Shedding light on backroom deals
With media focused firmly on presidential politics, it’s easy to overlook all the other goings on that may affect us all.
Even Republicans accept that this election is about change. And with approval ratings for Bush et al circling the drain, GOP senators and representatives up for re-election are distancing themselves from the White House in a desperate attempt to save their seats. Democrats, more confident of their ability to influence change, are focused on gaining a solid veto-proof majority to pass legislation of the sort proposed on the campaign trail.
But while media and voter attention is on the he-said-she-said weekly rehash, some nefarious schemes are slipping under the radar. Let’s not forget that Bush political appointees are still running federal agencies all over the country, and getting bolder in the absence of media scrutiny.
There is mischief afoot.
At stake are continual threats to the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water and Clean Air acts, and other laws of the land that we’ve long taken for granted. But the assaults are real and many come from the Bush administration through little known appointees, many of whom are poorly equipped to manage even their own agencies.
For instance: Montana authorities got a rude surprise a few weeks back when they discovered that Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey, who oversees the Forest Service, had been secretly negotiating a deal with a real estate developer who owns 1.3 million acres of timber land, including headwaters of rivers and streams and habitat for endangered species. What it needs to accomplish its plans is road access through public land. The back-door deal between the developers and Rey would open Montana backcountry to private development of subdivisions and trophy homes using U.S. Forest Service roads as private driveways. All of this was accomplished without any public input or environmental review. These negotiations were going on for the past 18 months without the knowledge of state and local agencies that would be responsible for providing fire protection and emergency services. That would be us taxpayers.
In the kind of mismanagement that we’ve been subjected to by Bush appointees (think Heck-of-a-Job Brownie), Undersecretary Rey helped secure this agreement without even knowing where these gift easements are located or how many miles of roads are involved. He said- get this-he has no intention of finding out until after the agreement is signed. Good Grief.
On the other hand, in California, a good portion of which has been embroiled in development controversy for decades, things appear to be more open. The feds are, in fact, pushing leases for oil and gas exploration in the Los Padres National Forest, and trying to circumvent environmental laws, but the process is at least getting some scrutiny in newspapers.
Another example of how openness can help to solve conflicts is an agreement reached last week by Tejon Ranch Co. and a coalition of environmental groups over massive development of mostly wild and scenic land straddling Los Angeles and Kern counties.
Tejon has done a good job of including the public in discussions of its ambitious plans for development on the largest private holding of wilderness in Southern California. Opposition from affected local communities centers on increased traffic, degraded view shed and strain on local services.
The coalition, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, Audubon California, the Planning and Conservation League and the Endangered Habitats League, had threatened a campaign against development of the property based on air pollution, traffic, the extension of suburban sprawl from Southern California to the San Joaquin Valley, and protection of habitat for California Condors and other endangered species.
Generally, these sorts of conflicts wind up in court where decisions come only after years and millions have been spent.
This time, with open discussion, agreement was reached. Tejon will set aside 178,000 acres with an option for public purchase of another 62,000 acres for creation of a state park and a realignment of a 37-mile segment of the Pacific Crest Trail. Plans include docent-led tours of sensitive habitat. The developer also agreed to pull back development on some ridgelines to protect condors.
In exchange, the environmental groups will not oppose Tejon’s plans for three urban centers, including about 26,000 homes and resorts at the southwestern edge of the ranch near I-5 and Highway 136.
Some of these same environmental groups are actively involved in holding federal feet to the fire on mining, drilling, excavating and road building as well as real estate development on and adjoining public land. We need to support them in their efforts.
We also need to be vigilant in preventing the outgoing administration from dealing in secret with private interests over public land. Remember, they’re counting on corporate media to distract our attention with endless reruns of political missteps.
Just one more reason to turn off the tube and read.