The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands & Forests held a hearing Wednesday on Senator Bingaman's S. 1024 which would designate as Wilderness over 240,000 acres on or near our border with Mexico.
Bingaman wasn't there. Subcommittee Chairman Wyden presided, Bob Abbey, Director of BLM testified...for 52 seconds. No questions were asked and no further discussion was had on the bill.
If you have the stomach to watch democracy at work, you can see an archived video of the hearing here. The testimony on S. 1024 starts at 40:15 and ends at 41:07.
It's also interesting to note that industry officials were invited by the Subcommittee to testify on other bills heard that day, but no such invitation was sent on S. 1024. Keep in mind that Bingaman is an ex-officio member of the Subcommittee and chairs the full committee.
We held a hearing of our own, so to speak, which is here. There you will find comments from local folks and excerpts from letters of opposition sent to the Subcommittee. Please except my apology because it will take you longer than 52 seconds to view the material.
I've also uploaded four letters of opposition to S. 1024 which you can view by clicking on the organization.
National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers.
Dona Ana County Sheriff
Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce
Dona Ana Soil & Water Conservation District
Back to the regular The Westerner tomorrow.
1 comment:
52 seconds for the hearing and Bingaman doesn't even show up? Sounds like the Washington crowd doesn't want to have an open discussion of the issues.
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