Your Comments Needed on Public Lands Bills

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Your Comments Needed on Public Lands Bills

SB 485 threatens to expands private investments within our state public lands. SB 562 creates an unnecessary state provision that will replace already existing local adopt-a-trail programs. Read a fact sheet on the bills.

Stand up today for our state parks and all state lands. Please contact the members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee before 1:00 p.m. Let them know your concerns about Senate Bill 485 and Senate Bill 562, urge them to protect our public lands, and urge them to vote “NO” on both bills.

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Senate Natural Resources Committee

Subject: SB 485 and SB 562

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I am a West Virginian, proud of our state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas; and I want to keep state lands in public hands. I also want local groups to be able to work with local land managers and not turn those efforts to a state agency. Your committee, Senate Natural Resources will be considering two bills - SB 485 and SB 562 - today. I urge you to vote ‘NO” on both bills. SB 485 will greatly increase the length of private leases, and create the possibility of projects that are not appropriate for our state forests and state parks. The bill would allow private investors to build and operate NEW facilities in all our state parks for up to 50 years. There is NO code provision to restrict the type of new facilities allowed. Casinos, racetracks, amusement parks, or similar developments could be built on our public lands. I do not want my public state parks controlled by private investor profits. Current law is adequate for concessions – and to permit reasonable private uses like equestrian centers or campgrounds. West Virginia should not allow long term 50-year leases and 50-year new projects in the public lands we all enjoy. SB 562 is simply not necessary, and creates unnecessary governmental regulations. WV public lands already have an adopt-a-trail program. Currently, local state park superintendents and other public land managers designate needs and work with volunteers. At least 24 local park and forest foundations exist to support state public lands. SB 562 will require disbanding (as indicated in the fiscal note) all of these local efforts, sets specific criteria for the volunteer organizations (number of required hours, designating types of allowable projects, and so on), and requires groups to now work with a State Agency (which just cannot have the local knowledge of a local superintendent/manager and local groups). The bill is also vague and could allow projects incompatible with the goals of WV State parks, forest, and other public lands. Again, I respectfully request that you vote NO on both SB 485 and SB 562.

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Your Comments Needed on Public Lands Bills

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Your Comments Needed on Public Lands Bills

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