APC is now offering you a quick and easy way to multiply your efforts and help win more battles! Simply click http://www.referralblast.com/rblast.asp?sid=5906 to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends! It’s fast, it’s easy, and most of all, it’s extremely effective in KILLING LEFTIST POLICIES!

As Congress winds down this year’s session, green groups and various anti-property rights preservation zealots are moving FULL SPEED AHEAD to ram five Heritage Area bills through Congress. Their hope is that all of the hustle and bustle of the ending legislative session will act as a SMOKESCREEN for these dastardly, land-grabbing, federal zoning bills:

- H.R. 280: "The National Aviation Heritage Area" sponsored by Rep. David Hobson (R-OH)

-H.R. 1862: "The Oil Region National Heritage Area" sponsored by Rep. John Peterson (R-PA)

-H.R. 1618: "The Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area" sponsored by Denise Majette (D-GA)

-H.R. 1594: "The St. Croix National Heritage Area" sponsored by Rep. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)

-H.R. 1798: "The Upper Housatonic Valley Heritage Area" sponsored by Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT)

These Heritage Areas are de facto federal zoning. Federal money for Heritage Areas is administered through the National Park Service to preservation groups that are directed to "preserve everything within the Heritage Area that is relevant to the Heritage Area." In other words, the Park Service teams up with local greens to take away YOUR private property rights. Once an area becomes a Heritage Area, local control over zoning and land use is lost. (To read more on the dangers of Heritage Areas, go to: http://www.americanpolicy.org/prop/main.htm).

How would you like zoning and property rights decisions in YOUR town being made by green groups, local bureaucrats and the National Park Service??? THAT is the reality of National Heritage Areas!

If this Heritage Areas craze continues, it will only be a matter of time before EVERY TOWN AND COUNTY in the nation is under Heritage Area control!

NOTE: This is not a partisan issue! There will be heroes and zeroes from both sides of the aisle. EXAMPLE: Last Thursday (10/16), at a Congressional hearing on these five Heritage Areas, Rep. John Peterson, a REPUBLICAN member of the pro-property rights Western Caucus, did everything but drop to his knees and BEG for his precious Oil Region Heritage Area. He CAN’T WAIT to funnel millions of dollars of pork back to Pennsylvania—local zoning and property rights BE DAMNED!

** Action to Take **

1. Call, fax or E-mail Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) and tell him to hold the line on Heritage Areas! He’s under tremendous pressure from outside sources and must have our support! Phone: (202) 225-1947. Fax: (202) 226-0861. To email Rep. Pombo, go to: http://www.house.gov/pombo/contact/commentsform.htm

2. Call, fax or E-mail Rep. George Radanovich and tell him to do everything in his power to stop these four Heritage Areas from passing! Rep. Radanovich is the chairman of the subcommittee (House Subcommittee on Parks) that will be voting on these bills. Phone: (202) 225-4540. Fax: (202) 225-3402. E-mail through website at: www.radanovich.house.gov

3. Contact the following members of the House Parks Subcommittee and tell them to vote NO! on the above five Heritage Area bills. Explain to them that Heritage Areas endanger property rights and institute federal zoning, and zoning should be the function of local government!

George Radanovich (R-CA): (202) 225-4540 – fax (202) 225-3402 – www.radanovich.house.gov

Elton Gallegly (R-CA): (202) 225-5811– fax (202) 225-1100 – www.house.gov/gallegly/

John Duncan (R-TN): (202) 225-5435 – fax (202) 225-6440 – www.house.gov/duncan/

Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD): (202) 225-5311 – fax (202) 225-0254 – www.house.gov/gilchrest/

Barbara Cubin (R-WY): (202) 225-2311 – fax (202) 225-3057 – www.house.gov/cubin/

Walter Jones (R-NC): (202) 225-3415 – fax (202) 225-3286 – cong.jones@mail.house.gov

Chris Cannon (R-UT): (202) 225-7751 – fax (202) 225-5629 – www.house.gov/cannon/

John Peterson (R-PA): (202) 225-5121 – fax (202) 225-5796 – www.house.gov/johnpeterson/

Jim Gibbons (R-NV): (202) 225-6155 – fax (202) 225-5679 – www.house.gov/gibbons/

Mark Souder (R-IN): (202) 225-4436 – fax (202) 225-3479 – souder@mail.house.gov

Rob Bishop (R-UT): (202) 225-0453 – fax (202) 225-5857 – www.house.gov/robbishop/

Donna Christensen (D-VI): (202) 225-1790 – fax (202) 225-5517 – donna.Christensen@mail.house.gov

Dale Kildee (D-MI): (202) 225-3611 – fax (202) 225-6393 – dkildee@mail.house.gov

Ron Kind (D-WI): (202) 225-5506 – fax (202) 225-5739 – ron.kind@mail.house.gov

Tom Udall (D-NM): (202) 225-6190 – fax (202) 226-1331 – tom.udall@mail.house.gov

Mark Udall (D-NM): (202) 225-2161 – fax (202) 226-7840 – www.house.gov/markudall/

Anibal Acevedo-Vila (D-PR): (202) 225-2615 – fax (202) 225-2154 – anibal@mail.house.gov

Raul Grijalva (D-AZ): (202) 225-2435 – fax (202) 225-1541 – raul.grijalva@mail.house.gov

Dennis Cardoza (D-CA): (202) 225-6131 – fax (202) 225-0819 – www.house.gov/cardoza/

Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU): (202) 225-1188 – fax (202) 226-0341 – Madeleine.bordallo@mail.house.gov

4. Click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends!

Land Trusts STILL Pushing for Unfair Tax-Favoritism!

A broad coalition of 34 interest groups including the American Policy Center, the American Land Rights Association, and the American Conservative Union have united to oppose the Senate version of the Faith-based initiative because it gives wealthy, greedy land trusts an unfair tax advantage that would enable them to grab land at an alarming rate.

The group has signed a letter to the House and Senate committee chairmen with jurisdiction over the legislation. It reads in part:

"The Senate proposal would provide a capital gains tax reduction of 25% to sellers of land or water rights - but only if they sell to a land trust or a government agency . . . It will do virtually nothing to benefit sellers of land, since land trusts will be able to reduce their offering price versus any other potential buyer of property . . . This proposal would place faith-based institutions, such as churches, orphanages and private schools, at a comparative disadvantage in property purchases compared to land trusts and government agencies, neither of which are faith based."

There is no time to lose.

You MUST follow the Action-to-Take below.

** Action to Take **

1. Congressman Steve Pearce is circulating a letter to all members of Congress, asking them to sign it—it says that there should be NO special handouts to Land Trusts! CONTACT your Congressional office and tell your Representative to "Sign Congressman Steve Pearce's letter on H.R. 7—NO SPECIAL DEALS FOR LAND TRUSTS!" You can call every Congressman at (202) 225-3121. Simply ask for your Congressman by name.

2. Click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends!