Senators Feinstein and Vitter Dismantle the Wilderness Act

Politics Are Messy and Cloudy
"establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund
to reinstate the reservation of use and occupancy
 and special use permits
to conduct certain commercial operations.”
What?

 

In a direct attack on the integrity of the Wilderness Act and congressional actions in place for decades, Senators Vitter (R - La) and Feinstein (D - Ca) have attached a last minute amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution attempting to force the National Parks Service to allow Drakes Bay Oyster Company's commercial operation in Drakes Estero to continue for another 10 years. [read LA Times article here] So doing will mean continued commercial development of over 1,000

Drakes Bay Oyster Company and Senator Vitter: Part 2

Senator Vitter (R - La)

"I expect clear and complete answers ..."

Factual questions would help.

Senator Vitter (R - La) continues to help clarify what is behind the energy to force the Department of the Interior's National Park Service to renew the Drakes Bay Oyster Company's lease. It is not a love for raw oysters or their perceived effect.

In a letter dated March 18, sent to Ms. Sally Jewell, Interior Secretary Designate, Senator Vitter (a minority member of the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works) lists 19 questions he would like "thorough" and "clear and complete answers" to. [click here for letter] What standard he bases "clear and complete answers" on is unknown.

The first 6 questions are focused directly on how to expand or speed up permitting for oil, natural gas and coal. The next 7 meander around the protection of species by the Federal Government, state's rights and individual property rights impacted by that protection. Two more focus on hydraulic fracturing, another on Carbon tax, another implies "gas prices doubled" due to President Obama, and another asks clarification on her role as a board member with the National Parks Conservation Association.

Mixed in with all is a question about Drakes Bay Oyster Company's lease expiration which nobody could, or should, give a "clear and complete" response to as it ignores the fundamental issue: the lease has expired and the commercial operation must cease. Implied is a "vicious campaign" is underway to shut down a commercial operation. Ignored is the fact that Congress (who Senator Vitter is a member of) passed the Point Reyes Wilderness Act in 1976 with the only commercial operation to cease in 2012 [click here for Public Law 94-544]. Ignored is the current owner (who purchased the farm in 2005) having been told multiple times the lease would not be renewed. Ignored is the current owner having been found by the California Coastal Commission to be operating in violation of a cease and desist order from 2007 [click here for article]. Ignored is Congress (which Senator Vitter is a member of) gave the Secretary Salazar the discretion to let the lease expire in 2012, not the requirement to renew it as Senator Feinstein originally asked for [read analysis here].

While the shellfish industry is clearly concerned about Drakes Estero reverting to wilderness, it is becoming clear through the help of Senator Vitter how much the energy industry is involved. Everyone should be concerned about the precedent which allowing a commercial operation to continue in a designated wilderness area would have. It is a direct attack on the Wilderness Act. Contact your representative and tell them it is time for Drakes Estero to become the wilderness Congress intended in 1976.

Find your Representative here:  [click here]
Find your Senator here: [click here]

Drakes Bay Oyster Tied Directly to the Expansion of Oil Drilling in Wilderness

Senator David Vitter

(R - La)

Doing a Vitter
If there was any question of whether the immense sum of money being spent in support for the renewal of Drakes Bay Oyster Company's lease was tied directly to expanding oil drilling in designated wilderness areas, it has been extinguished. Senator Vitter (R - La) has added to his "Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013" (the Bill) a requirement that the Department of the Interior extend the lease for the Lunny family's commercial operation in a designated wilderness area for 10 years, with an additional 10 year extension after that. Adding insult to injury, it would also prevent Drakes Estero from becoming the wilderness shoreline area Congress intended when the Point Reyes Wilderness Act was passed in 1976.

 Section 310 of the Bill reads:
(1) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall--
(A) reinstate, for a period of not less than 10 years, the reservation of use and occupancy and special use permits to conduct commercial operations within Point Reyes National Seashore in the State of California held by Drakes Bay Oyster Company, which expired on November 30, 2012, subject to the terms and conditions contained in those permits, as in effect on November 29, 2012; and
(B) on receipt of a request from Drakes Bay Oyster Company (or a successor in interest), renew those reinstated permits for an additional 10-year period; and
(2) Drakes Estero in the State of California shall not be converted to a designated wilderness.