I am forwarding this message to ask for your help.
This is a critical vote that may hit the floor as early as today. This is
not meant to be political so please forgive me for this but those who recor=
d
wildlife; I would think we would want to preserve it?
Could you act on this ASAP, PLEASE......
Critical news from Washington DC:=20
As many of you have heard, Congressman Richard Pombo (R-CA) introduced a
bill (HR 3824) on Monday, September 19 that would significantly weaken the
Endangered Species Act. The bill moved with lightning speed last week
through the House Resources Committee, which Congressman Pombo chairs. A
hearing on the bill was held on Wednesday (9/21) and it was passed through
the committee on Friday (9/23)by a vote of 26-12.
The bill is on a fast track and is scheduled to be considered on the floor
of the House this week, perhaps as early as tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27=
.
It is very important to get calls or faxes into as many House offices (YOUR
CONGRESSIONAL REP) as soon as possible to urge the Members to vote against
Rep. Pombo's "ESA Extinction Bill". We are focusing on the House at this
point; the Senate will come later.=20
Three items are below to help you contact your Congressional representative=
.
1. An article by Audubon about the bill.=20
2. A short draft letter to send to your congressperson.=20
3. Washington's Congressional contact information.=20
Call your Congressional office today. Ask for their fax number to fax your
letter. Or leave a verbal message. Or email your letter through their
website. (Sending letters through the regular mail does not work.)
Just FYI, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris (R) Spokane has already co-sponsored
this bill. (Maybe the Spokane Audubon Chapter wants to craft a different
message for Rep. McMorris ...?)
Thank you for calling or faxing your Congressional representatives and ask
them NOT to support the ESA Extinction Bill.
Nina Carter
Executive Director
Audubon Washington
360-786-8020 x 208
URGENT ACTION ALERT
TELL CONGRESS NOT TO GUT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT!
Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) and other lawmakers are rushing through
the House of Representatives a bill that would gut the Endangered Species
Act, our nation's core program aimed at bringing back birds and wildlife
from the brink of extinction. Congressman Pombo's "Extinction Bill" is
scheduled for a vote on the House floor as this week! Take action today!
The ESA is the reason why we still have the Bald Eagle, the California
Condor, the gray wolf, the pacific salmon, and many other species that face=
d
certain extinction.
Representative Pombo's "Extinction Bill" is a radical departure from curren=
t
law that would substantially limit the government's responsibility to
protect America's most vulnerable birds and wildlife. Pombo's bill would:
* Eviscerate habitat protections for endangered species. Congressman
Pombo's bill would severely limit the federal government's responsibility t=
o
protect land it deems crucial to the health of endangered species. The
Extinction Bill would give a green light to developers, loggers and other
special interests to degrade and destroy sensitive wildlife habitat.
* Bankrupt the Endangered Species Act to pay special interests. Rep.
Pombo's bill would force the federal government to pay special interests
when their proposed projects would harm or kill endangered wildlife. There
is no requirement that the proposed activity be more than speculative and
there is no limit on the number of times a developer can receive
compensation for different proposed activities on his or her land. This
provision could bankrupt the Endangered Species Act when the Fish and
Wildlife Service is forced to pay.=20
* Gut protections for threatened species. The bill would eliminate the
blanket protection from harm offered for threatened species under current
regulations and instead require the Fish and Wildlife Service to issue a
separate regulation for each threatened species. Many species could be
stripped of protection.
Your help is urgently needed! We need you to contact your lawmaker to let
them know that any move to gut the Endangered Species Act is unacceptable.
Birds like the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Whooping Crane, and California
Condor need the protection of this critically important conservation law!
Tell Congress that you expect them to uphold the Endangered Species Act, fo=
r
the critically imperiled birds and wildlife that can't speak for themselves=
!
Please contact, call and fax, your Congressional delegation today. =
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Dear Congressman/woman:
I urge you to oppose Congressman Pombo's proposed weakening of the
Endangered Species Act (H.R. 3824). The Act is America's only legal safety
net for the protection of our most vulnerable birds and wildlife, including
our nation's symbol, the Bald Eagle.
Congressman Pombo's "Extinction Bill" abandons responsible protection of
vulnerable wildlife in favor of concessions to the wealthy and
well-connected. The bill would eliminate habitat protection for endangered
species, bankrupt the Endangered Species Act by requiring virtually
unlimited payments to special interests, and limit protections for
threatened species.
The Endangered Species Act is a conservation success story that has helped
to recover America's symbol, the Bald Eagle, and remains critically
important to the protection of the California Condor, the Gray Wolf, and th=
e
Grizzly Bear.
Please vote against the Extinction Bill, and keep intact America's safety
net for our most vulnerable birds and wildlife.
Thank you for considering my views on this critically important conservatio=
n
issue.
Martyn
****************************************
Martyn Stewart
Bird and Animal Sounds Digitally Recorded at:
http://www.naturesound.org
Redmond. Washington. USA
N47.65543=A0=A0 W121.98428
e-mail:
Tel: 425-898-0462
Make every Garden a wildlife Habitat!
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