The PLOW annual meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23 at the Boscobel Banquet and Bowl on Highway 61 south of Boscobel. Marge Welch the Midwest Field Director of People for the USA is scheduled as our guest speaker. Marge will speak on threats to private property in Wisconsin and other states in the Midwest. Ms. Welch appeared at UW-Stout in October as a panelist discussing tensions between public land ethics and private land use.

She has helped organize PFUSA chapters in several Wisconsin areas.

"When citizens lead, their leaders will follow." This was the front-page headline in Grassroots USA, a publication of the People for the USA Foundation in June 1999. This year, 2000, is an election year; and by November we will all be sick of political commercials, debates, and all the other trappings of an election year. However, the election process is the single greatest opportunity that we as citizens have to make changes in the direction that our government is taking.

As rural Americans, our chance to make changes are greater this year than in many past elections. Republicans and Democrats alike have literally written off the rural vote. Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island has said, "the rural areas are not needed to win the White House or recapture Congress."

Bruce Vincent, President of the Alliance for America and Chairman of People for the USA, in the January 2000 Grassroots USA made the following comments about this year’s election.

"The current situation is an outgrowth of two realities: 1) Our rural areas are seen to be politically impotent. 2) Rural areas have not taken steps to disprove reality #1.

Many of us have for years demoaned another reality—that there are only 20 percent of the American public living in rural areas. Today, it is largely the urban areas that are dictating policies, passing laws…and electing the people who are supposed to represent us.

However, only about 36 percent of the voting public exercise their right to express their opinion in the ballot box (emphasis mine), and this reality is our biggest opportunity to quit acting and being treated as impotent.

Indeed, while there may be only 20 percent of our total population in rural areas—that 20 percent, if energized, is a powerful voting block. Consider the implications: 20 percent of 278 million is 56 million. If 75 percent of the total is of voting age and, if 80 percent of these rural eligible voters walk into the voting booth, we have a whopping 35 million potential voters keyed into rural issues during the next election campaign—more than enough to be the "swing" vote in Election 2000

Rural voters can change the face of politics and ensure that our voice, our issues, and our communities are heard.

Our group efforts should not be affiliated with any political party because rural folks don’t care about parties—we care about leaders reflecting the values and fighting for the issues of the places we call home.

Quite simply if you don’t vote you don’t count. As John Wayne once said, "you’ve got the strongest hand in the world. That’s right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you."

It was the great American patriot Nathan Hale who said, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and with the help of God, will do."

Lead and you won’t just read about history; lead and you can make history as this might nation enters into a new millenium."

PLOW can not by law endorse any political candidate or contribute to any person’s campaign; however, we can present information that can help you as you decide which candidate best represents your ideas and concerns.

The rural vote as Bruce Vincent said has tremendous potential. If you live in Boscobel, Richland Center, Baraboo, Prairie du Chien, Muscoda, or North Freedom, you are considered part of the rural vote. When the Presidential Primary is held in March, you need to vote. When the school board, county board, city and village boards are on the ballot, you need to vote. You need to remember that women were declared human by one vote. You need to remember that English became our national language over German by one vote. You need to remember that John Kennedy was elected president by a margin of one vote in each precinct in Illinois. Your one vote does count. Don’t let it go uncounted!

MT. HOPE TROUT POND UPDATE

The DNR continued its "ring around the rosy" techniques with the recent and in Gene VanDyke’s words "last meeting" about the Mt. Hope Trout Pond. This was accomplished in a press release that while it put the pond discussion first also included other fishing and management issues. The headlines for the press release as suggested by the DNR did not mention the pond. As a result many people did not realize that the focus would be the pond----if pond supporters were in attendance. Rep. Brandemuehl contacted radio stations with a release that emphasized the pond issue but the damage had been done.

Approximately 14 attended the Mt. Hope meeting and 20 the Boscobel meeting. This was a far cry from the numbers needed to keep up the pressure on the DNR to negotiate a fair and equitable solution to this problem. However, the DNR has agreed to look at some alternative pond sites. A meeting last week between a local landowner, Mr. VanDyke, and a PLOW member did show some promise. The possibility of the DNR following through on an alternative site still must be followed closely.

If you are still concerned about this issue, if you want to be sure that the DNR doesn’t just do what it wants without any regard for citizens concerns, if you think that the DNR must be held accountable for its words and deeds keep writing and calling the Dodgeville office and Sec. Meyers’ office. Let these people know that their "ring around the rosy" techniques aren’t going to work in southwest Wisconsin.

Congratulations to citizens in the greater Baraboo area for their efforts to stop the National Landmark Designation and the Aldo Leopold Wildlife Refuge. We know they have spent hundreds of hours working against huge odds to stop a runaway bureaucracy and its supporters.

These citizens have formed an organization, which they have named Glacial Area Conservancy Federation. This is another example of grassroots action to combat an out of control bureaucracy.

PLOW was contacted this week by a group of concerned citizens in northern Wisconsin who are being subjected to new DNR shoreline regulations. As citizens we need these various grassroots organizations because the government has numerous long tentacles and each tentacle attacks a different area in a different place and one or two groups cannot cover all the threats to our constitutional rights. We need each other in this fight for our rights.

The most pervasive and far-reaching issue that faces us as Americans and especially as rural Americans is the mind-set that sees private property and its rights under the Constitution as subservient to those of special interest groups. Farmers are portrayed as enemies of both land and animals. Hunters and trappers and now even fishers are portrayed as cruel, inhuman, blood- thirsty, rapers of wild animals and birds. ATV users, snowmobilers, and users of motorized watercraft are said to be destroying sensitive lands and waters. The only groups who seem to be safe at this time are the canoeists and hikers. However, both have already had some warnings about talking—least they disturb a bird, snail, or minnow.

The December 1999 minutes of the Natural Resources Board listed the land purchases approved in that one month. They are as follows:

Kettle Moraine State Forest 38.76 acres $155,000

Statewide Habitat Area Program

Sawyer County 228 acres 154,000

Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area

Rock County 220 acres 187,000

Spread Eagle Barrens

Natural Area

Sawyer County 381.04 acres 407,000

TOTALS 867.8 acres $903,000

In addition, the DNR Board has set up a committee to start a comprehensive study of land acquisition for the next 50 years. Using the December data and projecting similar state purchases for the next 50 years, State ownership would increase by 5,206,800 acres at a cost of $541,800,000 without inflation.

As of June 1999, the federal government owns 2,142,739 acres of Wisconsin land, the state 1,543, 917 acres and various municipalities, counties, schools, 3,458,971 for a total of 7,145,627acres in public ownership i.e. not paying any taxes. This equals 20.6 percent of all the land in Wisconsin. If the projected purchases follow the December example, in 50 years the state owned land would double. With all the other state programs for buying land such as the Stewardship fund and Pres. Clinton’s State of the Union speech request for $45 billion over 15 years for land acquisition, it is not unrealistic to believe that 50-60 percent of Wisconsin could be under local, state, or federal control.

How much longer can the rural taxpayers and the urban taxpayers keep footing the bill for these land grabs, which are aimed ultimately at eliminating private property and providing an uninterrupted animal playground from border to border. The argument that we must preserve our natural areas for our heirs is bogus. When you stop to think about it, our heirs will probably not even be allowed to visit these places lest they disturb a bird, or more likely, they could be attacked by wolves or bears or trampled by herds of elk. Plus they will probably be taxed so steeply to keep up these federal and state lands that they will not even have the time or money to visit them.

Find out what the candidates say about private property issues. Find out especially what they say about state and federal land grabs. Find a candidate that supports what you believe in and vote for that candidate.

In a November 1999 letter to fellow tree farmers, Tom Thompson of New Hampshire reported that the "EPA wants sweeping new Federal water regulations that would designate forestry as a ‘point source’ for pollution – just like a factory or sewage treatment plant."

Under the proposed rules, "landowners would be required to get permits in order to conduct just about any forest management activity. You wouldn’t be able to harvest, build roads, prepare sites—and yes, even build fire breaks—without a federal permit" (Lower Wisconsin River residents—does this sound familiar?)

"Landowners would be subject to citizen suits for permitted activities, and face potential fines of up to $27,500 a day. (Imagine an environmental group suing to stop the only timber harvest you’ve planned for this decade.)"

The EPA and Congress "need to know that the key to sustaining forests is private stewardship—and nobody does it better than Tree Farmers." or any landowner that realizes that trees are our major renewable resource and one that will continue to provide an income for decades if harvested wisely.

This is an issue to watch closely if you are a tree farmer or have wood lots on your property.

Over the past couple weeks one Madison school became the center of media attention when an animal rights activist was invited to the school to present her point of view. The speaker ended up with a group of nearly hysterical children and a teacher and administration that had some serious problems on their hands.

The animal rights activist according to reports in the Wisconsin State Journal showed very graphic tapes of animal slaughter and hunting procedures. Also according to reports in the WSJ, she literally ranted "you are doing this every time you eat meat," etc., at these lower elementary school children.

The teacher and the administration had not properly previewed the material or so it seems and had not even discussed with the speaker the graphic or intensity level of her material or presentation. However, the speaker by following the PETA line showed a callous disregard for the sensitivities of her audience by not modifying the material so it was suitable for young students.

Of those of us in the rural 20 percent of our population only 4-5 percent are probably familiar with slaughtering and butchering techniques. Even if we live on a farm and grow our own beef and pork, we probably take the animals to a local butcher shop for slaughter and packaging. It is no wonder then that the urban population of nearly 80 percent of our 278 million people doesn’t know or understand the far reaching implications of animal and poultry production

No matter where we live, some of us who eat red meat, chicken, and fish are put in situations where for some reason we think we must defend that decision. It may be a friend or relative who while not a PETA member may be questioning the amount of meat your family eats. If that situation arises for you, here are some points you can make to show that your decision is wise physically, psychologically, and economically.

Ask your questioner if he or she has a cat or dog. If the answer is yes, then ask the person what their food choice is for that animal. The answer will probably be some nationally known brand of pet food. Next ask if the food is dry or canned. (The difference isn’t huge but it helps make your point.)

The next question then is "What is that food made from?" Many of the responders will say they don’t know for sure; others will say grains and other ingredients. Ask the pet owners if they eat eggs. Most likely the answer will be "a few." Ask them if they know what happens to the hens that produced those eggs. Ask them if they eat fish. Some will say yes. Ask them if they know what happens to the waste products when the fish are cleaned. Ask them if the pet likes a pet food with a beef flavor. If they say yes, ask them where they think that flavor comes from.

and cats in the United States. No wonder the pet food industry is a major recycler of agricultural by-products!" Fur Farm Letter, Nov. 99. When you eat meat, poultry, and fish, you are providing for the physical health of yourself and your pet. When you eat meat, poultry and fish you improve your mental health by keeping your pet healthy and happy. When you eat meat, poultry and fish, you are keeping the pet food sector of our economy strong and healthy.

REMEMBER THE ANNUAL-- MEETING MARCH 24 AT 7:30 IN BOSCOBEL

Sometimes may be some of us wonder if private property rights are all that important. Do we really need to be so vigilant? Do we really need organizations like PLOW, the Alliance for America, or People for the USA?

Our forefathers thought so and some modern leaders think so.

"The right of property is the guardian of every other right, and to deprive people of this, is in fact to deprive them of their liberty."

Arthur Lee of Virginia, 1775

"It was the axiom of our founding fathers and free Englishmen before them that the right to own and control property was the foundation of all other liberties. Property Rights are central to liberty and should never be trampled upon.

Ronald Reagan

(Paul) "Revere the man has long left this country, but his warning is still being sounded in America today. For us it is not Regulars we fear, it is the government of our own making. We are not fighting in a blood revolution, but a revolution of ideas and constitutional principles. Still, Revere’s message remains the same. They are coming for our liberty, for our land, and for our country." (Emphasis mine)

Margaret Gabbard. Liberty Matters, Fall 1999