Info On Land Swap and How to Protest It

[cynthia23]

This Sunday the Desert Sun published a fairly strong editorial against the proposed BLM land swap --a swap which could devastate our local trails, including Skyline. They also published my "Valley Voice" opinion piece, in which I wrote about why we're so opposed to the swap. The end of my piece includes the BLM address to write to protest the swap--we have until March 29th. Florian is going to put the link in here:
[url]AguaCalienteExchange@blm.gov[/url]

In addition to writing the BLM, write your state and federal reps, in particular Raul Ruiz. On Monday Pete Wascher, Larry Ligouri, and I met with Congressman Ruiz's District Policy Director, Octavio Gonzalez. He was very nice and gave us a good hearing. However, what really counts is numbers, so we need as many people as possible to email Mr. Gonzalez. Let him know you're from Mt. San Jacinto message board, and that you're opposed to the swap. His email is Octavio.Gonzalez@Mail.House.Gov The more people who speak out, the more the tide will turn against the swap.

Save our trails!

[Florian]

Here are links to Desert Sun editorial and Cynthia's piece ..

http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/ ... /22671403/

http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/ ... /22671295/

[Florian]

One more article with a more positive outlook by Charles Nesbit ..

http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/ ... /22671339/

[cynthia23]

Thank you Florian!

I should add that while the current draft suggests a 'preferred alternative' in which Parcel 36 is dropped from the deal, there's no guarantee the BLM will actually choose to do that--so it's vital we keep the pressure up and continue to insist that 36 be removed. And Parcel 16, which contains Skyline, is still included in the swap.

[Wildhorse]

Cynthia is right about the insignificance of the "preferred option." BLM has been saying this for a long time trying to quell the protest, even while saying that they will trade it away if needed to make the exchange happen.

In observing the protests that people have made over this exchange, here is what I have seen. Only people who hike Skyline worry about 16. A lot more people hike 36 so there is more outrage over that. A few of us, like me, worry about the potentially serious ecological effects of an exchange with a real estate developer. A few more of us, like Cynthia and me, worry about the inequity in this for the public as a whole. People who are not tuned into the ecological issues or into hiking are not saying much, not even about the inequity of this.

A few years ago, in spite of a massive effort to get people to write letters to Congress, Mary Bono Mack's office only received about thirty letters. That is not enough to save even section 36. We succeeded in delaying the exchange for a few years while the Tribe and the BLM crafted the draft EIS mainly because the BlM received an unprecedented number of letters about the environmental assessment and they would have been on shaky legal ground to proceed in that circumstance. Now, with the draft EIS, they have the legal cover they need to complete the exchange. Only political pressure and bad PR for the Tribe, like the editorial especially, can stop it, or keep 36 out. If we could send the congressman's office a few hundred emails, maybe we can save 36. Maybe. Or maybe the BLM and the tribe have already decided that 36 is not worth the bad PR. We will find out in a few months. After March 29, the BLM will have an appraisal, wrap up their paperwork, and complete the deal, perhaps by June. My understanding is that they are planning to wrap it up in a way that shortens the appeals process and makes it more difficult for anyone to appeal it anyway. We are dealing with much aggression towards the public.

[KathyW]

Wildhorse: Thanks for the info.

I agree with this: "We are dealing with much aggression toward the public."

I understand when an employee feels aggression toward a boss who does not treat them fairly, but what has the public done to make the people who are paid to administer our land show such aggression. It doesn't make any sense. It's as though they have lost sight of the fact that they are paid to represent the best interests of the public.

Does anyone know who is doing the appraisal? Are both sides having appraisals done?

[Wildhorse]

The BLM is supposed to ask the Appraisal Services Directorate of the Dept of Interior to handle the appraisal. The BLM does not appear to have an explicit obligation to disclose the appraisal to the public, even while disclosing it to the Tribe. After the end of the comment period for the draft EIS, March 29, the BLM obtains the appraisal and approves the deal. My recollection is that they post a notice that the deal is decided, and then the public has a short period of time, weeks, to appeal within BLM. My understanding is that they have a strategy to circumvent or abbreviate that appeal. Members of the public, at their personal expense, then have a short period of time to go to court to try to stop it.

Aggression shown by the BLM towards anyone who opposed or questioned the exchange was an early warning sign that this is a shady deal.

[bluerail]

This land swap is so crooked I still cant believe its going on. I wish someone in the BLM could stand up and give a valid reason why this benefits the public which they work for.

Thanks to all of you that have been relentless in working against it and keeping the public informed.

Email sent

[bluerail]

I received a response within an hour of sending an email to mr. Gonzalez. I urge everyone to write him, he seems very concerned and on the right side. It can only help.

"If you think you're too.small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito"

[cynthia23]

Wow, that's great, and Kudos to you for your swift action Bluerail. If everyone reading this board just sends a brief email to Ruiz's office expressing concern, I think there's a good chance we'll see positive action.