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[ft-l] Help us unfreeze FNST funding by contacting your US Representatives andSenators

Hello,

Due to the fire situation in the west, the Bush Administration has told the
USDA Forest Service to freeze all spending that is not directly related to
forest fire fighting and keeping their offices open.  This means that the
Forest Service can not spend the funds that Congress has appropriated to
the USDA Forest Service specifically for Florida National Scenic Trail
land acquisition.  This policy has essentially halted the FNST land
acquisition program, including projects already in progress, jeopardizing
opportunities to acquire and protect lands for the FNST.  Additionally, all
funds already expended towards these acquisition projects for title work,
appraisals and surveys would be wasted if the projects are lost.  The
freeze has also stopped the Forest Service from initiating any new
acquisition projects because the funds appropriated specifically for title
work, appraisals and surveys are also being withheld.  In addition, this
interruption threatens the FNST land acquisition program's creditability
with sellers and other acquisition partners.  The freeze also makes it
difficult for the Forest Service to satisfy Congresses expectations for the
FNST land acquisition program putting future Congressional support in
jeopardy.

The good news is that FNST construction and development activities funded
through the Forest Service - FTA FNST Challenge Cost-Share Agreement are
not frozen since those funds were already encumbered through the agreement.

Please contact Senators Graham and Nelson and your Congressman or
Congresswoman by fax or email this week (faxes are more effective and US
Mail won't be delivered for weeks), and ask them to contact the USDA Forest
Service and request that funding for the FNST be unfrozen.  It is my
understanding that even though Congress has appropriated additional funding
to the Forest Service for forest fighting, this freeze continues still
halting our progress in protecting the trail.

For your convenience, you may copy and past the following message into your
email or fax to you Congressmen.  Of course feel free to tailor the message
as you like.  The FAX numbers and email addresses of the members of the
U.S. House of Representatives from Florida are listed following the
message.  Please send Faxes and emails to:

The Honorable  _______  ___________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.

and

The Honorable Bob Graham
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.
FAX: (202) 224-2237
Email: bob_graham@graham.senate.gov

and

The Honorable Bill Nelson
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.
FAX (202) 228-2183
Email through his web site: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm


Here is the sample letter:

Dear Senator _________ :
     or
Dear Representative ______________:

Due to the fire situation in the west, the Bush Administration has told the
USDA Forest Service to freeze all spending that is not directly related to
forest fire fighting and keeping their offices open.  This means that the
Forest Service can not spend the funds that Congress has appropriated to
the USDA Forest Service specifically for Florida National Scenic Trail
land acquisition.  I am respectfully requesting that your office contact
the USDA Forest Service and request that funding for the Florida National
Scenic Trail be unfrozen.

This policy has essentially halted the FNST land acquisition program,
including projects already in progress, jeopardizing opportunities to
acquire and protect lands for the FNST.  Additionally, all funds already
expended towards these acquisition projects for title work, appraisals and
surveys would be wasted if the projects are lost.  The freeze has also
stopped the Forest Service from initiating any new acquisition projects
because the funds appropriated specifically for title work, appraisals and
surveys are also being withheld.  In addition, this interruption threatens
the FNST land acquisition program's creditability with sellers and other
acquisition partners.  The freeze also makes it difficult for the Forest
Service to satisfy Congresses expectations for the FNST land acquisition
program putting future Congressional support in jeopardy.  It is my
understanding that even though Congress has appropriated additional funding
to the Forest Service for forest fighting, this freeze continues still
halting our progress in protecting the trail.

Thank you for your support of the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Sincerely,




                         Telephone and Fax Numbers
                       And E-mail Addresses for the
                     Florida Congressional Delegation
                            As of July 23, 2002

U.S. Senator Bob Graham
Phone: (202) 224-3041
Fax: (202) 224-2237
E-mail: bob_graham@graham.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
Phone: (202) 224-5274
Fax: (202) 228-2183
E-mail through his web site: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

U.S. Representative Jeff Miller (1st District)
Phone: (202) 225-4136
Fax: (202) 225-3414
E-mail: jeff.miller@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative F. Allen Boyd (2nd  District)
Phone: (202) 225-5235
Fax: (202) 225-5615
E-mail: fl02@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Corrine Brown (3rd District)
Phone: (202) 225-0123
Fax: (202) 225-225
E-mail: fl03@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Ander Crenshaw (4th District)
Phone: (202) 225-2501
Fax: (202) 225-2504
E-mail through the web site: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

U.S. Representative Karen Thurman (5th District)
Phone: (202) 225-1002
Fax: (202) 226-0329
E-mail: fl05@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Cliff Stearns (6th District)
Phone: (202) 225-5744
Fax: (202) 225-3973
E-mail: cstearns@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative John Mica (7th District)
Phone: (202) 225-4035
Fax: (202) 226-0821
E-mail: john.mica@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Ric Keller (8th District)
Phone: (202) 225-2176
Fax: (202) 225-0999
E-mail: deedee.michel@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Michael Bilirakis (9th District)
Phone: (202) 225-5755
Fax: (202) 225-4085
Email: fl09@legislators.com

U.S. Representative C.W. Young (10th District)
Phone: (202) 225-5961
Fax: (202) 225-9764
E-mail: bill.young@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Jim Davis (11th District)
Phone: (202) 225-3376
Fax: (202) 225-5652
E-mail: fl11@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Adam Putnam (12th District)
Phone: (202) 225-1252
Fax: (202) 226-0585
E-mail: ask.adam@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Dan Miller (13th District)
Phone: (202) 225-5015
Fax: (202) 226-0828
E-mail: miller13@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Porter Goss (14th District)
Phone: (202) 225-2536
Fax: (202) 225-6820
E-mail: porter.goss@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Dave Weldon (15th District)
Phone: (202) 225-3671
Fax: (202) 225-3516
E-mail: fl15@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Mark Foley (16th District)
Phone: (202) 225-5792
Fax: (202) 225-3132
E-mail: mark.foley@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Carrie Meek (17th District)
Phone: (202) 225-4506
Fax: (202) 226-0777
E-mail: cpm@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (18th District)
Phone: (202) 225-3931
Fax: (202) 225-5620
E-mail: fl18@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Robert Wexler (19th District)
Phone: (202) 225-3001
Fax: (202) 225-5974
E-mail: fl19@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Peter Deutsch (20th District)
Phone: (202) 225-7931
Fax: (202) 225-8456
E-mail: fl20@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (21st District)
Phone: (202) 225-4211
Fax: (202) 225-8576
E-mail: fl21@legislators.com

U.S. Representative E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (22nd District)
Phone: (202) 225-3026
Fax: (202) 225-8398
E-mail: fl22@legislators.com

U.S. Representative Alcee Hastings (23rd District)
Phone: (202) 225-1313
Fax: (202) 225-1171
E-mail: alcee.pubhastings@mail.house.gov


If you are not sure who your US Representative is (they have not changed
since the last election), please visit the web site: www.congress.org and
type in your zip code number, or you may contact me if you would like for
me to help you figure this out or have any questions.  If you send a
message to your Representative and Senators, please blind copy me or let me
know to whom you sent messages. Thanks for your consideration and your help
in getting our land acquisition program back on track.

Kent

**************************************************************************************************

Kent L. Wimmer, AICP
Florida National Scenic Trail Liaison
Florida Trail Association, Inc.
kwimmer@fs.fed.us
(850) 523-8576 (w)
(850) 523-8578 (fax)
(850) 386-8442 (h)
Mailing address:
USDA Forest Service
National Forests in Florida
325 John Knox Rd, F-100
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4160
**************************************************************************************************