DOP Blog: March 2006 Archives

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March 29, 2006

Menlo Park Golf Proposal Dead

Today I am glad that I am one of the crazy people

``There are better things to do in life than sit around and deal with just crazy people,'' said Price (the golf course developer), referring to the environmentalists who fought steadily to squash the deal and who were expected to sue to block the project.

Defense of Place stronly opposed the proposal to build a golf course of publicly owned open space and fill tidal marshlands. We sent this letter to the developer and the Menlo Park City Council. Apparently it didn't fall on deaf ears and the developer actually took us "crazy people" seriously.

Read "Opposition kills Menlo Park golf course proposal" from the San Jose Mercury News.

Posted by dop_editor at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)

California State Parks Threatened

The California State Parks Foundation put out its Annual "State of the State Parks" report which chronicles 115 threats to California's State Park land up and down the state.

These threats are happening in a state where voters regularly approve of billions of dollars to create parks and protect open space.

The LA Times did a solid piece on the threats and has a great map which shows the locations of the threats. If you live in an area where a state park is threatened, contact your California State Senate or Assembly representative and tell him or her not to allow any non-mission use of state parkland.

Check out "As State Grows, So Does Threat to Parkland"

Posted by dop_editor at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2006

Michigan Bills Put State Parks at Risk

March 26, 2006

Bills passed in the Michigan state senate on March 22nd put state parkland at risk. The bills (SB 971 and 972) now go to the state house subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Outdoor Recreation.

ACT NOW:

1) Write letters to the editors of Michigan newspapers to raise public awareness about pending legislation that puts state parkland at risk. Describe why Michigan needs permanent protection for state parks, not ways to sell them off.

2) Contact your Michigan state representative and members of the House subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation, and tell them to stand firm on selling off state parkland and create permanent protections for parks. To find a state representative, go to: http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp

Conservation, Forestry, and Outdoor Recreation committee members: Reps. Casperson (C), Hildenbrand (Maj. VC), Garfield, Nitz, Stakoe, Baxter, Rocca, McDowell (Min.VC), Sheltrown, Gillard, Espinoza

Senators' original intentions were to try to protect state parks from being sold off. Instead, the bills were seriously compromised . They would:

--continue to treat the state park system as saleable lands, not protected parks

--spell out a process for how parkland can be sold by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources or by the state legislature, depending on the size of the parkland parcel

-- allow parkland outside newly-drawn park boundaries to be designated as surplus land and sold

--facilitate the transfer of state parkland to other public entities

Michigan residents deserve permanent protection for state parks that guarantees that future generations will be able to enjoy the parks, not laws that contain formulas for how to sell them.

For more information please write to:

LuAnne Kozma LuAnne_Kozma@yahoo.com
Jason Kibbey jkibbey@defenseofplace.org

Posted by LuAnne at 04:08 AM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2006

Will Michigan step up to protect its parks?

While early efforts to create a law to protect parks in Michigan were a great step in the right direction, they have been substituted with measures that water down these efforts.

If Senators are creating bills to protect parkland, the first priority of the bills should be in fact to protect parkland.

Instead of binding public oversight for potential park sales, there are only notifications to the legislature and non-binding recommendations from the citizen park advisory committee. What is wrong with binding public oversight? What is wrong with legislative approval?

Further, laws created ostensibly to protect parks should not create processes for pieces of parks should be sold off.

More information to come!

Posted by dop_editor at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2006

Don't Allow State Park Sales in Michigan

Michigan Legislators got it right when they tried to create a process that would create public and legislative oversight for proposals to sell off state parks. Unfortunately, there is now a substitute bill floating around that would create a process that is completely free from any real public oversight and would allow park sales that don't exceed 20% of a park at will.

LuAnne Kozma will be representing Defense of Place in opposing this absurd proposal.

If you live in Michigan call your State Senators and tell them no on the substitute for 971!

For more information, please write to jkibbey@defenseofplace.org

Posted by dop_editor at 05:58 PM | Comments (1)




	« February 2006 \| Main \| April 2006 » March 29, 2006 Menlo Park Golf Proposal Dead Today I am glad that I am one of the crazy people ``There are better things to do in life than sit around and deal with just crazy people,'' said Price (the golf course developer), referring to the environmentalists who fought steadily to squash the deal and who were expected to sue to block the project. Defense of Place stronly opposed the proposal to build a golf course of publicly owned open space and fill tidal marshlands. We sent this letter to the developer and the Menlo Park City Council. Apparently it didn't fall on deaf ears and the developer actually took us "crazy people" seriously. Read "Opposition kills Menlo Park golf course proposal" from the San Jose Mercury News. Posted by dop_editor at 12:58 AM \| Comments (0) California State Parks Threatened The California State Parks Foundation put out its Annual "State of the State Parks" report which chronicles 115 threats to California's State Park land up and down the state. These threats are happening in a state where voters regularly approve of billions of dollars to create parks and protect open space. The LA Times did a solid piece on the threats and has a great map which shows the locations of the threats. If you live in an area where a state park is threatened, contact your California State Senate or Assembly representative and tell him or her not to allow any non-mission use of state parkland. Check out "As State Grows, So Does Threat to Parkland" Posted by dop_editor at 12:44 AM \| Comments (0) March 27, 2006 Michigan Bills Put State Parks at Risk March 26, 2006 Bills passed in the Michigan state senate on March 22nd put state parkland at risk. The bills (SB 971 and 972) now go to the state house subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Outdoor Recreation. ACT NOW: 1) Write letters to the editors of Michigan newspapers to raise public awareness about pending legislation that puts state parkland at risk. Describe why Michigan needs permanent protection for state parks, not ways to sell them off. 2) Contact your Michigan state representative and members of the House subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation, and tell them to stand firm on selling off state parkland and create permanent protections for parks. To find a state representative, go to: http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp Conservation, Forestry, and Outdoor Recreation committee members: Reps. Casperson (C), Hildenbrand (Maj. VC), Garfield, Nitz, Stakoe, Baxter, Rocca, McDowell (Min.VC), Sheltrown, Gillard, Espinoza Senators' original intentions were to try to protect state parks from being sold off. Instead, the bills were seriously compromised . They would: --continue to treat the state park system as saleable lands, not protected parks --spell out a process for how parkland can be sold by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources or by the state legislature, depending on the size of the parkland parcel -- allow parkland outside newly-drawn park boundaries to be designated as surplus land and sold --facilitate the transfer of state parkland to other public entities Michigan residents deserve permanent protection for state parks that guarantees that future generations will be able to enjoy the parks, not laws that contain formulas for how to sell them. For more information please write to: LuAnne Kozma LuAnne_Kozma@yahoo.com Jason Kibbey jkibbey@defenseofplace.org Posted by LuAnne at 04:08 AM \| Comments (0) March 17, 2006 Will Michigan step up to protect its parks? While early efforts to create a law to protect parks in Michigan were a great step in the right direction, they have been substituted with measures that water down these efforts. If Senators are creating bills to protect parkland, the first priority of the bills should be in fact to protect parkland. Instead of binding public oversight for potential park sales, there are only notifications to the legislature and non-binding recommendations from the citizen park advisory committee. What is wrong with binding public oversight? What is wrong with legislative approval? Further, laws created ostensibly to protect parks should not create processes for pieces of parks should be sold off. More information to come! Posted by dop_editor at 09:42 PM \| Comments (0) March 13, 2006 Don't Allow State Park Sales in Michigan Michigan Legislators got it right when they tried to create a process that would create public and legislative oversight for proposals to sell off state parks. Unfortunately, there is now a substitute bill floating around that would create a process that is completely free from any real public oversight and would allow park sales that don't exceed 20% of a park at will. LuAnne Kozma will be representing Defense of Place in opposing this absurd proposal. If you live in Michigan call your State Senators and tell them no on the substitute for 971! For more information, please write to jkibbey@defenseofplace.org Posted by dop_editor at 05:58 PM \| Comments (1)

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