlife habitats, wildlife management, and
wildlife-based recreation are considered in e ach planning effort. However,
the public must also be engaged throughout the entire process to ensure
that issues important to you are considered.
Informational meetings on how to become engaged in the process
The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a series of meetings across
the state to provide an overview of the Forest Service and BLM planning
processes and how you can become engaged.
How do you know if you should be engaged? Review the Forest Service and/or
BLM proposed alternatives and ask yourself the following questions:
Access and roads
Where do I go to enjoy the outdoors, and how do I access those areas?
Which roads should remain open and which should be closed?
Will these areas be available to me in the new plan?
What areas are important to access for hunting, wildlife viewing, etc.?
What modes of transport do I enjoy to access those areas?
Camping and recreation
Where and h ow do I camp now?
Where and how will I be able to camp once these plans are final?
Will I be able to choose my own campsite, or will I be limited to
identified sites only?
Will I be able to collect firewood, or will I have to bring it in?
Hunting and game retrieval
How am I able to retrieve downed big game currently? (Motorized,
non-motorized, etc.)
Will I be able to camp near where I hunt?
How will the revised plans change or modify those allowances?
Note: Certain designations on BLM or Forest Service lands may dictate the
approach to these issues, such as congressionally designated wilderness,
national monuments, etc.
Meeting schedule
Informational meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
Monday, April 16, 6-9 p.m., Mesa, Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa
regional office, 7200 E. University Drive.
Tuesday, April 17, 6-9 p.m., Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Department
Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
Monday, April 23, 6-9 p.m., Pinetop, Arizona Game and Fish Department
Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
Monday, May 7, 6-9 p.m., Yuma, Arizona Game and Fish Department Yuma
regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
Friday, May 11, 6-9 p.m., Sierra Vista (location to be determined; will be
posted at azgfd.gov when available).
Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m. to noon, Tucson, Arizona Game and Fish Department
Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
The meetings will include information on the Forest Service and BLM
planning processes; facts about the new policies and direction, from both a
statewide and local standpoint; how you can become involved in the process,
including the Forest Service and BLM public meeting schedules and comment
periods; and resources where you can learn more information. Regional Game
and Fish Department staff will be on hand with maps and information on
local areas.
If you want to learn more about the management and travel planning process
and how it could affect the way you recreate on public lands, you will want
to attend one of these meetings.
The schedule for additional meetings will be posted at azgfd.gov as those dates become available.
************************************************
Our destiny is at hand. The time has come for all unashamed patriots of
the land to come forth in unison, proclaiming loudly of the rich heritage of
the republic; to defend it, to preserve it.
We cannot each do everything, but we can each do something.; for each has
influence for good, and all that is needed for evil to succeed is for the
good to remain silent.
May God bless and have mercy on this Republic.
http://www.hourofthetime.com
************************************************
Joe Delk
Field Representative
Paragon Foundation
H 505-524-1233
C 505-644-3082
INDEX TO THE OFFICIAL RS 2477 WEB SITEBecause those visiting this site have different needs and varying levels of interest, it has been organized to serve the widest range of visitors in a user-friendly way.
The documents and material on this site are grouped below first according to varying levels of interest and need and then by the major RS 2477 issue categories.
You can also click here for a complete listing of all the documents included on this website.
A list of the new items posted since the last update in October, 1997
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN...
A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE 2477 ISSUE
A MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW
WHAT EVERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER WITH 2477 RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND EVERY ACCESS ACTIVIST SHOULD KNOW
AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE RS 2477 ISSUE
I. FOR A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE 2477 ISSUEA simple explanation of RS 2477: a relatively short introduction to RS 2477 (including where it gets that name) and to some of the key concepts and issues.
An RS 2477 Primer: a very brief explanation of each of the terms in the law and a discussion of some of the controversies they have raised.
Some RS 2477 Myths Debunked: these are short refutations of the myths being spread by access opponents about RS 2477 rights of way.
II. FOR A MORE DETAILED UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAJOR 2477 ISSUESIn addition to the items listed above, you might want to also look at:
Ten Essential Points Concerning RS 2477 Rights Of Way: an excellent law journal article (but very readable for non lawyers!) which provides an overview of the ten key points essential to understanding the issue.
Senate Testimony On S. 1425: presented by Ms. Barbara Hjelle, an attorney and acknowledged expert on 2477, the testimony focuses on the specific bill before the committee, but contains a great deal of very useful background information and some good examples.
Settled Precedents On RS 2477:a listing and brief summary of settled precedents on 2477 issues provides an excellent overview.
III. OF PARTICULAR VALUE TO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ACCESS ACTIVISTSAn RS 2477 Workshop Handbook: Developed for Utah counties, this handbook contains a wealth of information useful for any county or for any activists who want to protect the public's access rights. Includes explanations of the important issues, a checklist for counties, sample forms for documenting RS 2477 claims and much more.
IV. FOR AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING--DETAILED DOCUMENTS RELATING TO EACH OF THE MAJOR 2477 ISSUE AREASThere are four primary arenas in which various aspects of the 2477 issue have been actively addressed recently. One relates to 1992 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report and a closely related Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Report to Congress issued in 1993. The second is the release in 1994 of draft 2477 regulations by the Interior Department. A third area relates to 2477 legislation in Congress. The fourth is the continuing activity on 2477 issues in the courts.
CRS Report/BLM Report to Congress
Congressional Research Service (CRS) compiled a report in 1992 which served as the basis of the later BLM Report to Congress and provided the philosophical basis of the draft regulations issued by Interior. Critics maintain that it is badly flawed. The withering critique of that document developed by Congressmen Young (Alaska) and Orton (Utah) is reproduced on this site. Also reproduced is an extensive and very detailed critique of the BLM report to Congress which was done by Brian Bremner, Garfield (Utah) County Engineer and an expert on the technical and documentation aspects of RS 2477. The comments of the Pacific Legal Foundation are also available.
The Draft BLM Regulations
The second is the draft BLM regulations themselves. They have generated comments by some of the best legal minds in the country and contain a wealth of information about 2477 as well as legal and historical research. A brief introduction to the issues associated with the draft regulations is provided, along with a brief description of some of the comments and related material included on this website. The 1988 policy memo by then-Interior Secretary Donald Hodel on RS 2477, which summarized the Interior Departments policy over the previous century (and which is at odds with the draft regulations Interior circulated just six years later) is also available. A subsequent "BLM Director's Memo Expanding On Secretary Hodel's Memo" is also on this site. The comments filed by the State of Alaska, the Utah Association of Counties, the Pacific Legal Foundation and Seattle University Professor of Law David Engdahl as well as an action alert issued by the Coalition to Protect Public Access Rights are all available as well.On January 22, 1997, Interior Secretary Babbitt issued a memorandum revoking the Hodel policy and attempting to issue de facto regulations without going through the required legal processes. A short analysis and critique of this memorandum is avialable on this site.
2477 Legislation (S.1425)
S.1425, the legislation which was moving through the 104th Congress, is available as well as comprehensive testimony on the legislation presented to the Senate Committee. Also included are the detailed answers to a series of questions posed by the committee to Ms. Barbara Hjelle, a lawyer recognized as one of the foremost experts on RS 2477, as well as her critique of the Interior Department's testimony on S. 1425.
Court Cases
A brief explanation of the history of the Burr Trail Road case, one of the significant precedent setting cases of the past decade is available. Also, a series of "before and after" photographs of sections of the road taken prior to and following the maintenance work which has generated and continues to generate legal maneuvering is included. Test yourself to see if you can determine which photos are "before" and which "after" and then decide if any significant impacts resulted from the work. Also a brief on the Shultz case in Alaska, another recent precedent setting case, is included in this section.
A listing of the most pertinent court cases is also available.
A Listing Of What's New On This Site Since The October, 1997 Update
The following items have been added to this site since it was last updated:
Key legal documents from USA v. Garfield County (Utah), the Boulder-to-Bullfrog Road (Burr Trail Road) litigation. For a decade, various litigation on the Boulder-to-Bullfrog road has consistently affirmed the rights granted by Congress in RS 2477 rights-of-way grants and set important legal precedents. Garfield County's litigation team has produced a number of documents which represent "cutting edge" legal thinking in defense of RS 2477 rights. The ones most useful to county attorneys and access rights activists are now posted on this site. This extensive collection of documents has its own sub-index.
An outrageous exchange between a federal government attorney and Federal District Judge Jenkins. In the Boulder-to-Bullfrog Road case, the Clinton Administration asserted that a county county could exercise no rights under its RS 2477 grant without first getting permission from a federal agency, including taking a water truck down an RS 2477 road merely to control dust! This is the actual court transcript of this exchange between the government attorney and a clearly incredulous federal judge.
Before and after photos of the road maintenance activity which triggered the Clinton Administration to sue in USA v. Garfield. Can you tell the difference? Most people can't and these photos put the lie to statements filed in court about this incident. A few pictures in this case should have been worth more than the many thousands of words of legal filings which have already been generated!
Documents related to ecoterrorist hacking of this Web site. Ecoterrorists in July of 1997 paid the ultimate compliment to the effectiveness of this site by hacking into it and destroying it. This is the first reported eco-terrorist incident in cyber-space and, while this site was quickly restored within a day, such activity is a federal crime. The Utah Association of Counties, which sponsors this site, has asked the FBI, the federal agency with jurisdiction, to investigate this crime. The letter to the FBI, which provides some additional details of the incident, is now on this site. A press release, which makes observations on the nature of this crime, is also posted.
Excerpts from Federal District Judge Sam's decision supporting county RS 2477 rights. These excerpts are from a decision by Judge Sam rejecting the Clinton Administration's Motion for Partial Summary Judgement against Kane County in southern Utah, one of three counties being sued for exercising their traditional and legitimate RS 2477-related rights. In his decision, Judge Sam makes a number of observations which are very supportive of the county's rights, reaffirming a long string of similar judicial rulings. This document was prepared by the Western Counties Resources Policy Institute.
Short briefing paper on the significance of an opinion by the General Accounting Office (GAO) on the Congressionally imposed moratorium on issuing RS 2477 regulations. In 1994 the Clinton Administration issued draft regulations which were so bad they set off a firestorm of protest and led Congress to impose annual moratoriums preventing the Administration from