Category Maine national park

Dec 6 2016

Q3 Postmortem

 

My children are looking forward with great anticipation for the next installment of the Star Wars franchise. The idea of the rag-tag warriors battling against insurmountable odds and somehow winning has captivated viewers the world over and my family is no exception. In reality, Maine participated in its very own “star wars saga” this past election cycle, complete with dark lord, rag-tag army, and the obligatory insurmountable odds.

For those who have questioned where yours truly of TMCV was during this election cycle, suffice to say my usual role of heard but not seen was relegated further to not heard and not seen. My voice was behind the phone calls and my person behind the door knocking as I was the NRA’s field coordinator for the ground effort to defeat Bloomberg’s Question Three. Now emerging from my bunker, I thought I would deliver a postmortem on the battle with some reflections on our victory.

As I mentioned in an interview with Guns.com, this victory belongs to the people of Maine. Despite a barrage of false information and relentless attempts (almost 6 million worth) to browbeat and shame the voters of Maine into giving up their natural born right to self-defense, Maine people held secure to their mooring of common sense and withstood the storm. It is real testament to the resiliency of Maine’s independent spirit to stand in the face of the dark lord himself, Bloomberg, his media machine, and local minions who were willing to betray their own state to gain favor with a politician from New York City, still, with all the odds stacked against them, the people of Maine stood resolute.

David Trahan was the face of the resistance, the tip of the spear in the fight to push back Bloomberg’s invasion into Maine. The countless hours spent, funds raised locally, and the many dogged challenges to the false narratives spun by the media were done by this man and his great staff at Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. The battle would not have been won without David’s team at SAM.

The spear really was by the end of the battle a trident, with my small contribution at the end, but the second invaluable point of Maine’s defense was Gun Owner’s of Maine. Todd Tolhurst and the GOME “rag-tag” army spread out all over the state to get the message out and combat the Bloomberg machine. Again, without this army of pickup trucks, gun owners, and hunters fanning out into the hi ways and byways of Maine spreading the message person by person this battle would not have been won.

As for me, my job was below the radar. I was coordinating phone banks and canvassing events. While we were late to the battle, I am glad the NRA funded this battle front and we were able to make inroads into the enemy assault.

As for reflections, we know that Bloomberg is coming back. His fixation with limiting the natural born rights of his fellow citizens consumes him. So how to we prepare to meet him.

First at a grassroots level, we need to expose the dishonest polling data that Everytown for Gun Safety uses to mislead the public. This activist organization has been caught repeatedly skewing or flat out lying with their polling data. I have some articles in the works on that.

The police chiefs who endorsed Q3 and failed to let the public know they were on the board of the activist group that sponsored the referendum should at the very least have their lack of ethics and conflict of interests exposed. Perhaps, this sort of thing can be investigated? I’m sure there are those who better understand the nuances of these things, but be assured that Bloomberg’s storm troopers will be used again, if not discredited.

Fund-raising! If we know he’s coming back, we better start stockpiling now. If you thought 6 mil was a tsunami, wait until he doubles it.

Finally, continue to build on the network we’ve established. Look at town results. If there are towns we should have done better that we were weak, let’s shore those up! Yes, let’s strengthen our defenses so that when Bloomberg comes, we’ll have a Welcome Party waiting for him.

Mar 21 2016

Rep. Poliquin Meets with White House, Urges Against Unilateral National Monument Designation

Rep. Poliquin Meets with White House, Urges Against Unilateral National Monument Designation

Poliquin also requests Congress prevent unilateral designation in Maine’s North Woods

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, met with White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Managing Director Christy Goldfuss to urge against the prospect of President Obama unilaterally designating nearly 90,000 acres in the Katahdin Region as a national monument.  This meeting was a result of a request that Congressman Poliquin sent last month.

 

In the meeting at the White House, Congressman Poliquin discussed the local Katahdin Region, the strong local opposition to a national monument designation, the threat a national monument would have on current and future forest products jobs, the costs of construction and maintenance of a national monument that would take away necessary funding for Acadia National Park, the safety of the current road system for future visitors, and the threat that a national monument poses to recreational access for private citizens.

 

After the meeting, Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“Today’s meeting is a critical step in conveying the interests and concerns of local residents and stakeholders,” said Congressman Poliquin. “We raised serious issues that White House staff indicated they had not heard about prior to today including road safety concerns. We are continuing to urge the President to understand the grave consequences that his unilateral designation of a national monument would have on the local Katahdin Region now and for generations to come. I am hopeful that our message resonates with the White House and the President.”

 

The meeting was also attended by Dana Doran, the Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, Bob Meyers, the Executive Director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, and Patrick Strauch, the Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council.

 

In addition to his White House meeting, today Congressman Poliquin also sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting that language be included in the FY 2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that would prohibit President Obama from making this unilateral designation in Maine’s Penobscot County. Twenty-eight other Members of Congress joined Congressman Poliquin in sending this letter.  The language requested would not prevent national monuments from being created through an act of Congress and is consistent with the original intent of the Antiquities Act.

 

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The full text of the appropriations request letter can be found here:

 

March 22, 2016

 

 

The Honorable Ken Calvert

Chairman

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

B-308 Rayburn HOB

Washington, DC 20515

 

The Honorable Betty McCollum

Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

1016 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum:

 

As you begin work on the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to include language that would prevent presidential abuse of the Antiquities Act.

 

National monuments can be powerful symbols of our nation’s historical and natural heritage. Unfortunately, there is a long and shameful list of abuses of the Antiquities Act whereby Presidents of both parties far exceeded the intent and letter of the 1906 law.  The law was enacted over concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts—collectively termed “antiquities “—on federal lands in the West.

 

By definition, the sites were to be very small—“the smallest area compatible”—with preserving the antiquity, not millions of acres. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the actual statute, “In establishing a national monument, the President is required by the Antiquities Act to reserve ‘the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.’”

 

Presidents on either side of the aisle shouldn’t have unilateral authority to create massive new national monuments by executive fiat without local public input.  It is, after all, the people living near these national monuments who are most affected by their creation.  These citizens deserve to have a strong voice regarding the use of public land near their communities.

 

Unilateral designations that circumvent Congress typically result in devastating consequences for local communities that negatively affect their future economic prosperity.  Designations under the Antiquities Act don’t have to follow the environmental process required under NEPA and also aren’t required to solicit public input prior to declaration. These declarations often result in some of the most restrictive land-use regulations possible and also greatly impact hunting, fishing, OHV, and other recreational activities. Grazing rights, water rights, wildfire prevention, and other land management activities can also be negatively impacted.

 

In the fiscal year 2016 appropriations process, the House passed an amendment with bipartisan support to prohibit the use of funds to make a Presidential declaration by public proclamation under the Antiquities Act in counties where there is significant local opposition. In the 113th Congress, the House passed legislation with bipartisan support to reform the Antiquities Act and ensure public involvement in the creation of national monuments.

 

President Obama has exceeded the intent of this law and abused the Antiquities Act more than any other American president.  To date, he has designated or expanded 22 national monuments, and these designations have locked up more than 3 million acres of land.  In February 2016, the president unilaterally designated three new national monuments in the California desert encompassing nearly 1.8 million acres. To make matters worse, President Obama states on the White House website promoting his latest declarations that he has protected (locked up) “more than 265 million acres of land and water – more than any other president in American history.” Unfortunately, he isn’t done yet, and we can expect several more overreaching designations within the next several months.

 

Accordingly, we ask that you include language similar to the following:

 

NATIONAL MONUMENTS

`(a) Consultation Requirement- The President may not designate lands to be a new or expanded national monument unless, not more than 1 year before such designation, the Secretary of the Interior–

`(1) consulted with each community, county, municipality, city, town, or township created pursuant to State law with boundaries within or adjacent to lands affected by the designation; and

`(2) obtained the concurrence for the designation from–

`(A) the governing body of each community, county, municipality, city, town, or township described in paragraph (1); and

`(B) the wildlife management and land management authorities and governor of each State in which all or part of the new or expanded national monument would be located.

`(b) Limitations on Declarations- A declaration shall not–

`(1) include private property without the informed written consent of the owner of that private property;

`(2) be construed to increase the amount of funds that are authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year;

`(3) apply to more than 5,000 acres;

`(4) include any area of the exclusive economic zone as established by Proclamation Numbered 5030, dated March 10, 1983;

`(5) be construed to prohibit or constrain any activities on or above the land conducted by the Department of Defense or other Federal agencies for national security purposes, including training and readiness activities; or

`(6) be used to create or expand a national monument located, in part or in whole, in the following:

`(A) The counties of Coconino, Maricopa, Mohave, and Yavapai in the State of Arizona.

`(B) The counties of Modoc and Siskiyou in the State of California.

`(C) The counties of Chaffee, Moffat, and Park in the State of Colorado.

`(D) The counties of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye in the State of Nevada.

`(E) The county of Otero in the State of New Mexico.

`(F) The counties of Jackson, Josephine, and Malheur in the State of Oregon.

`(G) The counties of Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Kane, San Juan, Uintah, and Wayne in the State of Utah.

`(H) The county of Penobscot in the State of Maine.

`(c) Additional Requirements for Declarations- A declaration shall

`(1) expire 3 years after proclaimed or reserved unless specifically

approved by–

`(A) a Federal law enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(B) a State law, for each State where the land covered by the proclamation or reservation is located, enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(C) a Governor, for each State where the land covered by the proclamation or reservation is located, enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(2) comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

`(d) Water Rights- Water rights associated with a national monument created or expanded by a declaration —

`(1) may not be reserved expressly or by implication by a declaration; and

`(2) may be acquired for a national monument created or expanded by declaration

under this subsection only in accordance with the laws of the States in which the water

rights are based .’.

 

We thank you for your consideration of this request, and for your leadership on the committee.

 

Sincerely,

 

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Click HERE to see a scanned version of the appropriations request letter.

 

Items to Note:

 

 

Feb 26 2016

Poliquin Votes to Protect Second Amendment Rights, Access to Public Lands

Poliquin Votes to Protect Second Amendment Rights, Access to Public Lands

Poliquin safeguards rights to our public lands and firearms

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, voted for the bipartisan SHARE Act, which will protect access to public lands and safeguard law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights. Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“As an outdoorsman, proud gun owner, and member of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, one of my priorities in Congress is to protect our outdoors and public lands and to ensure that they can be enjoyed by all and for generations of Mainers to come,” said Congressman Poliquin. “That is why I voted in support of this legislation, which will protect our use of public lands from intrusive federal agencies and will safeguard our Second Amendment rights.”

 

“As Maine’s Second District Congressman, I know how important it is to protect our sportsman tradition in Maine. In Congress, I will continue to support our citizens’ rights to using our land responsibly. I will also always stand firmly against any attack on our Second Amendment rights.”

 

The SHARE Act is a bipartisan bill that contains several key provisions to protect our fishers, hunters and outdoorsmen and women and their rights. This bill removes intrusive regulations from federal agencies, greatly increases the opportunities for Mainers to use federal lands recreationally, and puts in place safeguards to protect law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights.

Feb 25 2016

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

Congressman Poliquin sends letter to White House emphasizing the importance of hearing from local residents, local employers and local stake holders

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, sent a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Managing Director Christy Goldfuss requesting a meeting to discuss the White House’s potential unilateral designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the Katahdin region as a national monument. CEQ is the office within the White House that makes recommendations to the President about national monument designations.

 

In his letter to the White House, Congressman Poliquin writes:

 

“I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

“You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine. Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

“Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

“It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument—engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.”

 

Earlier this month, Congressman Poliquin, along with Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, received a response to their letter to President Obama on the prospect of a national monument designation in the Northern Maine region.  The President’s response came from National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis.

 

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The following is the full text of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House:

 

February 25, 2016

 

Ms. Christy Goldfuss

Managing Director

White House Council on Environmental Quality

722 Jackson Place NW,

Washington, D.C. 20506

 

Dear Ms. Goldfuss,

 

I respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss the White House’s potential designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the district I proudly represent in the United States House of Representatives, Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine.

Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

The President did not respond to our letter, but instead I received a letter on his behalf from National Park Director John Jarvis earlier this month.

 

Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument— engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.

 

Immediately following the vote, the park proponents and their lobbyists emphasized that voter turnout was low and thus not an accurate reflection of the local residents, but that is incorrect.  36% of eligible voters participated in these two nonbinding referendums. This is a significantly high turnout when compared to a 2013 referendum on other issues when less than 22% of eligible voters in East Millinocket and Medway participated.

 

Additionally, the park proponents and their Washington lobbyists have focused largely on a statewide telephone poll that shows 60% of Mainers support their national park proposal.  What the park proponents fail to disclose is that they paid for that poll without any consultation from our Office or the Senate Offices and that the questions asked did not include very important facts, including that much of the proposed land is owned by other private land owners who do not wish to sell.  Further, this poll asked about a proposed national park, not a unilateral national monument designation.

 

I know the President’s Administration has been accused of governing only by polls, rather than in the best interest of the American people. I hope you dissuade me, and others, of the notion that the White House is not simply governing by polls and you will eliminate any weight placed on any unverified private poll which was not conducted by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.  The two official votes in Medway and East Millinocket reflect the voices of those who actually live in the Katahdin region and should be given great weight.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration of my meeting request.  My scheduler, Carmen Fuentes, can be reached at (202)225-6306 or carmen.fuentes@mail.house.gov.  I will make myself available at your convenience so that we can discuss this important matter that would have long lasting effects on my constituents in Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Bruce Poliquin

Member of Congress

 

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Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House.