Posted on 09/21/2003 3:03:25 PM PDT by blam
These National Treasures no longer belong to the American Citizens
I understand Carter & Clinton giving away our country - but Reagan??!! Why?!?!
World Heritage Sites
1978 Mesa Verde National Park (CARTER)
1978 Yellowstone National Park (CARTER)
1979 Everglades National Park (CARTER)
1979 Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (CARTER)
1979 Grand Canyon National Park (CARTER)
1979 Independence Hall National Historical Park (CARTER)
1981 Olympic National Park (CARTER)
1979 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (CARTER)
1980 Redwood National Park (CARTER)
1981 Mammoth Cave National Park (CARTER)
1983 Great Smoky Mountains National Park (REAGAN)
1983 San Juan National Historical Site (REAGAN)
1984 Statue of Liberty National Monument (REAGAN)
1984 Yosemite National Park (REAGAN)
1987 Chaco Culture National Historical Park (REAGAN)
1987 Hawaii Volcanos National Park (REAGAN)
1995 Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CLINTON)
1995 Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (CLINTON)
Well, no, actually it doesn't...I'm puzzled by this. Recognition by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site doesn't in any way change the ownership of the site or the land.
Well, yes, of course. But how can you possibly imply that UNESCO 'controls' a World Heritage Site?
I have rather more than an academic interest in this, since I have the good fortune to live quite close to Stonehenge and even closer to a newly-designated World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast of East Devon and Dorset. I've followed closely the determined campaign by the local authorities and other interests over several years to secure this recognition, which is seen by everyone in the area as a great honour. UNESCO has absolutely no 'control' over the Jurassic Coast, which remains entirely in the control of the existing private landowners, local authorities and, in the case of some stretches, the National Trust. The only obligation to UNESCO is to permit monitoring of the Site's conservation and preservation, which can scarcely be described as 'control', since there is absolutely no power to enforce it in the highly unlikely contingency that it would no longer be welcome.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
Ok, it's mine. I left it there after a wild night of solstice partying.
Designation as a UN World Heritage Site basically means that no development of any kind can be attempted within 30 miles of the site itself.
I happen to know this because I own some property around Zion Canyon in southern Utah. The UN has been trying to designate Zion and Bryce canyons as World Heritage sites. In the meantime, the largest known untapped deposits of coal and natural gas on the planet happen to exist in the region (have we forgotten Escalante Nat'l Monument, created by executive order of Billy Jeff already?). While the status of Escalante and the UN's dalliance in the state are being hashed out in courts, property owners are being denied the right and opportunity to profit from their property.
It has gotten so bad that many of the towns in southern Utah have passed ordinances aimed at making it clear that the UN and it's minions are not welcome at all. There was even a town ordinance in Virgin, Utah which stated that all adult males should be armed, just in case the UN showed up.
I haven't been back for about three years now, so I don't know if that actually passed into law (but it would be neat, wouldn't it?).
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