Hey Folks,

Our group is monitoring the activities of agencies of the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Interior.  It seems the USFS is trying to exploit the natural resources on public lands.  The majority of these huge tracks of wilderness need to be sold back into the private market an let competition drive exploration.  If the departments of the government are going to mine and drill then why can't private enterprise?.....Rob T.

A response to the following post with links to more info: 

Hi Rob,

Saw this tweet.. it is a little confusing... not sure what it meant.
USFS---Test Drill Preliminary Decision Memo for Gold Beach Ranger District    http://www.cooscountywatchdog.com/1/post/2013/12/usfs-test-drill-preliminary-decision-memo-for-gold-beach-ranger-district.html … via @weebly

Expand

I looked around http://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/components/reports/sopa-110610-2013-10.pdf
there are a lot of these SOPA out there.. WOW

Here is the opposition in play from Earthworks
http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/Red_Flat_Exp._Final_Comments.pdf

What help do you need?

Bob

Oregon's Only No Compromise Gun Rights Organization .
Oregon Firearms Federation
12.27.13

IS PORTLAND EXTENDING ITS TENTACLES?
There is an effort underway to institute Portland style gun restrictions in Ashland. We think it's essential to nip these kind of unlawful regulations in the bud as early as possible. Please read all about the threats of expanded anti-gun rules and what you can do about it.
See the whole story here.

Hey Folks,

Do you like the idea of the county having a Home Rule charter, but did not like everything that was in the edition that was circulated by ARRRG in 2012.   Well, here is your chance to let the authors of the "Voice of the Voters" Home Rule Charter know that you have some concerns and want to make some changes.  The group is going to put the final version on the Ballot in 2014, after it is certified by their attorney.  The only way to be heard is to be involved and there are four meetings in January.  See the ad below.....Rob T.

From: an "Eye in the Sky" Watchdog

====================
This is AMAZING!    Enjoy!

This is definitely a keeper. It is also pretty slick.

You should plan on spending some time at this site and please be patient as it loads.  It really is pretty amazing.  When you get this working for you, it will tell you who is flying and where they are going.

Have you ever wondered where that plane flying overhead is going and what type of aircraft? Every day you see planes in the sky, sometimes very high, with or without contrails. We often ask ourselves these questions: What type of plane, Airbus A320, A330, Boeing 737, 747 or some other manufacturer.

Where did it come from, where is it going, what altitude, what speed, what airline, etc.. Well, now you can see all this information instantly on your laptop screen. I just watched the plane whose vapor trail I could see over head, on my laptop, and was blown away by all the information and also the view.

You are also going to be totally blown away when you see how many aircraft are flying in your area. You'll now see why an air traffic controller is one very, very busy person.

To help you get more out of your visit to this site. 

• These are all the aircraft in the air right now. 
• In the left hand column, there is a box called "planes".  The number in the box is the number of aircraft airborne. 
• This view is what the various airport air traffic management people see for planning purposes.
• Drag the map to take you to the area you want to view.
• Zoom in by left-clicking your mouse. 
• In "Settings" you can turn on weather, clouds, and more.
• When you click on a plane, at left you'll get related information: airline, plane type, airspeed, altitude in real time that is re-calculated every 10 seconds. 
• On some you can also click on view from the cockpit.
• IMPORTANT: IT WORKS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD

Check out; http://www.flightradar24.com/

Two statewide ballot measures have been certified for the 2014 ballot in the state of Oregon.
On the ballot

Type Potential measures
Title Subject Description
LRCA SJR 1 Education
Amend Oregon Constitution to create a fund for Oregonians pursuing post-secondary education; authorize taking on debt to finance

LRCA SJR 34 Judiciary
Amend Oregon Constitution so state judges can be hired by the National Guard and by state public universities (as teachers)

VR Alternative Driver Licenses Referendum Immigration
Allows for a popular vote on Senate Bill 833

Hey Folks,

The following stories made the latest news on the SOS's website.  Should we report the people in the second post to the people in the first post?  I'm confused....Rob R. 

Government waste, fraud and abuse hotline - December 11, 2013
Oregonians are encouraged to use the hotline SALEM – Secretary of State Kate Brown is reminding all Oregonians that they can ...

Sustainability Award winners to be honored at Northwest Environmental Conference -
December 2, 2013
Portland – The Oregon Sustainability Board and Business Oregon will honor five Oregon companies for their commitment to ...

Hey Folks,
I did not know you could get a Almanac for government assistance.  This is whacked. I can't wait for the paperback edition, then I can afford a copy....Rob T.

Now available for just $229.99!
Government Assistance Almanac 2013
A Guide to Federal Domestic Financial and Other Programs Now in its 22nd edition, Government Assistance Almanac 2013 provides information on all federal domestic assistance programs. These programs represent over $3 trillion worth of federal assistance earmarked for distribution to consumers, children, parents, veterans, senior citizens, students, businesses, civic groups, state and local agencies, and others.

Comprehensive Coverage

The book covers every program described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), but in a format that is much more understandable and accessible to the general reader. It condenses the information in the federal catalog to the essentials needed by those seeking federal assistance. Starting in 2003, the U.S. government stopped distributing print versions of the CFDA, making Government Assistance Almanac an even more valuable resource.

Special Features

• Entries include the web site addresses (URLs) for all programs and references to legislation authorizing government assistance.
  
  
• Master Index is especially user-friendly, with extensive referencing and cross-referencing. There's an average of 11 index entries for each federal program. For ease of use, programs providing financial assistance are italicized.
  
  
• Agency Index lists all federal administrative units and sub-units. While still incorporated in the Master Index, this feature helps expedite user searches specifically for administrative entities.
  
  
• Summary Tables provide four-year comparisons of federal assistance by agency, department, and administrative unit, with details on the 50 largest and the 50 smallest programs in the current year.
  
  
• Field Office Contacts provides addresses and telephone numbers for more than 3,000 field offices.
  
  

To order, call us at 800-666-6380 or go to our website.

Hey Folks,

Think local when it comes to Agenda 21.  Right here in Oregon the United Nations is influencing local policy using government grants, corporate grants, and donations from charities and individuals.  Coos and Curry county is a microcosm for the UN plan of assimilation and centralization.  Once again, most of the people involved are blind to what these types of public/private partnerships do to the economy at large. 

Craft3 is a funding mechanism used to facilitate bridge loans for wetland restoration projects. It would be different if this was a private endeavor using private funding.  Once government is involved force will be used.  All of this can be read about in the agenda, Agenda 21.....Rob T. 

Government agencies at all levels (federal, state and local) provide financial support to Craft3 to deliver credit to borrowers in underserved communities within the Pacific Northwest region. Government resources make up a typically small but important source of funding for the CDFI community as they are typically provided in the form of grants or low-cost loans that allow organizations like ours to leverage these resources, lower our cost of funds and subsequently maintain affordable rates to our borrowers. We are proud to work with national and local government agencies to deploy their resources in ways that deliver on a shared mission of supporting resilience in our communities.

At the local level, we have engaged with government agencies on place-based strategies to deliver capital to targeted populations that address a community need, including:

• Washington State Department of Commerce awarded Craft3 its largest capital grant to date: $8.72 million to support job creation, entrepreneurship and small business expansion. Craft3 will partner with other lenders across the state to make State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) loans available to Washington businesses unable to access traditional sources of capital. Special efforts will be made to ensure rural entrepreneurs, women- and minority-owned businesses, and businesses in low-income communities have access to financing. Loans amounts range from $1 million to $5 million.
• Since 2007, Craft3 has partnered with Kitsap County, WA to deliver septic repair and replacement loans in the Hood Canal watershed that has reduced contamination to this important water body, increasing ecological function and commercial and recreational utilization, and has resulted in the ability for low-income borrowers to maintain homeownership.
• Partnerships with the Cities of Portland and Seattle to deliver energy efficiency retrofit loans to homeowners and businesses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, create ‘green collar’ jobs and increase neighborhood stabilization
• A partnership with the City of Astoria, OR to deploy a portion of their Urban Renewal Agency resources as loans to businesses and high impact real estate investments that encourage additional economic development in the District.

At Craft3, we are proud to count corporations among our investors, including many national, region and community banks. We find our investors appreciate our commitment to closely managing not only the performance of our investments in resilience, but also in the close management of our own business.

Perhaps most importantly, when you invest with Craft3, you ensure your investment will create the biggest possible impact. That's because at Craft3, we pride ourselves on our ability to amplify our resources for the greatest outcomes. Learn about the business strategy that helps us accomplish this.

Whether you are a bank eager to make Community Reinvestment Act investments, or another kind of business committed to social responsibility, if your mission aligns with our mission, we are excited to collaborate.

Below are a few examples of how Craft3 has partnered with corporate investors to deliver capital and social outcomes to shared target markets:

• Craft3 is one of Goldman Sachs’ newest capital partners through the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. Goldman Sachs Bank and Goldman Sachs Foundation have awarded Craft3 $5.5 million to support growth of its small business lending. 
  
• JPMorgan Chase Bank and JPMorgan Chase Foundation have made both debt and equity investment in Craft3 to increase small business lending in underserved communities in Oregon and Washington.
• When Craft3 was expanding its service area to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Sound Community Bank and First Federal Savings and Loan made Equity Equivalent Investments (EQ2s) to Craft3 to provide dedicated capital to finance borrowers in that region
• As Craft3 was expanding its technology platform to facilitate automate loan processing, track an increasing amount of data and measure performance related to septic lending in Puget Sound, The Boeing Company provided an operating grant to support this work.

We proudly work with many philanthropic and religious institutions, deploying their funds into the Pacific Northwest in a way that creates the greatest possible resilience in the region. We are proud to have built a reputation as the community development financial institution who can create the maximum, amplified impact from the organization's investment. Learn about the business strategy that helps us accomplish this. Craft3 has pioneered the use of Program Related Investments (PRIs) from foundations that share our mission.

From the Ford Foundation, to the F.B. Heron Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, our philanthropic investors are among the best in the non-profit world.

• Meyer Memorial Trust, an early investor in Craft3 and one that has provided significant capital support over the years, awarded its largest PRI to date to us in 2011 to capitalize the Conservation Bridge Fund. Proceeds are used to provide up front capital to land trusts and conservation organizations to secure land that will result in significant ecological benefits in Oregon and the Columbia Gorge.
• In an effort to make their resources go further and to leverage additional investment in disadvantaged communities in South Seattle and South King County, WA, The Seattle Foundation made a PRI to Craft3. This partnership allows us to revolve their resources and provide capital to an increased number of women, minority and immigrant businesses in these neighborhoods.
• With shared mission objectives of social equity and environmental conservation, The Sisters of Providence – Mother of Joseph Province invests in Craft3 to deliver capital that creates opportunity in underserved communities throughout the region.

If your mission aligns with our mission, let's talk about how we can together make the region more resilient.

 Investments through a Craft3 Community Impact Investment Note are combined with financial resources from other partners in Craft3’s revolving loan fund to make loans to borrowers in low-income and under served communities of Oregon and Washington. 100% of Note proceeds are lent to Craft3 borrowers, including entrepreneurs, non-profits, individuals and others who do not normally have access to financing. These investments strengthen the economic, ecological and family resilience of Pacific Northwest communities.

Craft3 Community Impact Investment Notes are offered to accredited investors as unsecured senior debt with general recourse to Craft3. Notes are purchased for a specific number of years at a fixed rate of interest. Interest is generally paid annually and principal is repaid at maturity. Notes are not deposits and they are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Craft3 Community Impact Investment Notes have not been registered under federal securities law under an exemption from registration for securities issued by charitable organizations. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that the notes are exempt from registration.

Prospective investors are advised that this is not an offer to sell a security or investment. All investors must review the offering memorandum before considering an investment with Craft3.

To review the offering memorandum you must first confirm that you are an accredited investor by visiting here.

For more information, please contact Maggie Kirby, Development Manager at 541-385-6034 ext 115.

Hey Folks,

Wild Rivers is a non-governmental organization that uses private donations and government funding to purchase private property and slate it for wetland restoration.  These are the type of NGO's that was described in Agenda 21.  Although, the people who operate these groups probably have no clue that they are pawns in a much larger plan........Rob T.

Wild Rivers Land Trust helps safeguard a way-of-life that American’s cherish. Founded in 2000, the nonprofit organization works with landowners choosing to voluntarily protect their working lands and the exceptional places that make Oregon’s Wild Rivers Coast unique.

Roseburg Resources manages approximately 625,000 acres of timberland in California and southern Oregon. The company has more than a dozen manufacturing facilities in the Northwest and Southeastern US.
###

Wild & Scenic Elk River, photo by Don & Nancy Rommes We're Your Community-based Land Trust
☼ Fostering the voluntary protection of scenic beauty & natural resources
☼ Conserving world-class salmon streams, heritage forests, oceanfront ranchlands  
☼ Safeguarding a way-of-life Americans cherish

Wild Rivers Land Trust works with landowners in Curry County & Southern Coos County who want to explore ways they can protect their land. As a community-based conservation organization, our projects integrate improvement to the lives of local people while voluntarily protecting areas of ecological concern.

5-Mile Fishing Hole, Elk River
Now Serving 101 Miles of Paradise!


Lois Miller/Port Orford, OR
Formerly Elk River Land Trust, Our Name and our Service Area Have Expanded!
From the Coquille River, flowing by beautiful Bandon-By-the-Sea's historic lighthouse, on southward to the ancient redwood trees towering across the headwaters of the Winchuck River in Oregon's Banana Belt, we offer land trust services to all watersheds and communities along 101 miles of breathtaking coastline replete with wild rivers, fishing villages, heritage forests.


Bear Creek Natural Area — A Headwater Lands Conservation Project
A Wild Salmon Stronghold  Gets Protection!
Tim Palmer/Bear Creek

Roseburg Resources Company, a local timber company, recently sold us 217-acres of steep native forest containing 1½ miles of salmon streams in the Bald Mountain Creek watershed. Bald Mountain Creek is the major producer of Elk River steelhead.
We still need to pay for this acquisition. Please donate today to help safeguard Bear Creek Natural Area's native forest and the sparkling cold salmon streams that flow through its canyons.
Click Conservation @ Work! to read the story.

Promoting Voluntary Land Conservation
Wahl Ranch, Elk River

Our Board of Directors,  staff members, and volunteers work passionately to promote conservation. 
From the Myrtle Point/Powers area to Brookings/Harbor, Wild Rivers Land Trust purchases at-risk properties, holds conservation easements, educates citizens about voluntary land conservation, and introduces landowners to contemporary methods they can use right now to protect their treasured ownerships in perpetuity.

Save The Places You Love — Your Support Is Essential!
Our windswept shorelines, heritage forests, wild rivers, primordial wetlands, and oceanfront ranchlands are unique in today’s world. To retain our history and way of life, Wild Rivers Land Trust needs funds to purchase key parcels the moment they become available.

PRESS RELEASE

Wild Rivers Coast Heritage Land Trust Celebrates New Natural Area in Elk River Watershed
Port Orford, Oregon – November 14, 2013:  Wild Rivers Land Trust, a local nonprofit organization specializing in voluntary conservation of working forests, farms and ranches, has announced the acquisition of McGribble Tract from Roseburg Resources Company.

Led by the Land Trust’s Executive Director, Jerry Becker, and nearly three years in the making, the acquisition of this 217-acre Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest inholding was made possible by the dedicated teamwork of Mark Wall (Roseburg Resources),  Jim Seeley (Wild Rivers Coast Alliance), and Brad Hunter (Craft3/Conservation Bridge Fund).

Wild Rivers Land Trust purchased the property to safeguard native forest, endangered species, and the confluence of Bald Mountain Creek and Bear Creek. A snorkel survey of the parcel’s 1.5 stream-miles revealed the property produces in excess of 1000 juvenile steelhead annually. In addition, the tract’s steep hillsides provide habitat for innumerable indigenous animals, including marbled murrelets, elusive, endangered seabirds that nest high in coastal old-growth forests.

The Land Trust has renamed the parcel Bear Creek Natural Area.

Becker, who wants the clean, cold water carried by these mountain streams to enhance water-quality for all downstream uses in perpetuity, says, “Everyone loves their watershed; and I’m especially delighted when we find another opportunity to strengthen ecological resilience in Elk River watershed.”

Readers can expect future notices concerning Bear Creek Natural Area, as the Land Trust plans to host tours and fundraisers to help pay for the property.

Story of Change:  Wild Rivers Coast Heritage Land Trust 

http://www.elkriverlandtrust.org/index.html

Wild Rivers Coast Heritage Land Trust was established to promote land stewardship and protection of the open space, scenic beauty and natural resources of Curry and Coos Counties. The land trust worked for two years with a local timber company to acquire a strategic conservation property, but were unable to close on the purchase because of delays in federal grant funds.

Craft3 stepped in with a bridge loan to the land trust to acquire the property, which contains timberland with high conservation values. The purchase was made possible with guarantees from Meyer Memorial Trust and Wild Rivers Coast Alliance.    Additional support was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and individual donors. Learn more about Wild Rivers Coast Heritage Land Trust at www.wildriverslandtrust.org.   Read more Stories of Change.

FDA Will Make Revisions to Food Safety Rule

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Thursday announced it will make revisions to several sections of its proposed rule governing the “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption,” including the water quality standards and testing provisions. “I am encouraged by the news today from the FDA that they will be making changes to the proposed water quality standards and testing provisions included in their draft food safety regulations, which in their current form are unworkable, unnecessary, and could force Central Washington growers out of business” said Hastings. “I hope that these changes will take into account the level of risk and the growing conditions of different types of crops. While I am reserving judgment until I see their new proposal, I’m pleased that the FDA has officially committed to allowing more input from the public on any new changes they propose.” In November, Hastings sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg expressing concern over these draft regulations. Earlier in November, Hastings and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) met with FDA officials, where Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor committed to address growers' concerns about the proposed regulations and to provide additional opportunity for farmers to give input prior to the rule being finalized.

 Serious Concerns About the Final Listing of Two Plants As Endangered Species

Last Thursday, December 19th, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would list two plants, the Umtanum desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod, as endangered and designated over 2,700 acres of federally owned land in Franklin and Benton Counties as critical habitat. “While it’s encouraging that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has backtracked and now will not designate 419 acres of private property in Franklin County as critical habitat for these sub-species of plants, I have serious concerns about how the Service’s underlying decision to list the plants as endangered was reached,” said Hastings, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee with jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “The Service agreed, behind closed doors, to a deadline with litigious groups to list the bladderpod this year as part of its ‘mega-settlement’ of numerous lawsuits and it’s clear that nothing—not even new, contradictory independent science—was going to stop them.” Hastings highlighted the Service's latest decision as a concrete example of how the 40-year-old ESA is in need of reform.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. So Is Michael Bloomberg.

12.19.13
In addition to death and taxes, there is one more thing you can count on, attempts at new gun restrictions, and now, a billionaire to help push a liberty smashing agenda.

This February, the Oregon Legislature will have its “even year” short session.

Annual sessions were sold to Oregonians as a way to deal with the budget, which our legislature simply could not handle when they met every two years. But they never restricted the new, even-year sessions to just budget issues, so now anything is game in a compressed session where things are raced through and no one reads the bills.

Furious that they were defeated in the last full session, Senate Democrats have vowed to bring gun control back in 2014. And this time they’ll have a boatload of money from soon-to-be “ex” New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Not satisfied to have turned New York into both a police and a nanny state, Bloomberg has vowed to use his billions to spread his anti-rights policies from coast to coast, and Oregon is officially in his sights.

His organization “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” is infamous for having members who are criminals  and for using taxpayer money to promote Bloomberg’s Nazi-style gun laws.

MAIG even listed one of the Boston Bombers as a “victim of gun violence!”

And now Bloomberg is heading our way.  The Senate Democrats have promised to re-introduce “universal background checks” and guaranteed a floor vote this time.

What “universal background checks” are is the next step towards universal gun registration and the eventual confiscation of those registered guns, just as is happening now in New York.  It’s also a mandate that every firearms transfer require the “permission” of the civilian staffers at the Oregon State Police ID unit, the same staffers who routinely deny or delay legitimate transfers, lie to dealers and buyers about the law in an effort to intimidate people, and disclose private information in direct violation of Oregon statute!

If Bloomberg has his way, the delays and bureaucratic bungling, now so common with transfers from dealers, will apply to a gun you want to give to your nephew or best friend!

And that’s just the beginning. These very same “background check” records will be the foundation for the list of guns to be banned and confiscated “New York” style. If you think that’s an exaggeration, remember, last session anti-gun Oregon legislators introduced legislation to ban virtually all modern firearms and allow warrantless searches of your home!

We have no doubts there will be many other anti-gun bills coming in February as well, and Bloomberg has already got his hired guns lined up to push them.

Bloomberg has hired lobbyists Len Bergstein and Seth Prickett to help eliminate your gun rights. (Their other “clients” include Clearview MRI, Zoomcare and Oregon Restaurant Services.)  They will have no shortage of money to make media buys and grease anti-gun politicians.

There are only a few explanations for why the Senate Democrats are promising the floor vote they refused to have last session. Since the Senate has the same number of anti-gunners as it did this past session, they must either believe it would be good to vote even if they lose ( this is the less likely possibility)  or they believe they have “flipped” the one vote they were short last session.

While it would be easy to assume that the one vote is Betsy Johnson, the only pro-gun Democrat in the Senate, we cannot take for granted that it’s not a wavering Republican and nothing has happened that would lead anyone to believe that Johnson has been pressured enough to sell out, she is a gun owner herself.

No matter what, we have to be ready.

It’s essential that you and I are prepared to move to counter their certain attacks. We cannot let an out-of-state billionaire extort our rights from us.

You can support our efforts and save on your tax bill by making a donation to our Political Action Committee. For all of you who already have, we thank you.

If you want to take advantage of the PAC tax credit, which means your donation could cost you nothing, please note we need to receive your donation before the end of the year.

You can make a safe donation online here. Be sure to use the drop down menu to designate your contribution to the PAC so you are assured of the tax credit.

If you prefer you may send a check to OFFPAC at Box 556, Canby OR 97013 but we must receive your donation before 12.31.13, so don’t wait.

We are going to have quite a battle in February, but with your help we will win again.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas.

The ISPY show is timely, look what Oregon is doing!!
State weighing carbon tax  http://stjr.nl/1bWGSVR

Oregon Spends $200,000 to Figure Out How to Impose a Carbon Tax (ATR - Americans for Tax Reform)
http://bit.ly/1i8rzSohttp://bit.ly/1i8rzSo

HB2345 2013 Leg session TrackThierVote  http://bit.ly/1jqMzFv

No nay votes in House or Senate  https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2013R1/Measures/Overview/HB2345
This bill changed the name from West Coast Critical Infrastructure Exchange to Oregon Innovation in Infrastructure Task Force. Declares emergency, effective on passage

See our radio broadcast schedule below or head to http://www.ispyradio.com/listen.  All stations stream live!  Our Guest:  Scientist, Dr. Don Easterbrook

This week: In economics there’s a principle known as “opportunity cost.” Simply put, it’s what else could we have spent our money on? Let’s say you’re the government and you had 70 billion dollars. One choice would be to not collect the money at all and leave it in private industry. That’s enough for 280,000 new jobs for five years.  Or you could have spent it on a 2,000 mile, state of the art, border fence. At 7 billion dollars, that means you could have built not just one but 10 border fences.  Or you could have given it to the Small Business Administration that would increase their measly $810 million budget by a factor of 17.

But that’s not what our government did. Instead from 2008 to 2013, our government spent $70 billion on climate change.  And what did we get?

This week on the I Spy Radio Show we talk with Dr. Don Easterbrook who recently testified before the Washington State Senate about the fraud of global warming. Tune in to hear how he completely destroys the theory that CO2 is our enemy.  Or how within two hours of his devastating, legislative testimony, his own university issued a press release trying to smear him.  And listen to find out what NASA did to falsify their data.
                     
Have you heard our very popular “I Spy Minute,” aired weekdays at 10:00 a.m. during KYKN’s peak listenership? We’re looking for personal and corporate sponsorships to help keep these educational and informative minutes on the air. Are you a business owner (or know one) that would like “prime real estate” to advertise? We have two :30 ad spots following the I Spy Minute available, but you need to contact karla@ispyradio.com to take advantage of these.

Saturday’s, 11:00 a.m. to noon, (Pacific time).  Listen live on KYKN(1430-AM), or, if you’re outside of the Salem listening area, just go to www.kykn.com and hit the listen live button. 

Or Sunday’s, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. (Pacific time). Listen live on KAJO (1270-AM) or, if you’re outside of the Grants Pass, OR listening area, go to www.kajo.com and hit the listen live button at the top of the page.

Busy on Saturday or Sunday?  Not a problem.  Monday, after the show airs, you can go to our webpage www.ispyradio.com and download it from our “past shows” page.

                                  I Spy Radio Network Times & Locations

Saturdays
11-noon
KLBM 1450AM (supertalknews.com)
La Grande, OR

11-noon
KBKR 1490AM (supertalknews.com)
Baker City, OR

11-noon
KYKN 1430AM (kykn.com)
Salem, OR

5-6pm
KUIK 1360 (kuik.com)
Portland, OR

Sundays
5-6pm
KUIK 1360 (kuik.com)
Portland, OR

7-8pm
KAJO 1270AM (kajo.com)
Grants Pass, OR
All times are Pacific Time

Press Release

On December 16, 2013 a Lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court in Washington DC that asks the Court to declare that the Retail Pet Store Rule is “arbitrary, capricious and inconsistent"  with law, and to remand the Rule back to the USDA.  The Lawsuit also seeks an injunction that would bar the USDA from enforcing the Retail Pet Store Rule.  The "Complaint" in the Lawsuit was filed on behalf of 42 Plaintiffs that consisted of Dog and Cat Clubs, Associations and a Registry.  Those 42 Plaintiffs included nearly 19,000 breeders who potentially would be adversely affected by the Rule.  Those 42 Plaintiffs represent less than 1% of the more than 5,500 Dog and Cat Clubs in the U.S., which supports the assertion that the Rule potentially affects far more than the 4,640 breeders that APHIS stated was the maximum number of breeders who potentially would be affected by the Rule. 

One of the cornerstone assertions in the Complaint is the fact that APHIS failed to document how it arrived at its figure of 4,640 breeders, which figure is exponentially below the number of hobby breeders who potentially could be affect by the Rule.

The Complaint also highlights deficiencies in the flawed cost analysis that woefully underestimated the cost of compliance.   Of note, was APHIS's repeated use of the words "unknown," "not known" and "uncertainty" in the mandatory Regulatory Impact Assessment and Cost Analysis that were prepared by APHIS.  In short, APHIS's Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Cost Analysis are irrevocably flawed.  Another flaw that was cited in the Complaint included the fact that USDA redefined the definition of a "retail pet store" without any statutory authority to do so.

Additional assertions included the failure of APHIS to address a number of issues that were raised in the 1,000s of Public Comments that were submitted to APHIS.  Those issues included, but were not limited to, cost of compliance; privacy; increased risk of spread of deadly diseases; increased risk of harassment by Animal Rights extremists; potential degradation of gene pools and loss of rare breeds; and lingering confusion that necessitated "Webinars" after the effective date of the Rule; and National Security.

Prior to the filing of the Lawsuit, a formal request was made to Secretary Vilsack to place a 60 day moratorium on the enforcement of the Rule, which was based in part on the following sentence:  "Moreover, APHIS's hosting of two webinars after the effective date indicates that it concedes the requirements and scope of the Rule are not easy to understand."   While it is unlikely that the Secretary will grant the request, the request was made to demonstrate an urgent need for injunctive relief.

In addition to the Lawsuit being filed, a Request for an Expedited Hearing will be submitted to the Court. 

We wish to take this opportunity to express our profound appreciation for the financial support of this endeavor by so many Clubs and Individuals.  Thank You!

Associated Dog Clubs of New York State (ADCNYS)

Additional information and updates at http://www.keepourdomesticanimals.com/

Home > Army Board Study Guide Topics > Flags >
On About the Gold Fringe on the American Flag   Gold fringe is used on the National flag as an honorable enrichment only. It is not regarded as an integral part of the flag and its use does not constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statutes.

Records of the Department of the Army indicate that fringe was used on the National flag as early as 1835 and its official use by the Army dates from 1895. There is no record of an Act of Congress or Executive Order which either prescribes or prohibits the addition of fringe, nor is there any indication that any symbolism was ever associated with it. The use of fringe is optional with the person or organization displaying the flag.

A 1925 Attorney General's Opinion (34 Op. Atty. Gen 483) states:

"The fringe does not appear to be regarded as an integral part of the flag, and its presence cannot be said to constitute an unauthorized additional to the design prescribed by statute. An external fringe is to be distinguished from letters, words, or emblematic designs printed or superimposed upon the body of the flag itself. Under the law, such additions might be open to objection as unauthorized; but the same is not necessarily true of the fringe."

It is customary to place gold fringe on silken (rayon-silk-nylon) National flags that are carried in parades, used in official ceremonies, and displayed in offices, merely to enhance the beauty of the flag. The use of fringe is not restricted to the Federal Government. Such flags are used and displayed by our Armed Forces, veterans, civic and civilian organizations, and private individuals. However, it is the custom not to use fringe on flags displayed from stationary flagpoles and, traditionally, fringe has not been used on internment flags.

Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation
12/13/2013 01:00 AM EST

EQ-139, Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation(FOR State and County Offices)
DATE POSTED: 2013-12-13 DATE EFFECTIVE: 2013-12-13 STATUS: CURRENT

Dec 09, 2013
Sponsor:Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]
Status: Referred to Committee

Text Read Bill Text »
Last updated Dec 09, 2013.
188 pages

Status
This bill was assigned to a congressional committee on December 9, 2013, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole.

Progress
Introduced Dec 09, 2013
Referred to Committee Dec 09, 2013
Reported by Committee ...
Passed Senate ...
Passed House ...
Signed by the President ...
Prognosis
63% chance of getting past committee.
12% chance of being enacted.

Only 11% of bills made it past committee and only about 3% were enacted in 2011–2013.
[show factors | methodology]

Cosponsors none Committees Senate Energy and Natural Resources

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Cascade Policy Institute | December 12, 2013
http://cascadepolicy.org/blog/2013/12/12/knowledge-and-courage-what-the-west-needs-to-take-back-our-public-lands/

By Ken Ivory

The federal government continues to control more than 50% of all lands in the western United States. Locked up in these federally controlled lands are more than $150 trillion in mineral values and more recoverable oil―in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming alone―than in the rest of the world combined. Failed federal forest policies prevent harvesting timber, which would improve forest conditions and wildfire resilience, provide useful consumer products and renewable energy feedstock, and revitalize rural schools and communities. FBI criminal activity alerts now warn that terrorists are encouraging the use of wildfire in fuel-laden federal forests as weapons for jihad.

There is no good reason for the federal government to retain control over these lands and resources in states like Oregon. We in the West have, in good faith, simply tolerated the federal government’s delay in honoring its more than 200-year-old obligation to transfer title to these lands for so long that now most people assume there must be some valid reason the federal government controls our lands and resources.

But there is none. At a recent Continuing Legal Education seminar to several dozen lawyers, a law professor (who is frequently quoted as saying it is “clearly unconstitutional” for states to take action to secure the transfer of title to their public lands) displayed an annual average precipitation map indicating that the federal government retains control of western lands because they are “arid.”

The second reason he gave was that the founders of the western states simply gave up their lands as a sort of ransom for the privilege of statehood, citing half a sentence in the statehood enabling acts: “… forever disclaim all right and title….” The funny thing is, this same half sentence is word-for-word the same in the statehood enabling acts of almost all states east of Colorado, where the federal government did dispose of their public lands.

In fact, for decades, as much as 90% of the lands in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida were kept under federal control. Then, one man had the knowledge and courage to rally citizens to compel Congress to transfer title to their public lands. His name was Thomas Hart Benton, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Missouri featured in President John F. Kennedy’s best-selling book Profiles in Courage.

The statehood enabling acts promising to transfer title to the public lands are the same for all states west and east of Colorado. It’s been done before―repeatedly and recently. And, returning these lands to state control is the only solution big enough to fund education; better care for our lands and forests; protect access; create jobs; and grow local, state, and national economies and tax base.

If we fail to stand up and take action to secure state and local control of our lands and abundant resources, it will not be because it is illegal, unconstitutional, or impossible. It will only be because we―and the local, state, and national leaders we “hire”―lack the knowledge and the courage to do what has been successfully done before.

Do your local, state, and national leaders know why there is a difference between the way the federal government has handled eastern and western lands? Have you inquired what specifically they are doing to compel Congress to honor the same statehood promise for our children and our future that Congress already kept with Hawaii and all states east of Colorado? Have you asked them what groups or influential individuals they will bring to the effort? Have you asked them what specifically you can do to help?

Now is the time to let our representatives know how transferring federally controlled lands back to the state can vastly benefit Oregon’s economy while preserving and using wisely our wealth of natural resources.

Ken Ivory is president of the American Lands Council and a member of the Utah House of Representatives. He was a guest speaker on this issue for Cascade Policy Institute in November 2013.

1 Dairy Program Subsidies
         47**   $2,057,448

2 Env. Quality Incentive Program
        63   $1,004,187

3 Disaster Payments
         174   $808,266

4 Livestock Subsidies
         171**   $702,295

5 Conservation Reserve Program
         32   $635,621

Witnesses Highlight Examples of How ESA Settlements are Harming Transparency, State and Local Economies, and Efforts to Conserve Species

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 12, 2013 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing entitled “ESA Decisions by Closed-Door Settlement: Short-Changing Science, Transparency, Private Property, and State & Local Economies.” This hearing examined the impacts of the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) closed-door mega-settlements on listing and critical habitat decisions and the need to reform this law to ensure that its focus is on recovering species while protecting jobs and local economies.

This oversight hearing is the fifth in a series this Committee has held on the Endangered Species Act this year. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) announced at the hearing today that the Committee intends to advance common sense legislation to improve the ESA for the benefit of both species and people.

“Undoubtedly, some believe cramming hundreds of obscure species onto the ESA list under deadlines and blocking off huge swaths of land because of the settlements are ‘successes,’ but many areas of the country tell a different account of how these policies are impacting their communities, their economies, and ultimately, the species,” said Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04). “The ‘listing-by-litigation’ approach is not working for people and species.”

Witnesses at the hearing highlighted the importance of local conservation efforts already underway and how deadlines dictated by closed-door mega-settlements with litigious groups are driving federal listing decisions rather than sound science guided by transparent information.

Jeff Sikes, Legislative Director for the Association of Arkansas Counties, called into question the federal government’s “sue-and-settle” practices leading to questionable ESA listings. “Litigation has devastated the West, and now appears prepared to wreak the same sort of havoc in the South/Southeast. The Neosho Mucket and the Rabbitsfoot Mussel have the potential of putting 42% of our state’s watershed into critical habitat. There should be no attempts by the Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize the impacts that may be visited upon the landowners, most of whom work their tails off every day, to support their families and pay taxes.”

Carl Albrecht, CEO of Garkane Energy Cooperative, highlighted the need for listing decisions to be driven by transparent and sound information and shared with the Committee the negative effects that these listing decisions are having on rural communities. “Federal agencies begin treating species as threatened before they are ever listed under the ESA. Such is the case with the Sage Grouse in our area.  Some scientific documents on Sage Grouse released by the Department of the Interior have raised serious questions about the data and analysis used in the reports along with concerns over potential conflicts of interest among peer reviewers of the documents.” Albrecht added, “We continue incurring expenses to mitigate impacts based on the information from these reports…Garkane and other rural electric cooperatives across the nation believe that, in this the 40th year of the Act, we must look at some type of reform to alleviate the ever escalating economic burden being placed on the backs of a few.”

Greg Foley, Executive Director for the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation, shared with the Committee the devastating impact that a listing would have on successful state and local conservation efforts of the Lesser Prairie Chicken.  “Agriculture is the economic driver in Kansas; negative impact to that engine means schools will close, population will decline, jobs will be lost...Because the vast majority of the Lesser Prairie Chicken range is under private ownership, a federal listing will likely hinder our ability to conserve the species rather than increase populations as intended.”  Foley called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to “expedite consideration of all plans” to make sure the needs of local communities, economies, and affected species are met.

Megan Maxwell, Consulting Biologist from Broomfield, Colorado, pointed out the serious flaws and lack of transparency of the federal National Technical Team (NTT) report for Greater Sage Grouse. “The technical and policy flaws contained in the NTT Report are considerable and must be addressed before it is fully implemented as the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will produce misguided land management policies that will not benefit sage-grouse range-wide.  Such policies will not provide the best approach to sage-grouse habitat conservation and enhancement because sage-grouse conservation measures must be custom-tailored to reflect site-specific conditions.  Failure to address this problem in the NTT Report could result in ecologically devastating consequences, while broad application could conflict with FLPMA and other laws.”
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Contact: Committee Press Office 202-226-9019

Hey Folks,

This is a distressing story for anytime, but it really hurts around Christmas.  These kids deserve better and our generation has been a huge disappointment.   It is time to stand up and demand the Federal government to get off the land needed for a family provider to make a living.  Call your representative and tell them to look at the results of the Feds owning 60% of Curry County.  The Department of Interior is the number one culprit in causing this financial disaster.  We should be RIOTING in the streets.  When are they going to learn, what is it going to take, their children going cold and hungry?.....Rob T.