Huge Congressional Land Grab Goes
Unnoticed by Public
CARA Act Provides Billions for Land Acquisition by States
"With attention focused on the primary elections, Americans
remain
unaware of legislation that is a direct attack on property rights, the
keystone of the nation's economy," warns Tom DeWeese, president
of the
American Policy Center, an activist think tank. "Millions of
acres now enjoyed by sportsmen, owned by farmers, ranchers, and
property owners of
every description will be forcibly acquired and put off limits to
Americans."
The Conservation and Reinvestment Act
(CARA-HR 701/S 25) creates a three billion
dollar annual trust fund taken from royalties generated by offshore
oil productions called outer continental
shelf revenue. The fund was established
to pay for damage caused to marine life, oceans and estuaries by oil
exploration and extraction activities. "Congress is lining up for an
all-out raid on these funds."
"Now," says DeWeese, "all fifty states are being offered
an opportunity to access this money
for purposes that have nothing whatever to do with the mitigation
of any environmental problems. The result will be a huge pork barrel
of land acquisition projects that will deny Americans access to vast
areas of the nation. CARA threatens
privately owned hunt clubs and other areas
used by sports people of every description, from hunting and fishing,
to camping, mountain climbing, skiing,
snowmobiling, mountain biking, and other
outdoor activities"
Using the power of eminent domain, States will have funds that will
permit them to take away land owned by
farmers, ranchers, and others. DeWeese noted
that 139,000 acres of timberland leased to hunters for more than a century
was purchased by New York State last year. "Hunting and snowmobiling
was immediately prohibited."
"If CARA is passed by the House and Senate, no one's home or other
property will be safe," says DeWeese.
Development for the housing needs of Americans
will be thwarted. The legislation is sponsored by Congressman Don
Young (R-Alaska), Billy Tauzin
(R-Louisiana), and George Miller (D-California). "By spreading the
money around while subverting its original
purpose, CARA encourages other members of Congress to support it.
"The Center anticipates that
Rep. Young will try to ram through CARA in the opening session
of Congress.
"CARA is an attack on the Constitutional protection given property
ownership, on the ability of this nation to
overcome its dependency on foreign
oil production, and on the millions of Americans who will wake up to
discover they are denied access to the
forests and wilderness areas of the nation."
The Center urges its supporters and all Americans to write, fax, and
email their Representatives and Senators
regarding the need to defeat CARA.
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