The Perfect Gift
For senators and representatives who have already been given everything else by lobbyists

I thought I was through blogging for the day until the LATimes editorial Land grab caught my eye:

SUDDENLY IT'S OPEN SEASON on our national parks. Not on the animals, though the Interior Department did move last month to take the Yellowstone grizzly off the endangered species list. It's open season on the parks themselves.

[ . . . .]

The House recently passed an amendment to allow federal lands to be sold to anyone who holds or purchases an old mining claim. (And once mining is completed, that land would be in private hands and open to other development.) Up for sale would be millions of acres of public land, including acreage in national forests and parks — and as The Times has reported, California's national parks have more mining claims than anywhere else. Under heavy criticism, even from Senate Republicans, the amendment was withdrawn when it reached the House-Senate conference committee, but Gibbons says he plans to reintroduce "reform legislation" next year.

What started this stampede of private interests on public lands? Perhaps it was a plan released last summer by the Interior Department. The plan would have declared grazing and mining as legitimate uses of national parks, pushed for more commercial development and weakened protections at many levels. The administration eventually backed down, but it might have given ideas to members
of Congress.

Take special note of the closing:

At such times, it's worth remembering the Park Service's mission statement:
"The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world."

Nothing in there about mining or giving whole islands over to the military. Someone ought to print it out from the Park Service's website and give a copy to every Republican in the House.

If you are making out Christmas guest lists, may I suggest sending a copy of it to your representatives and senators as a much needed present?

I'm not joking.