Wind Gypsy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2017
- Messages
- 2,380
Received this a couple weeks after my initial email to Senator Franken:
Dear Brody,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about public lands. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important matter.
I share your appreciation of the outdoors and believe that public lands should be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of generations to come. Some of Minnesota's most treasured wild areas, like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, are federally managed and open to the public. This sort of protection is important both for practicing sound conservation and in order to afford all Americans the opportunity to be inspired by these magnificent landscapes. And people who consistently use our public lands, like hunters and fishermen, understand how important it is to keep them open and accessible to all.
As you may know, however, there are several proposals before Congress that seek to transfer or sell major portions of our federal public lands to states or private entities. These include a House rules package passed in January that makes it easier for Congress to give up public lands, and H.R. 621, legislation that would have transferred 3 million acres of federal land to the states (although that legislation was ultimately withdrawn from consideration). It is clear that many of my colleagues in the House and Senate do not share my view regarding the value of these cherished landscapes.
As a member of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I review every proposal regarding public lands with careful consideration of the impact on the environment and our natural resources. You can rest assured that responsible management and stewardship of our national lands and waters will always be a priority for me, and that I will continue to fight for our nation's public lands.
Thank you again for contacting me, and I look forward to hearing from you in the future on this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Signature
Al Franken
United States Senator
Dear Brody,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about public lands. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important matter.
I share your appreciation of the outdoors and believe that public lands should be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of generations to come. Some of Minnesota's most treasured wild areas, like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, are federally managed and open to the public. This sort of protection is important both for practicing sound conservation and in order to afford all Americans the opportunity to be inspired by these magnificent landscapes. And people who consistently use our public lands, like hunters and fishermen, understand how important it is to keep them open and accessible to all.
As you may know, however, there are several proposals before Congress that seek to transfer or sell major portions of our federal public lands to states or private entities. These include a House rules package passed in January that makes it easier for Congress to give up public lands, and H.R. 621, legislation that would have transferred 3 million acres of federal land to the states (although that legislation was ultimately withdrawn from consideration). It is clear that many of my colleagues in the House and Senate do not share my view regarding the value of these cherished landscapes.
As a member of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I review every proposal regarding public lands with careful consideration of the impact on the environment and our natural resources. You can rest assured that responsible management and stewardship of our national lands and waters will always be a priority for me, and that I will continue to fight for our nation's public lands.
Thank you again for contacting me, and I look forward to hearing from you in the future on this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Signature
Al Franken
United States Senator
