WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–October 3, 2013. Today, in spite of the government shutdown and Republican lip-service about our public lands, the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulations will hold a hearing on a number of bills threatening our nation’s wild legacy, including:
H.R. 2657 – Legislation Sponsored by Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to sell off public lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
H.R. 3188 – Legislation Sponsored by Tom McClintock (R-CA) to turn over parts of the currently shuttered Yosemite National Park to logging.
In response, Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program released the following statement:
“The public has made it clear how important America’s parks, monuments, forests and other public lands are to our quality of life and economy. Yet instead of taking real steps to support these special places by fully funding the government, House Republicans are discussing how to sell them off. Even as the public is still locked out of Yosemite, Congressional Republicans are trying to open it for logging. Today’s hearing underscores that House Republicans’ concern for our special places is nothing more than lip service, and an attempt to distract from their failure to approve routine legislation to fund our government. This crisis affects our public lands, our health, and our local economies. A piecemeal approach simply won’t cut it. The American people need and deserve a fully open, fully functioning government.”
Source: sierraclub.org
