Posted on 07/22/2011 11:25:44 AM PDT by Nachum
A new house bill wants to allow the Department of Homeland Security to have jurisdiction over all federal lands on national seashores and coastal areas.
HR Bill 1505, the “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act,” would force the Secretary of the Interior to cede authority of coastal public lands, as well as lands located along the borders of Canada and Mexico, to the Secretary of Homeland Security when the latter sees fit. It would give the Dept. of Homeland Security the ability to construct roads and fences, deploy patrol vehicles and set up “monitoring equipment” in the National Seashore with impunity. And it would waive the need for the Dept. of Homeland Security to comply with environmental laws in areas within 100 miles of a coastline or international border.
The laws from which the Dept. of Homeland Security would be exempt include the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Air Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and virtually every other piece of environmental legislation passed by Congress.
The bill is not without opposition. Congressman William Keating , who also sits on the House committee for Homeland Security, is concerned about the language in the bill as it appears to allow for outright destruction of parts of the United States as long as the DHS claims that there is some sort of security risk. There are also massive environmental and legislative problems to be taken into consideration as well.
…the proposed legislation would give unprecedented authority to a single federal agency to destroy wildlife habitat and wetlands, impair downstream water quality and restrict activities such as hunting, fishing and grazing. It would leave Congress and the public without a voice, even though at stake are hundreds of popular destinations,” including Glacier National Park, the Great Lakes, the California coastline and Cape Cod, said Jane Danowitz, director of U.S. public lands for the Pew Environment Group.
Areas in which environmental laws would be waived under the proposed law include the entire border of Alaska, most of Puerto Rico, all of Hawaii and all of Florida. Other national parks that be would affected include Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainer National Park in Washington, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Big Bend National Park in Texas, Acadia National Park in Maine and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.
This is far too sweeping legislation. It essentially allows the DHS to do whatever it wants, including destroying habitats and coastlines, all in the name of security. There would be no oversight and no recourse for anyone or anything in the affected areas.
When is this overreaching of government going to be enough? Would you like to visit any of the places named above if they were swarming with armed military, checkpoints, and “random” stops, especially if you had no recourse to complain about them? What are the “other purposes” in this bill and just how far will it be stretched to fit the mission of the DHS as it changes day to day? We need to stop this bill while it’s still in committee. Once it becomes a law, these former parks and seashores will no longer be a place for a family to enjoy a weekend together. It will be a militarized border, questionable to no one.
The list, ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Every time you turn around Obama’s bunch are taking over something else.
They want gulags and slaves. These people aren’t kidding, they won’t stop, they won’t “compromise” (as if that would be any good anyway) and they hate the Constitution. It’s nothing less than a coup, and the vast majority of the Repubs are tacitly on board and/or blackmailed/bribed or spineless disgusting cowards.
Need I say more?
The public beach known as Revere Beach in Revere MA was the first “National Seashore”. Are they going to blockade Kelly’s Roast Beef and Bianci’s Pizza?
You put DHS in charge of stuff they’ll bring their TSA goons to take x-rays of bear butts.
That puppy has to die.
Sounds very worrisome. It would presumably also include Padre Island, so about 1/2 of the Texas Gulf of Mexico coastline, which is surrounded by state waters, not federal waters.
It is less of a concern to me to exempt all those lands from the various US legislation, than the act of giving DHS unfettered jurisdiction over all those areas. Sounds like something the Soviet Union would do to its borders. DHA hardly inspires confidence in anything they do.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Nope. ‘Nuff said.
So let me get this straight, the sea shores and coastal areas need to be carefully guarded, but the overland border with Mexico, not so much.
Makes sense. Not.
Well, it's pretty clear that the only problem liberals really have with slavery in America was that slaves were privately owned.
Is this partial implementation of AGENDA 21?
Possible Agenda 21.
You don't think that Janet N. and her goon squad can use these powers for our detriment? Sheesh.
Have you seen this?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
