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CBU news on AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE

May 28, 2010

CBU news

The leak of internal memos has revealed an effort by the Obama administration to create another 6.5 million acres of National Monument land in Montana. According to the maps of these areas over 2/3 is privately owned. Under the name of Treasured Landscapes and in cooperation with organizations like World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy the government agencies of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Department of Interior are working to remove people from the land and take private property.

Bitter Creek landscape total acres         2,491,836
Montana Glaciated Plains total acres      4,138,593

In one of the released emails dated September 9, 2009 from Gina DeFerrari (WWF) to Ned Farquhar the following statement was made by Gina:

“You had asked where Governor Schweitzer’s ranch is-it’s in Judith Basin County, which is on the western boundary of the Nothern Plains ecoregion, as we define it, but outside these two landscapes.”

It is clear the Governor was aware of this project back in September of 2009 and was concerned his private property would be included in the proposed Monument designation. I would hope he would extend the same concern for those property owners included in this designation and fight for their property rights.

Many U.S. House of Representative members including Denny Rehberg have demanded the Department of Interior release all communication regarding the Treasured Landscape agenda. Both Senator Tester and Senator Baucus have known about this for quite some time and it remains to be seen whether they will oppose this federal land grab in Montana.

In response to the leaked memos and critizim from the public because of the secrecy this agenda has been under, the Department of Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the White House Council on Enviromental Quality are sending staff to attend 3 public meetings in Montana. All 3 meetings will be held beginning at 9am on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 in Helena, Missoula and Bozeman.

CBU and partner organizations will have representatives at these meetings

To see more details on meetiongs click here

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