Inspector General investigating coordination

by BLM and enviro groups

I thought this was a very interesting press release from the Natural Resources Committee and needed to be passed on... I doubt we'll ever hear about this from a national news media source.

If you go to the House Resource website, www.house.gov/resources/republicans you can read the letter the Committee sent President Bush on August 1st requesting he not sign onto HR 2016. It's excellent!!

New Mexicans should send a letter of thanks to Congressman Pearce for his part in this investigation!! You can send an e-mail to Congressman Pearce via Tim Charter: tim.charters@mail.house.gov or call - (202) 226 - 0980. You can also call some of the other numbers listed in this press release to thank the Committee as a whole!! Keep in mind this National Landscape Conservation System was the brainchild of the Nature Conservancy!!

Judy Keeler

Natural Resources Committee -- Press Release
U.S. Rep. Don Young, Ranking Member
1329 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-7749

www.house.gov/resources/republicans

Contacts:
Steve Hansen (Republican Communications Director) (202) 225-7749
Meredith Kenny (Communications Director/Rep. Don Young) (202) 225-5765

September 18, 2008

-----Rep. Rob Bishop Calls On Interior Department To Act On Possible Misconduct At National Landscape Conservation System;

-----Inspector General Starts Investigation Into Improper Coordination Between NLCS Employees & Environmental Advocacy Organizations

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep Rob Bishop (R-Utah), called on the Interior Department to act quickly to halt any improper activities involving the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) and environmental advocacy organizations.

Bishop is the Ranking Member on the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee.

Department officials have told Bishop's office that the Department's Inspector General has started an investigation into the NLCS, a division of the Bureau of Land management, after reviewing documents related to the agency.

Bishop further asked that employees involved in the investigation step aside from their positions and relinquish their duties until the investigation is completed by the Inspector General.

Federal law generally prohibits federal employees from using appropriated funds or their official positions to lobby Congress.

Emails and other documents being reviewed by the Department show extensive coordination between top NLCS officials and lobbyists for environmental groups.

"The Department must insist that any employee involved in violations of the Anti-Lobbying Law step aside until the Inspector General or the Justice Department has reviewed his or her conduct," Bishop said. "Just as the employees of the royalty-in-kind program at MMS learned, we will not tolerate misconduct by public officials."

For more information, access the Committee on Natural Resources' Minority
website at:

http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/default.aspx

# # #

Steve Hansen
Director of Communications
Republican Staff
U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
1329 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-7749

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From Environment & Energy Newsletter

INTERIOR: IG investigating coordination by BLM and enviro groups, congressman says (09/19/2008)

Noelle Straub, E&E Daily reporter

The Interior inspector general is investigating possible illegal coordination between lobbyists for environmental groups and federal officials of the National Landscape Conservation System, Rep. Rob Bishop said yesterday.

Interior officials informed his office about the investigation into the NLCS, which is a division of the Bureau of Land Management, the Utah Republican said in a statement.

E-mails and other documents show extensive coordination between top NLCS officials and environmental lobbyists, said Bishop, the top Republican on the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee.

The main groups involved appear to be the Wilderness Society and the National Wildlife Federation, a House GOP aide said. At some point NLCS officials had weekly meetings with these and other groups, often at the Wilderness Society's office, to coordinate lobbying strategy and messaging, the aide said.

E-mails show that NLCS officials requested environmental groups to write budget language, the aide added. E-mails also talk about coordinating lobbying efforts, setting up NLCS events, sending out draft memorandums for each other to review and preparing for congressional hearing.

The federal and advocacy officials exchanged resumes and job announcements in their respective organizations and BLM, the aide said. Travel documents are still being collected and reviewed and will be part of the investigation, the aide added.

Federal law generally prohibits federal employees from using appropriated funds or their official positions to lobby Congress.

Kevin Mack, NLCS campaign director with the Wilderness Society, said he was unaware of the investigation. "I don't know what the investigation is about, have not been called by the IG, so I can't say anything more than that," Mack said.

Both his groups work on public lands issues and are in contact with many people related to their work, Mack added. "I don't know what 'there' is there."

NWF spokeswoman Jennifer Jones said the group has not been contacted by the IG's office.

Interior spokeswoman Tina Kreisher said the department had no comment at this time. An inspector general spokesman could not be reached by press time.

Bishop said the Interior Department should act quickly to halt any improper activities involving advocacy groups and the NLCS. He also called on employees involved in the investigation to step aside from their positions until the inspector general finishes his work.

"The department must insist that any employee involved in violations of the anti-lobbying law step aside until the inspector general or the Justice Department has reviewed his or her conduct," Bishop said. "Just as the employees of the royalty-in-kind program at MMS learned, we will not tolerate misconduct by public officials."

Bishop was referring to a sex, drugs and financial favors investigation of Minerals Management Service employees recently completed by the Interior inspector general, on which the full committee held a hearing yesterday (E&ENews PM, Sept. 18).

Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt established NLCS during the Clinton administration to grant protections to ecologically and historically valuable lands controlled by BLM.

But Babbitt's designation did not codify the system, meaning a later Interior secretary could dissolve it. When the House approved a bill in April codifying it, Bishop complained the House Rules Committee blocked GOP amendments, including one by him that would have addressed the private property rights he said were threatened by what he called a "vague
legislative entity."

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