Sunday, December 6, 2009

Gov't Investigation Alleges Wrongdoing by BLM


Government Investigation Alleges Wrongdoing By Bureau Of Land Management Employees
Oct 08, 2009, ©Copyright 2009, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.


PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Investigators with the U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) say in a report that they found alleged wrongdoing in the relationships between certain National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) employees of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and anti-access groups, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.The U.S. Interior Department's OIG referred its findings to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution but was told, according to the OIG report of its investigation, that the law, Lobbying with Appropriated Monies, "has no criminal sanctions associated with it, and thus, declined to prosecute in lieu of administrative action."The OIG then submitted its findings to BLM Director Robert Abbey for appropriate administrative action.The investigation of the employees of the NLCS, which is responsible for conserving nationally significant landscapes, was initiated after BLM officials reviewed documents requested by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and former Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) in July and September of 2008, respectively. When the BLM found documents it believed showed inappropriate relationships with advocacy groups and possible violations of anti-lobbying laws and policies by the NLCS, it referred the matter to the OIG for investigation."Our investigation determined that numerous activities and communication took place between NLCS officials and nongovernmental organizations (NGO), including discussions about the NLCS budget and BLM editing brochures and producing fact sheets for a specific NGO," Mary Kendall, acting inspector general, said in a memorandum to Abbey received Oct. 2. "Our investigative efforts revealed that communication between NLCS and certain NGOs in these circumstances gave the appearance of federal employees being less than objective and created the potential for conflicts of interest or violations of law."We also uncovered a general disregard for establishing and maintaining boundaries among the various entities," Kendall wrote.Specifically, the OIG alleged that a NLCS staff member asked a representative of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to influence legislation before Congress involving the protection of some areas in New Mexico. Federal law bars federal employees from trying to shape legislation.(Bloggers Note: Such as Sen Harry Reid tried to do and IN FACT did do, when he asked Sen Burns to "slip the rider in" for him, that would take away wild horse protections...too late to prosecute?hmmmmm)

The investigation also found, among other things, that NLCS staff helped the NWF edit a brochure that may have been used for lobbying, and NLCS staff may have disclosed BLM budget information to Wilderness Society officials before the information was presented to Congress.In response to the investigation report, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) issued a release calling the use of government worker time, effort and money to lobby "simply wrong.""The ongoing, explicit, far-reaching coordination between special interest lobbying groups and NLCS staff revealed in this report is troubling," he said. "Reading case after case of lobbyists outsourcing their work to federal employees is unsettling. This inappropriate meddling of private and public lobbying efforts is precisely the sort of thing I warned against before the NLCS legislation was rushed through Congress."The American people deserve to know that government employees, paid for by their hard-earned dollars, are not engaged in lobbying, not playing favorites and not being co-opted by interest groups," he said. "In most cases I believe this is true. However, in this specific instance, certain government officials clearly fell short."The NLCS legislation that made it a permanent agency within the BLM was S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. It was fast-tracked through Congress and then signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009. The AMA opposed this bill because it would close over 2 million acres of public land to responsible OHV users, and because the legislative process didn't allow for full public comment and debate.To read the full investigative report, go here;

From a press release issued by AMA: PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Investigators with ' (clipped with Yahoo! Toolbar)_final.pdf

To read the congressional letters that initiated the OIG investigation, click:*

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/senate_letter.pdf* http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/president_nlcs.pdf* http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/nlcs_document_request.pdf

About the American Motorcyclist Association: Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycling organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.

Click on title above for original article;

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38363

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Boycott USA Beef ~ Save wild Horses
Submitted by Barbara Ellen Ries on Sat, 12/12/2009 - 10:18.
Biggest Beef Protest Yet
Jun. 10 2008 - 10:28 pm
Good Lord, just look at the scale of the protest currently being carried out in Gwanghamun. Just looking at this picture it's hard for me to imagine American beef ever being sold in Korea again. Update: The Chosun Ilbo reports that last night's protests in Seoul drew 80,000 people according to police but 700,000 according to the protest organizers, so there's a small difference of opinion there. Furthre update: Yonhap says the police finally estimated a total of 240,000.
Titled : "NO MORE BULL
Horses~ They are worth my efforts in Protest in the USA!!
We advocate need peaceful projects ~ which encourage the respect the lives and purpose of Wild Horses.
Do not lose Hope, Freedom and Our National Treasure for future generations.
Every Friday be beef, free. I'm going to be beef free until the horses come home. I don't care if it takes years.
Protest The Gathering of Wild Horses.
I'm going to go into a go on a fast of NO BEEF until the horses are returned to their home!!
Join me in protest or only protest once a week~ today please join me in this peaceful protest of beef.
We cannot take anymore BULL.
Write one media person a day.
Write one senator or representative and President daily.
Write or e-mail Entertainers and ask then to donate to The Cloud Foundation and legal fund & sign the moratorium.
Protest BEEF or do it one day a week. What will they not hear what we as peaceful and law abiding citizens want. We have to make then listen and stop the havesting of wild horse.
Martin Luther King and Gandi learned, protested in peace to make them hear reality. . Let the beef price go down. A Snail pie is tastier, more nutritious than beef.

Mz.Many Names said...

Do we have enough WH&B advocates to make a dent in their profits?