In the blind rush and overzealous attempt to preserve the so-called "Fragile West", environmental extremists have been precipitating several catasptrophic epidemics of death and destruction. These epidemics include the Hanta virus, Brucellosis, silicosis, toxic weeds, soil erosion and water pollution. This is coupled with the loss of wildlife, livestock and the loss of a healthy and harmonious relationship with nature".
These epidemics are out now out of control and are directly related to radical preservationist environmental actions. Under the mistaken preservationist attitude now running rampant across the West, all common sense and previous conservation philosophy has vanished. In place of wise land use and management there is now disease, pestilence, destruction of wildlife, ecosystems and human health on an unparalleled scale.
The Hanta virus was never a problem before people were forced from their cabins and lands. The numerous vacant homesteads and buildings became a focus of deer mice infestations and repositories of the dreaded Hanta virus. These sites accumulate virus and spread it among the rodent population. This didn't happen when people were living there and keeping the cabins clean and pest free. Now its an epidemic across the West. Citizens are being warned to not enter vacant cabins or unused buildings and disturb the mice droppings. Dust from the droppings now contains the deadly Hanta virus, which if inhaled can kill in 72 hours.
The Brucellosis bacteria has been spreading among the Bison herds of Yellowstone Nat. Park for some time now. The herds have been allowed to overpopulate the Park (approx. 4,000 head) and now exceed twice the carrying capacity of the range. They have been migrating out of the Park into Montana in search of fresh grass. This has put them in contact with the vast cattle herds there. Ranchers and State Officials have been allowing the slaughter and removal of the Bison to protect the cattle, other livestock and wildlife. Sec. Babbitt and his eco-cohorts have been trying to stop the slaughter, which so far totals over 1,000 Bison. Babbitt has no plans to control his Bison herds nor the disease. Montanans have the right to protect themselves from this dangerous epidemic.
The Silicosis Epidemic is different but even more deadly. Environmentalists have intentionally stopped every new industrial garnet mining project in the West. Garnet is a much safer alternative to silica sandblasting abrasives, but only two old mines are still operating. The Polestar Mine in British Columbia was closed by activists who used the flimsy excuse of recreational impacts. The Royalstar Mine in New Mexico was rezoned residential by enviros on the Board of Supervisors. The Storm Mine in CA has been delayed by National Park boundary problems. The Desert Garnet Mine also in CA was closed by the excessive costs of numerous revisions to the plan of operations. This systematic destruction of all proposed garnet mines has allowed the powerful Silica Industry to continue spreading the epidemic of silicosis by exposing over one million sandblasters nationwide. An estimated 60,000 will die and several hundred thousand will suffer permanent emphysema and other disabilities, costing billions in health care.
By preventing the Mining Industry from maintaining and developing mining claims, a severe drop in reclamation of these lands occured. Billions were to be spent not only reclaiming the old mines and ongoing reclamation, but also to enhance the mine areas for wildlife and water quality. Now there are few miners left to do this work and no other sources of money to pay for it. Numerous spectacular award winning reclamation projects costing billions showed what could be done and they made the enviros look bad. Clinton and the preservationists closed the New World Mine in Montana immediately after it recieved a clear and positive environmental assessment and reclamation plan. The Mining Industry is portrayed as an evil to be stopped. This lie is used to generate funds for the preservationist agenda. Similar portrayals of the Lumber Industry have hindered forest management, restoration and other projects. This lack of management and maintenance led to the destruction of the Yellowstone and other forests across the west by uncontrolable wildfires. Rangers and eviros said "its all just a natural process", but locals and Smokey the Bear know that it was their negligence and fault.
An epidemic of toxic weeds is flourishing because enviros are hindering and stopping grazing across the West. The problem has increased because the enviros are not only doing nothing to stop the weeds, but also they even have been listing locoweeds and others as "endangered species" to stop ranching. Ranchers have been in the forefront of the battle to stop their spread and promote good plants, but fewer ranchers are now left to manage the lands in a productive way. Millions of acres of public lands have been allowed to be covered with toxic weeds. Seeds are then spread far and wide, destroying not only more public lands, but also adjacent private and reservation lands. Millions of acres of "Amber waves of grain" have been lost to "Amber waves of weeds".
The soil erosion epidemic is laying waste to millions of additional acres. Many of these acres can't even support the toxic weeds previously mentioned. Preservationists have prevented the maintenance and new projects needed to prevent soil erosion on the existing roads, lands and waterways. Soil erosion is extremely serious in the West. Without human intervention on a vast scale, erosion is destroying all in its path and costing hundreds of billions in lost vegetation, wildlife, productivity, civil works and water quality. This situation is deteriorating rapidly and much larger badlands and dust bowls are in the making. The gov't. and enviros are not intervening and they are also preventing others from intervening. We need massive new programs to stop this, but preservationists stand directly in the way at every point in the process. We must stop the "War on the West" and have a new era of peace and cooperation so that the problems can be solved and the land renewed.
The wildlife and livestock populations in the arid areas of the West have been severely reduced by lack of water. Preservationist enviros have caused this by destroying most of the water holes dug by Native Americans, Spanish and American Pioneers. In their radical attempt to return the West to some mythical fantasy of a pre-human environment, the wildlife and livestock have suffered greatly. Dozens of Bighorn sheep were killed at one water tank when enviros prevented maintenance by blocking the road. Horses, burros and other livestock are also being eliminated. Countless species of local and migratory animals have been affected. Hundreds of other tanks, windmills, pipelines, ditches, guzzlers, springs and holes have been vandalized, destroyed, filled in and erased from the land. In Joshua Tree National Park, about 100 water holes and springs have dissapeared. A ranger said "It's a desert out there and everything is 'sposed to die". This is not wise land management. It is destruction of our precious water resources, wildlife, native culture and pioneer history.
The preservationist's mismanagement of the land is exacerbating all of the above epidemics by driving people off the lands. Nothing will be spared from these epidemics, and new epidemics are arising causing even more destruction. How can people have any freedom, prosperity or healthy lives when they have been forced off the land, herded onto crowded city freeways, exposed to the even bigger epidemics of heart disease, cancer and crime? These trends are all reversable if we adopt wiser land use, conservation and management policies. Policies are needed that integrate human activities with nature into a vast new pro-active ecosystem approach that encourages people to create even better and more productive lands. We can all work together to make them the best ecosystems possible by the promotion of good healthy outdoor country lifestyles and productive projects. We need more forest and range management, native and non-native plantings, water projects, soil conservation, wildlife & livestock, agricultural & mineral production, reclamation and recreational opportunities. The knowlege is available to reverse this century's trend towards urbanization, environmental destruction, disease & poverty.
People want to stop these epidemics, reverse the current trends, get free of the cities, get healthy and start building better lives, families and environments. A new movement to help people get back to living in close contact with nature is needed. It will mean helping people get back into the country and into harmonious and productive relationships with nature. A whole new conservation, environmental, social and political movement, with an emphasis on "movement", is needed. We have been living outside of the "Garden of Eden" too long and its time we used our exciting new environmental knowledge to live and work closely and in harmony with nature.