February 3, 2009

ACTION ALERT!

Help Protect the Future of Wyoming's Very Rare
and Uncommon Areas

The Wyoming legislature has introduced a bill (House Bill 262), that would take the authority to designate very rare and uncommon areas statewide in Wyoming away from the state Environmental Quality Council (EQC) and allow only the legislature to designate these areas for protection.

The Minerals, Energy, and Business Development house committee will be debating this bill and gathering additional public testimony tomorrow, February 4th at 7am in Capitol Room H18 in the Capitol Building in Cheyenne, WY.

We urge our members and partners to voice their opinions against this bill. Please email, phone, or fax your comments, or better yet attend the committee meeting. We need to protect the future of rare and uncommon areas in Wyoming, and the passage of this bill would throw up added road blocks to protection.

Contact your representative on the Minerals, Energy, and Business Development House Committee.

Rep. Saundra Meyer, (D-HD 49), Uinta Cty, 307-789-8745, slmey@wyoming.com
Rep. Glenn Moniz, (R-HD 46), Albany Cty, 307-760-1116, gmoniz@bresnan.net
Rep. Jim Roscoe, (D-HD 22), Lincoln/Sublette/Teton, 307-733-5389, jroscoe@wyoming.com
Rep. Tim Stubson, (R-HD 56), Natrona Cty, 307-234-1000, tim@stampedeforstubson.com
Rep. James W. Byrd, (D-HD 44), Laramie, Cty, 307-634-1746, jbyrd@wyoming.com
Rep. Bob Brechtel ( R-HD 38), Natrona Cty, 307-237-3174, bbrechtel@wyoming.com
Rep. Elaine Harvey, ( R-HD 26), Bighorn/Park, 307-548-7866, harvey00@tctwest.net
Rep. David Zwonitzer, ( R-HD 09), Laramie, 307-630-1955, davezwonitzer@wyoming.com
Chairman, Rep. Thomas Lockhart, (R-HD 57), Natrona Cty, 307-472-4116, tlockh1617@aol.com

A general fax number for representatives is 307-777-5466. Attn: Rep. (Name)

Some talking points to hit would be:

• The Very Rare and Uncommon (VRU) designation process works just fine. The Environmental Quality Council does an admirable job of conducting a fair and balanced process, and its decisions have been well-supported under the law.
• The fact that nobody has offered legal challenges to the recent VRU designations speaks to the fact that the Environmental Quality Council's judgement has been sound.
• If the Environmental Quality Council is going to be the body holding the hearings and getting all of the information, why should the legislature be making the decision? Wouldn't the legislature need to hear the same testimony all over again, creating needless bureaucracy and expense to the state government?
• The oil and gas industry is just being a sore loser regarding Adobe Town. If industry had their way, the state would never designate a single Very Rare or Uncommon area anywhere in the state, regardless of how rare or sensitive its resources.
• There is no need to create added expense of additional review by the legislature when the Environmental Quality Council is already doing a good job.

For more information contact: Wayne Prindle, BCA, 307-742-7978, wayne@voiceforthewild.org

THANKS FOR TAKING ACTION NOW TO PROTECT THE FUTURE OF WYOMING'S RARE AND UNCOMMON AREAS!