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Re: New rules in from Interior Dept

Subject: Re: New rules in from Interior Dept
From: "Martyn Stewart" mijdog2000
Date: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:49 am ((PDT))
I agree, Bernie. Lets all meet on Monday at Midway Island at 2:00
p.m. by the buildings that are falling apart that are covered in lead
paint that are killing all the
albatrosses. :)
http://www.abcbirds.org/media/releases/LeadPaint.htm


I mean we may as well clean up the place while the administration
wastes time on other pathetic issues?


Martyn
*************************************
Martyn Stewart
http://www.naturesound.org

Redmond. WA
425-898-0462

Make every garden a wildlife habitat
**************************************
Listen to the Birds and the Bees at
http://naturesound.libsyn.org/



On Oct 18, 2007, at 8:40 AM, Bernie Krause wrote:

> Perhaps every member of this group should gather up his/her recorder
> and meet at an appointed time at the entrance of Yellowstone,
> Yosemite,
> or some other centrally located park and march in recorder&mic-in-hand
> and gather at some site in large numbers to make the point.
>
> This issue has been an on-off one since I began working with the NPS
> in 1979
> and, depending on the then-current administration mandates du jour,
> it's either
> cool or not to do what everyone should be doing.
>
> One might ask how this conforms to the current NPS Soundscape Program
> that
> encourages visitors to engage in soundscape activities (listening and
> recording)
> in the various parks. This comes with a program (DO 47) that emerged
> from the
> visitor soundscape programs we helped develop in the late 90s and
> early new century.
>
> Bernie Krause
>
>
> On Oct 17, 2007, at 9:48 PM, John Hartog wrote:
>
>> Wow! Why do these issues always come to light the last day before it
>> is too late to comment? Guess I better gather my thoughts and send in
>> a comment.
>>
>> It is hard to trust the premise behind these pending regulations
>> limiting filming, photography, or audio recording on public lands,
>> while at the same time our country is subjected by an administrative
>> mindset to ignore the scientific community =96 and that is working hard
>> to cripple our Endangered Species Act, and that would love to see
>> habitat protections thrown out completely so a few rich men can
>> exploit our lands and line their own pockets as well as the
>> pockets of
>> a few powerful others.
>>
>> I fear this may be an attempt to keep the eyes and ears of the public
>> blind to the current states of our public lands. To a large extent
>> our public relies on recorded sounds and images in whatever format
>> (entertainment, documentary, news) to form their own opinions
>> regarding the condition of our world beyond ones own physically
>> practical reach.
>>
>> Sounds like this might make things more difficult for anyone carrying
>> a recorder or a camera onto public lands.
>>
>> John Hartog
>> Portland Oregon USA
>>
>> --- In  Bernie Krause <>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Check this out, folks.
>>>
>>> Bernie
>>>
>>>
>>>> From: SEJNews <>
>>>> Date: October 17, 2007 3:08:58 PM PDT
>>>> To: 
>>>> Cc: 
>>>> Subject: SEJ-TIPSHEET: WATCHDOG EDITION of 17 OCTOBER 2007
>>>> Reply-To: 
>>>>
>>>> TIPSHEET WATCHDOG EDITION
>>>> 17 OCTOBER 2007
>>>>
>>>> This biweekly WatchDog edition of TipSheet focuses on First
>> Amendment
>>>> issues of concern to environmental journalists. You can find a
>> fuller
>>>> version of most articles, frequent updates, and other tools and
>>>> information on the Web site of the Society of Environmental
>>>> Journalists.
>>>>
>>>> TipSheet WatchDog Edition is produced by the SEJ as an ongoing
>>>> activity
>>>> of its First Amendment Task Force <http://www.sej.org/foia/
>>>> index6.htm>,
>>>> and distributed through the TipSheet partnership between SEJ
>> and the
>>>> Radio & Television News Directors Foundation. The contents of
>> TipSheet
>>>> WatchDog are posted to the FOI area of the SEJ Web site at
>>>> <http://www.sej.org/foia/index7.htm>.
>>>>
>>>> ***************************************************************
>>>> IN THIS ISSUE...
>>>> ***************************************************************
>>>>
>>>> -- Interior Proposes Photo Fee Rule
>>>> -- House Passes Shield Law 398-21; White House Threatens Veto
>>>> -- Veterans' Hospitals Won't Share Cancer Data
>>>> -- Toledo Blade Covers Nuclear Cover-Up Trial
>>>> -- Judge Denies Media Access to MSHA Probe of Crandall Canyon
>>>> -- Minnesota Scientist Finally Gives Atrazine Testimony
>>>>
>>>> ***************************************************************
>>>> FULL VERSIONS of all the WatchDog stories are posted at
>>>> <http://www.sej.org/foia/index7.htm.
>>>>
>>>> ***************************************************************
>>>> INTERIOR PROPOSES FEE/PERMIT RULE FOR FILMING IN PARKS, REFUGES
>>>>
>>>> The Interior Department has proposed codifying its rules on
>>>> photography, filming, and sound-recording on public lands it
>>>> administers -- rules which some newsgatherers complain badly
>> cramps
>>>> their ability to do their jobs.
>>>>
>>>> The deadline for public comments on the proposed rule is
>> Friday, Oct.
>>>> 19, 2007. The Society of Environmental Journalists and other
>> groups
>>>> expect to file comments urging Interior to ease restrictions on
>>>> newsgathering.
>>>>
>>>> The Interior proposal is not a drastic shift in policy -- but
>> it would
>>>> make filming policy more consistent across some of Interior's
>> major
>>>> component agencies: the National Park Service, the Fish & Wildlife
>>>> Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. It is not clear
>> that it
>>>> would regularize policy across various Park System units, which
>> now
>>>> vary widely in how they apply the policy.
>>>>
>>>> The proposal would decide several key issues in ways that restrict
>>>> journalists:
>>>>
>>>> -- Is documentary a form of news? The proposal allows agencies
>> to say
>>>> "no."
>>>> -- Are freelancers representatives of the news media? Agencies
>> can say
>>>> "no."
>>>> -- Are independent producers and production companies news media?
>>>> Again: "no."
>>>> -- Can public radio reporters interview park staff or record wolf
>>>> calls? The rule allows parks to require a permit, even though
>> the law
>>>> gives it no authority to do so.
>>>> -- Do still photographers with handheld cameras need permits?
>> The rule
>>>> allows a park service employee to deny permission to photograph if
>>>> he/she feels the photography is "inappropriate."
>>>>
>>>> While Interior's proposal continues the agency's current policy of
>>>> exempting "news coverage" from permit requirements, it also
>> allows a
>>>> very narrow definition of "news." Current policy exempts only
>>>> "breaking" or "spot" news (such as a wildfire or presidential
>>>> photo-ops) from permit requirements. One park (Yellowstone)
>> defines
>>>> news as "an event that cannot be covered at any other time or
>>>> location." That could exclude coverage of grizzly bear conflicts,
>>>> snowmobile policy decisions, bioprospecting, budget and
>> maintenance
>>>> debates, and traffic jams.
>>>>
>>>> -- "Proposed Rule: Making Motion Pictures, Television Productions,
>>>> Soundtracks or Taking Still Photographs on Certain Areas Under the
>>>> Jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior," Department of the
>>>> Interior, Federal Register, August 20, 2007, pp. 46426-46432
>>>> <http://www.sej.org/go/071017-1.htm>.
>>>>
>>>> -- You can comment on the proposal from your computer at the
>> online
>>>> federal rulemaking portal:
>>>> <http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main>. The
>> docket ID
>>>> is DOI-2007-0035 <http://www.sej.org/go/071017-2.htm>.
>>>>
>>>> **********************************************************
>>>> HOUSE PASSES SHIELD LAW 398-21; WHITE HOUSE THREATENS VETO
>>>>
>>>> The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Oct. 16, 2007, to
>>>> create a federal
>>>> shield law which would offer limited protection for reporters from
>>>> being compelled to
>>>> disclose confidential sources.
>>>>
>>>> Shortly before passage, the White House threatened to veto the
>> bill
>>>> (HR 2102). It passed by an astonishing 398-21 margin, with
>> Republicans
>>>> abandoning the White House position in droves after the House
>> added an
>>>> amendment addressing some national security concerns. If that
>> margin
>>>> held, it would be more than enough to override a veto. A 2/3
>> vote is
>>>> needed to override.
>>>>
>>>> Attention now shifts to the Senate, where a similar bill is
>> awaiting
>>>> floor action.
>>>>
>>>> The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill (S 2035) by a
>> 15-4
>>>> vote. The relative weakness of GOP opposition there suggests that
>>>> getting it to the floor may be quite feasible. It is easier to
>> block
>>>> floor consideration of a bill in the Senate than in the House,
>> since
>>>> 60 votes are needed to cut off debate (cloture) and bring a
>> bill to a
>>>> vote.
>>>>
>>>> -- Extensive Background at the Web site of the Coalition of
>>>> Journalists for Open Government: <http://www.cjog.net/>.
>>>>
>>>> *******************************************
>>>> VETERANS' HOSPITALS WON'T SHARE CANCER DATA
>>>>
>>>> Cancer registries have been part of the public health system in
>> the
>>>> U.S. since before World War II. They serve many purposes: not
>> only do
>>>> they aid the collection of statistics so that physicians can
>> gauge how
>>>> the battle against cancer is going, but they can help pinpoint
>> "cancer
>>>> clusters" that may be caused by environmental factors.
>>>>
>>>> Virtually every state in the U.S. has a registry of cancer cases,
>>>> under a national surveillance system run by the Centers for
>> Disease
>>>> Control and Prevention (CDC). This system has been dealing --
>> for the
>>>> most part successfully -- with patient privacy issues for decades.
>>>> Cancer registries often share medical data while restricting
>> access to
>>>> information about patient identity.
>>>>
>>>> Now the hospitals in the federal Veterans Affairs (VA) system are
>>>> saying they will not share cancer data with state registries
>> unless
>>>> the states sign restrictive agreements. The VA says it is
>> protecting
>>>> patient privacy. For now, the VA seems to have the upper hand,
>> since
>>>> states can not force a federal institution to obey state law,
>>>> according to an Oct. 10 story in the New York Times.
>>>>
>>>> ******************************************************
>>>> TOLEDO BLADE COVERS DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR COVER-UP TRIAL
>>>>
>>>> A federal jury in Toledo may soon be deciding whether some company
>>>> officials engaged in a cover-up of safety problems at the Davis-
>> Besse
>>>> nuclear power plant.
>>>>
>>>> Although the story has gotten little national attention, the
>> Toledo
>>>> Blade's Tom Henry has covered the trial in detail.
>>>>
>>>> The latest of Henry's stories in the Blade (Oct. 13) is at
>>>> <http://www.sej.org/go/071017-3.htm> and you will find links to
>> most
>>>> previous stories there. You can also find them in the Web
>> edition of
>>>> the WatchDog at <http://www.sej.org/foia/index7.htm>.
>>>>
>>>> **********************************************************
>>>> JUDGE DENIES MEDIA ACCESS TO MSHA PROBE OF CRANDALL CANYON
>>>>
>>>> Federal district judge Dee Benson ruled Oct. 9, 2007, that a
>> group of
>>>> news media companies could not have access to an investigation
>> by the
>>>> Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) into the Crandall
>> Canyon
>>>> mine collapse in Utah Aug. 6, which killed six miners and three
>>>> workers trying to rescue them.
>>>>
>>>> While MSHA is investigating factors that led to the accident, MSHA
>>>> itself has been criticized for decisions that may have led to the
>>>> collapse.
>>>>
>>>> A group of media companies went to court seeking to attend
>>>> investigatory proceeding being held by MSHA. The companies
>> included
>>>> the Associated Press, CNN and The Salt Lake Tribune.
>>>>
>>>> ************************************************************
>>>> SCIENTIST FINALLY GIVES ATRAZINE TESTIMONY HE WAS FIRED OVER
>>>>
>>>> A scientist who was fired shortly after he asked permission to
>> testify
>>>> before the Minnesota legislature on Atrazine pollution of water
>>>> finally had his say.
>>>>
>>>> "Paul Wotzka is a hydrologist who logged 16 years monitoring water
>>>> quality for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture before
>> moving to
>>>> the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency last year," reports
>> KARE-11 in
>>>> Minneapolis-St. Paul. "On March 20th Wotzka took a call from
>>>> Representative Ken Tschumper, a dairy farmer who advocates banning
>>>> Atrazine from use in Minnesota."
>>>>
>>>> Tschumper had read an article that quoted Wotzka saying Atrazine
>>>> levels were up in Minnesota trout streams. Wotzka sent a
>> request to
>>>> his bosses asking permission to testify. They denied the
>> request, and
>>>> two weeks later fired him. Wotzka has now filed a whistleblower
>>>> lawsuit.
>>>>
>>>> The MPCA did not manage to silence Wotzka, though. State Sen. John
>>>> Marty (D) invited him to testify Oct. 10 at a hearing on
>> Atrazine and
>>>> scientific integrity.
>>>>
>>>> *******************************************************
>>>> FULL VERSIONS of all the WatchDog stories are posted at
>>>> <http://www.sej.org/foia/index7.htm.
>>>>
>>>> *******************************
>>>> Next WatchDog: October 31, 2007
>>>>
>>>> Journalists: Please tell your colleagues about TipSheet and
>> TipSheet
>>>> WatchDog Edition. For free subscription send name and full contact
>>>> information to <>. Have a tip? Comments? Contact Joseph A.
>>>> Davis, editor, at 301-656-2261, <>. WatchDog team
>>>> includes
>>>> Ken Ward, Jr., SEJ 1st Amendment Task Force Chair; Robert
>> McClure, SEJ
>>>> Board/Task Force Liaison; Vince Patton, Adviser; Beth Parke, SEJ
>>>> Executive Director; Cindy MacDonald, Web Associate; and you.
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> SEJ-tipsheet mailing list
>>>> 
>>>> To manage your subscription or unsubscribe: http://lists.sej.org/
>>>> mailman/listinfo/sej-tipsheet
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Wild Sanctuary
>>> POB 536
>>> Glen Ellen, CA 95442
>>> 707-996-6677
>>> http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>>> 
>>> Google Earth zooms: Earth.WildSanctuary.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> Wild Sanctuary
> POB 536
> Glen Ellen, CA 95442
> 707-996-6677
> http://www.wildsanctuary.com
> 
> Google Earth zooms: Earth.WildSanctuary.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
> Krause
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>








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