From: alra@governance.net Subject: Yosemite Testimony Deadline Nears Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 – E-mail: alra@landrights.org Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 – Fax: 202-543-7126 – E-mail: landrightsnet@aol.com Yosemite Testimony Deadline Nears Don’t allow the greens to take Yosemite away from you. The Park Service is planning to remove 2,500 parking spaces, leaving only 550. The NPS is removing 470 drive-in campsites in the Yosemite Valley, leaving only 330. ALL VISITORS TO YOSEMITE VALLEY WILL HAVE TO RIDE A BUS. This is a crazy plan. It only got this far because everybody thought it was so crazy that they all assumed someone else would do something about it. What a mistake. IF the NPS is able to close down Yosemite to families, children, the handicapped and elderly, what about parks you are close to? They’ll get rid of people there too. NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO SPEAK UP. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES. You can testify and have your statement go into the official record of the hearing held in Congress Tuesday, July 22nd by sending in your Testimony Questionnaire. DOWNLOAD A TESTIMONY QUESTIONNAIRE AND MAIL IT TODAY. OR FAX IT TO (360) 687-2973. Go to www.landrights.org and download the Testimony Questionnaire. FAX it to American Land Rights at (360) 687-2973 no later than Monday, August 4th at 12:00 Noon. Rep. George Radanovich introduced a bill (HR 2715) in Congress to put back SOME of the campsites lost to the flood in 1997. The bill also restores SOME of the parking the Yosemite Valley Plan has set for removal. The bill makes it more difficult for the Park Service to force you to ride a bus. The real value of HR 2715 is that it will force the Park Service to redo the Yosemite Valley Plan. Radanovich held the hearing in the Resources Committee for Tuesday, July 22nd. Please encourage Rep. Radanovich with his bill but urge he and Congress to really restore Yosemite and protect access for families and children, the handicapped, elderly as well as climbers and hikers. That means that all 800 Valley drive in campsites must be saved. And the 3,500 parking places in the Valley must not be reduced to 550 as is now planned. It’s clear the Park Service’s Yosemite Valley Plan is a social engineering project to reduce the visitors, make them buy inside the park, and force people out of their cars and onto buses from remote locations, bypassing many communities. Many people like the shuttle system in the Valley. We’re talking about hundreds of large, slow, smelly buses from 50 and 100 miles away. After the Park Service implements this planned change and when people find out they cannot go to Yosemite unless it is on a bus . . . . they won’t go. It has not happened yet . . . but it will unless you help stop the Yosemite Valley Plan. If the Yosemite Valley Plan is stopped, then you can stop the spread across the country of these restrictive forced busing, limited camping and parking plans at other parks. Save Access to Yosemite -- The Yosemite Valley Plan can be and must be overturned. Rep. Radanovich’s HR 2715 can help if he really gets behind it and you do too. But it must also be fixed. History is in your hands. The vocal minority that wants to largely shut down access to Yosemite is well on their way to achieving their objectives. While your parking is being reduced from 3,500 spaces in Yosemite Valley to 550 spaces, the Wilderness camper parking increased by 25%. Sounds like a double standard. While drive-in campsites are being reduced from 800 to 330, walk-in campsites increase by 140% from 67 to 160. This will happen in all parks unless you act NOW! This is your last chance to save Yosemite Valley from the extremists. You must not stop now. The Yosemite Valley Plan will be overturned if you do your part. ACTION ITEMS: What you must do NOW! -----1. Download your personal Testimony Questionnaire from www.landrights.org -----2. Download one or more of the signs that are on our website. FAX a copy to your Congressman. Use the 800 number below to call your Congressman to ask for his fax number. -----3. Fax back your Testimony Questionnaire quickly. -----4. Call Rep. George Radanovich at (202) 224-3121 or the FREE NUMBER (800) 648-3516. Thank him but urge him to fix ALL the campsites and parking damaged by the flood of 1997. You can send him a fax at: (202) 225-3402. -----5. Call and fax your Congressman to urge him to cut all funding for the Yosemite Valley Plan. While it seems like in only affects Yosemite, you will send a signal that all anti-family actions by the Park Service must be opposed. Stop the massive takeover of our National Parks by those who would force you on to a bus, close your camping and parking areas nationwide. Help keep Madera, Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties and the Highway 41, 140 and 120 corridors in the fight with the National Park Service to restore camping, parking and maintain freedom of access. Your Yosemite testimony to Congress is vital. PLEASE FAX BACK YOUR TESTIMONY QUESTIONNAIRE TODAY. The Anthrax scare in Wash. DC makes mail slow. Use the return envelope. We’ll hand deliver your testimony. The Park Service wants to close over 70% of the parking, 60% of the campsites and eventually force every Valley visitor to ride a bus. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE WIDELY. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.