Action Alert: Don't Allow our National Forests to be Sold

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Don't Allow our National Forests to be Sold

You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the directions at the bottom.

Issue

CHATTAHOOCHEE AND OCONEE NATIONAL FOREST LANDS IN DANGER OF BEING SOLD FOR PRIVATE INTERESTS

Background

The Bush Administration’s FY2007 budget proposes to fund rural schools by selling nearly a billion dollars worth of national forests across the country. 300,000 acres of forest lands across the nation are eligible to be sold. 4,522 of those acres are in either the Chattahoochee or Oconee National Forests of Georgia. There has been significant negative reaction to this proposal, nationally, and Georgia sportsmen need to add our voices to this public outcry in order to stop this outrageous sell off of our public lands.

THESE ARE PUBLIC LANDS. THEY BELONG TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SHOULD NOT BE SOLD FOR ANY REASON.

Many Georgia sportsmen enjoy hunting and fishing in our national forests. In addition to providing areas for hunting, fishing, and other forms of recreation, our forests provide wildlife habitat and deliver high quality drinking water to many towns and communities throughout North Georgia. The Chattahoochee National Forest also protects the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, used by millions. The eligible lands can be sold for private development or for timber and will no longer be open for public use.

Georgia’s forests are being fragmented daily as new subdivisions and golf courses are being built on private lands adjacent to the forests. This sell off of lands will accelerate this loss of forests and once these lands are developed, they can never be recovered.

COMMENTS ON THIS PROPOSAL TO SELL NATIONAL FOREST LANDS WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL MARCH 30TH. PLEASE ACT NOW TO PRESERVE THESE AREAS FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. YOUR LETTERS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

PROTECT YOUR HUNTING HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEND A LETTER TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND YOUR CONGRESSMEN.

Click on the more button to see which tracts are for sale.

Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:

Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative
Governor
Your U.S. Senator

A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.

Do Not Sell Our Public Lands

Re: Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative
As a sportsman I am very much opposed to the "Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative", the proposal to sell national forest lands to provide funding for rural schools. The Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests belong to the American public and are used by many sportsmen in Georgia. In addition to hunting and fishing opportunities, national forests also provide wildlife habitat and deliver high quality drinking water to many towns and communities.

Our public lands should not be sold for any reason. They are part of our heritage and should be protected for future generations. We are quickly losing timberlands on private lands and do not need to accelerate the loss by selling our national forests.
Your name and address here

This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.