This attempt by "green" groups has resulted in the closing of roads and trails in numerous areas with Yellowstone National Park as one of the prime examples. In Wisconsin, the Chequamegon National Forest is on the environmentalist’s list. Once an area is targeted the pressure by the greens and the government is relentless and citizens must be constantly alert to what these groups are doing.

The guest speaker at the PLOW Annual Meeting will be Clark Collins. Mr. Collins is the Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon Coalition. The Blue Ribbon Coalition is a nationwide organization representing over 600,000 recreationalists and resource users through its member organizations. In Wisconsin many individual snowmobile clubs and ATV clubs belong to the Coalition as does the Association of Snowmobile Clubs and the Wisconsin ATV Association. The BRC’s motto is "Preserving our natural resources FOR the public instead of FROM the public."

The PLOW scholarship winners will receive their awards at the meeting. The business meeting will include the election of directors.

Mark your calendars now for the March 2, 2001 annual meeting. Tell your friends and neighbors that this is a meeting they need to attend.

Editor’s note: We first heard Clark Collins speak at the Alliance for America Fly-In in DC several years ago. He is on top of this issue so spread the word to your recreationalist friends if they are interested in keeping trails open on public land.

WISCONSIN COUNTIES ASSOCIATION OBJECTS TO ROADLESS AREA PROPOSALS IN WISCONSIN in the July 2000 publication Wisconsin Counties, a copy of a memorandum from the Wisconsin Counties Association to the National Park Service was published. Some excerpts follow:

"These groups (county foresters, elected officials, timber industry, and recreational industry) have been working together to transform 500,000 acres of useless land into what is now part of a 1.5 million acre National Forest of thriving and productive forestland. Wisconsin has established a long history of sustainable forestry that allows multiple uses so that this resource can flourish and provide ecological, economic, and social benefits to all segments of society."

"Given that our national forests are experiencing the worst health crisis in their history with 65 million acres—on third of the system—at catastrophic risk of wildfire, insect infestation and disease—perhaps the Forest Service should not wall off another 60 million acres and doom them to the same fate." (Editor’s note: Remember this was written before the horrific fires of last summer and fall—our county leaders were right on the target there.)

"Like in may other states, Wisconsin county and school budgets depend on federal forest payments…. The PILT payments and forest receipts that are given to counties are critical to economic stability and maintenance of local infrastructure, facilities, and educational systems. Due to recent shifts in the philosophy of how the federal govt. manages national forest lands, rural counties are witnessing a steady decline in revenues, mirroring the drop in federal forest receipts.

KICKAPOO RIVER AMONG NATION’S 10 MOST ENDANGERED LANDSCAPES Ten years ago PLOW warned citizens along the Kickapoo that the Lower Wisconsin Riverway could be extended to include the Kickapoo. Now the first inroads are starting. The Wisconsin State Journal recently ran an article with the headline "State Landscapes on Endangered List." According to the article, "The unique landscapes of a canyon alongside the Kickapoo River in Vernon County …need to be conserved, Washington, DC based Scenic America said. A planned $20.5 million DOT upgrade of Highway 131 between Ontario and Rockton would destroy natural features along the Kickapoo River, said Patricia Conway, leader of the 131 Scenic Byway Coalition. The coalition nominated the canyon for last chance designation. For those of you living along the Kickapoo this has all kinds of implications.

Ten years ago PLOW first warned citizens of the Baraboo area of possible attempt to restrict use of their land. For the last year or more landowner and other citizens have been working day and night to stop the Natural Heritage Landmark designation and the Aldo Leopold Refuge.

. Please watch your local papers, talk to your elected officials, do whatever you can to be ready when the govoverment wants to take away your property rights and make your land part of The Big Park.

PLOW MEMBERS JOIN PRIVATE PROPERTY ACTIVISTS FROM ACROSS THE NATION FOR DARBY FARM RALLY IN OHIO PLOW President Art Kulosa and Director Ruth Bender with their spouses were part of a nationwide convoy of vehicles starting in the west from Nevada and in the east from New Jersey and meeting in London, Ohio. The goal of the rally was the symbolic joining of east and west in a demonstration of support for natural resource production and private property rights.

The Darby Farmland Rally was held on the Dale Rapp farm in central Ohio to protest the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s attempt to grab 53,000 acres for the Little Darby National Wildlife Refuge in Madison and Union Counties, Ohio. The area contains some of the best farmland in the country--land that was granted as homesteads to Revolutionary War veterans and their heirs. The land has been farmed by some of the same families for 200 years.

Speakers included U.S. Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage (R)

Idaho, (Property Rights Champion); Wayne Hage, Nevada rancher suing the government over losing his grazing and water rights; Henry Lamb, author; and many others including PLOW President Art Kulosa. Art spoke about the threat to over 8,000 acres of prime farmland and 48 farms in Sac County by a proposed U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge.

The main theme in most of the horror stories was the undo influence of the environmental extremists such as the Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy on the Clinton-Gore administration and various regulatory agencies.

NEW ADMINISTRATION—SAME OLD PROBLEMS? After what has to have been the most unusual, frustrating, and at times laughable election in our history, we have a new president. George W., as most people seem to refer to him, will have the opportunity to stop or at the very least slow down the "takings" we have lived through for the last eight years. However, he will not be able to do this if we do not let him and our elected representatives know that we want it stopped. It is imperative that we keep our eyes and ears open, make those phone calls, and write those letters to our representatives and senators. The other side will keep the pressure on and so must we.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Shoreline Access Law In a conversation with an aide in Duane Johnsrud’s office, I learned that Duane has requested that the Governor put the repeal of this bill in the upcoming budget bill. If the Governor does not include the repeal in the budget bill, Duane may attempt to introduce the repeal as an amendment—since that is how the law was passed in the first place. The other option he is considering is the repeal as a stand-alone bill. Watch the local media for information on this very important issue. Duane needs our letters, phone calls, and public comments of this issue.

Navigable Waters Panel. Dale Schultz is a member of the special study committee to update state law on navigable rivers in the state. The panel meets every month (usually during the third week) to work on this project. This committee will consider making changes in the state definition of what is a navigable waterway. The committee will also address the shoreline access provision of the last budget.

In a conversation with a member of Sen. Schultz’s staff, I learned that the committee will probably not finish its investigation until early summer. In the meantime, the committee is taking written comments and also hearing some public comment at its monthly meetings. Contact Sen. Schultz if you would like to get more specific information especially on public comments. His number is 1-800-978-8008.

PLOW OFFICERS ATTEND WISCONSIN WOODLAND OWNERS ASSOCIATION MEETING. On November 27^th Art Kulosa and Jerry Stram both WWOA members attended the WWOA meeting in Stevens Point. Jerry, PLOW secretary, is also a member of the WWOA Legislative Committee.

Senator Kevin Shibilski, (D) Stevens Point, author of the shoreline trespass bill, or as it is also known--the high water mark bill, was scheduled to attend; however, he did not appear.

Jerry urged the Legislative Committee and the WWOA Board of Directors to work for the repeal of this legislation. (See Legislative Update) Jerry said that the WWOA purpose is to advance the interests of woodland owners, serve the membership in many and increasing ways, and become Stewards of Wisconsin Woodlands. Repeal of Shibilski’s bill would be one way to serve the members.

MAZO BEACH UPDATE The lawsuit by Wisconsin Christians United on behalf of PLOW Director Ruth Bender and her husband Harvey is being put together by attorney Jim Donohoo. Mr. Donohoo will file the case when he feels he has constructed the best possible case.

Opinions through out the state on this issue can best be typified by two quotations. The Beloit Daily News in an editorial stated, "And it’s time to shut down this embarrassment to Wisconsin and keep public land family-friendly. There can be no justification for official tolerance—let alone encouragement—of this kind of behavior." Neal Kedzie (R) 43^rd District said, "All crimes have a victim. What about the family who cannot visit that public land, supported with their tax dollars, because there are people walking about nude there? This is bigger than Mazo beach." (Wisconsin State Journal, Nov. 6, 2000) (WCU Action Alert, November 14, 2000)

Ruth and Harvey Bender’s canoe rental business has suffered because the beach is directly across from their canoe landing. They have been subjected to harassment by nudists as well as "tourists" who want to have a look at what is happening across the river.

THIS AND THAT. Every time I write the newsletter, I try to include some thing that seems so ludicrous that most normal people don’t want to believe it is really happening. This month’s "believe it or not" is really happening.

Spare the Pests. Kill the People! What do the following diseases have in common? Malaria, Encephalitis, Bubonic Plague, Lyme disease, Diarrhea, and Dysentery. They are all transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and cockroaches. They are all responsible for killing millions of people around the world every year.

Why is the EPA taking away every one of the major pesticides needed to eradicate these pests? The answer is that those who decide these matters in the EPA adhere to the genocidal agenda of the environmental movement that sees the elimination of human beings as the best way to protect the earth.

The EPA’s latest attack is to ban Dursban and its agricultural counterpart Lorisban. In banning Dursban, they will be removing a pesticide at work in 800 products used to exterminate the billions of cockroaches, ants, fleas, termites, and other insects that pose a threat to human health and property.

This has nothing to do with science. After 30 years of use, when properly used Dursban poses no threat to human beings. It protects them. In deciding to ban Dursban the EPA says it decision will not be based on science. According to the EPA using such data would be "unethical." What is "ethical" about putting the lives of Americans at risk when a properly used pesticide would protect them?

Why ban Lorisban, the agricultural companion of Dursban? Why ban a product that for three decades farmers have used to control the pests that attack wheat, corn, and more than 75 percent of the nation’s apple crop?

Whole generations have grown up deprived of an understanding of the power of nature, and, in particular, the insect and rodent pests that have served as carriers of disease. The real history of men can be divided between the history of warfare and history of epidemics. In the 1400’s a combination of fleas and rats spread the Bubonic plague that killed over 88 million people in China and Europe. It can happen again! An outbreak of Bubonic plague occurred in India only a few years ago. The West Nile Fever, previously unknown in America, invaded the northeast just last year.

During WWII many American servicemen and women contracted Malaria. DDT had virtually stopped this insidious disease, but the ban on DDT has led to the unnecessary deaths of millions around the world. Once again service personnel and any one traveling around the world can find themselves with this debilitating disease.

Our Tax Dollars at Work The USDA has to take its lumps along with other agencies when it comes to stupidity. The USDA is trying to decide how big the holes in Swiss cheese should be. The debate is whether the holes in Grade A should be reduced from 11/16^th of an inch to 3/8^th (6/16^th) of an inch in diameter.

The Libertarians had the best lines among which were these: "the only holes that need to be regulated are the holes in the heads of federal bureaucrats" and "Americans don’t need Monterey Jack-booted thugs messing with our Swiss cheese." (Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 5, 2000.

The Ultimate in Arrogance by an Environmentalist "Childbearing (should be) a punishable crime against society, unless the parents hold a government license. All potential parents (should be) required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing." –David Brower, Friends of the Earth, from the National Wilderness Institute’s website

"…popular plants and animals can be used as a spoonful of sugar to make the environmental message go down." –A National Park Service Manual, National Wilderness Institute’s website

"We’ve already had too much economic growth in the United States. Economic growth in rich countries like ours is the disease, not the cure." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist, National Wilderness Institute’s website

Catron County, New Mexico has seen restrictions in logging which caused unemployment twice the national rate; it has seen the Forest service and wolves force ranchers off their range allotments; it has seen its tax monies decline to the point where the school system can only afford to run 4 days a week and its roads deteriorate to the point it can no longer attract tourists and hunters. (Range Mag. Summer 2000) Could this be the fate of some Wisconsin counties if the Roadless Initiative is implemented in northern Wisconsin?

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