Please write today AND no matter where you live, keep those letters to the editor coming. Writing letters to the editor is one of the most important ways in which you can participate in this issue and keeps America's public lands both Wild and Free.

* Please make copies of the letter. * Fill in your name, address, date & SIGN them * Make extra  copies to pass on to people who can do the same * Mail to the government officials listed at the bottom of the page just after the download for the sample letter.

AUGUST IS CRITICAL FOR FUTURE OF FEE DEMO

The House / Senate Conference Committee on Interior Appropriations will meet after Labor Day, in early September, and agree on legislation that will either end or continue the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. Many of you have previously spoken up against Fee Demo. Now we need to KEEP UP THE PRESSURE WITH LETTERS through the month of August, to stop four more years of Fee Demo.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The House version of the Interior Appropriations bill (HR 2217) calls for a FOUR YEAR EXTENSION TO FEE DEMO. The Senate version contains NO extension. If only minimal controversy is apparent, the four year extension will easily pass the conference committee - and we'll all get stuck with Fee Demo for so long it may become nearly impossible to overturn!

Our opportunity in August is to generate so many letters to the  conference committee's Senators (who are still undecided on the issue), that they insist on a minimal one year extension to Fee Demo - or,  better, none at all!

WHO TO WRITE:

EVERYONE should write to the two Interior Appropriations Committee chairs -    Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)
                                    Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK).

Please ALSO write to one of the Senators listed below on the Interior
Appropriations conference committee, IF YOU LIVE IN HIS OR HER STATE!

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

 WHERE & WHEN TO MAIL YOUR LETTERS:
 Address all letters to
 Senator..........
 US Senate
 Washington DC 20510.

Also, see list below!

 Please mail letters and encourage others in your state  to write through Labor Day.

WHAT TO WRITE / SAMPLE LETTER:

Believe it or not, brief handwritten letters have BY FAR the most impact on legislators. It's really worthwhile setting aside the keyboard and putting pen to paper! Here's a sample letter that you should change somewhat, so that all our letters are not identical. Add your personal feelings about Fee Demo, too.    DOWNLOAD THE SAMPLE LETTER (8KB Microsoft WORD document) .

MORE ADDRESSES:
 
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
----------------------------------
Congressman Bill Thomas
21 st Congressional Dist.
4100 Truxtun Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93309
----------------------------------
Assemb. Roy Ashburn
1200 Truxtun Ave. Suite  120
Bakersfield, Ca. 93301
-----------------------------------
State Senator
 Charles Poochigian
Capitol Building Rm. 305
Sacramento, Ca. 95814
----------------------------------
Kern County
Board of Supervisors
1115Truxtun Ave.
 Bakersfield, CA 93301
-----------------------------------
Dale Bosworth Chief,
Forest Service
Sidney R. Yates Fed. Blg.
201 14th Street at Independence Ave.,SW
Washington, DC 20250
--------------------------------------
Brad Powell
Regional Forester
USDA -Forest Service
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, Ca. 94592
-------------------------------------
Art Gaffrey -Supervisor Sequoia Nat’l Forest
900 W. Grand
Porterville, CA 93257

You can copy/paste the above list to an off line document, or download a copy below.
Download Government Officials Address List  (8KB Microsoft WORD document)