Saturday, May 1, 2010

Hackmatack Refuge - good idea or bad?

Read this letter from a friend and reader of The Woodstock Advocate:

"I can't believe what I just read:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2218774,CST-NWS-preserve30.article

"This proposed "Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge" would be an economic disaster for the future growth and prosperity of the 8th Congressional District Lake/McHenry Counties).

"Our Federal Government is broke and yet wants to study/fund a project of such huge magnitude, without first approaching the communities most affected by this land grab.

"The Sierra Club and Melissa Bean are most likely behind this assault on the rights of the communities and its residents. There are over 1,000,000 people living in the 8th congressional district that prefer to decide and determine was is best for its own future.

"This is a total outrage! A battle line has definitely been drawn.

"Melissa Bean will not be able to hide from this assault on our freedoms. As usual, our opinions do not matter to her."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your friend clearly is not very educated on the wildlife refuge plan. The national wildlife refuges are not land grab based programs. Private lands remain private lands. There will be an influx of seasonal tourism revenue for the county that helps to both preserve downtowns, historic landmarks, and currently protected state parks.

Joe Ptak said...

Hey Roscoelakeview,

I consider myself educated enough to be able to read (and considered a friend of Mr. Gus Philpot).

This is what was reported, word per word, in the Sun-Times yesterday:

"The federal government will not seize land or force owners to sell their land. But instead, the refuge, like others across the country, would contain strings of public and private land, Chuck Traxler, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The federal government is studying some 350,000 acres, or 54 square miles. But the refuge is expected to cover 10,000 to 30,000 acres and include public and private land, the paper reported."

MY FIRST CONCERN IS: what constitutes "PUBLIC" land according to the USFWS, and then do you happen see the word "PRIVATE" mentioned above?

MY SECOND CONCERN IS: I have read the propaganda (report) extolling the virtues of what the benefits will be to the people living in the areas “according” to the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service AND IT STINKS OF LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES/SOCIALISTS telling the public what is good for the “uneducated” people.


QUOTING DIRECTLY FROM THE REPORT:
“While most NWR’S have been designated in remote, rural areas (the state with the largest NWR’s is North Dakota) the Hackmatack study area lies within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

Recognizing that the remoteness of most NWR’s hindered their educational goals, THE USFWS developed an Urban Refuge Policy, “to acquire lands and waters in or adjacent to metropolitan statistical areas ….the PRIMARY PURPOSE for establishment of new urban refuges will be to foster environmental awareness and outreach programs, and to develop an informed and involved citizenry that will support fish and wildlife conservation.”

You educated LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES/SOCIALISTS are in store for a real education in Democracy come November. Americans throughout this country are completely fed up with an out of control, overtaxing, oppressive, all knowing, welfare state oriented government.

The U.S. Fish and Wild Service is just another example of this mentality, which contributes to the financial waste in our government at the taxpayers expense.