The Honorable Jerry Lewis CHAIRMAN OF THE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE MANY YEARS AGO. AMONG HIS LASTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS WAS THE PERMANENT LOCATION OF SEVERAL MILITARY AVIATION FACILITIES IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT. THESE FACILITIES BOTH GROW AND SHRINK OVER TIME. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THEIR NEED FOR SUCH THINGS AS SUPERSONIC AIRSPACE AND LOW LEVEL OVERFLIGHTS EVOLVES ACCORDINGLY. THE SPONSORS OF S. 11 WILL ONCE AGAIN ARGUE THAT THEY HAVE ANTICIPATED THESE NEEDS BY CHANGES INCORPORATED INTO THIS YEAR'S BILL. THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN SECTION 702 PROTECTS EXISTING OVERFLIGHTS AND I QUOTE "IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LOCATION AND DEGREE AS EXISTED PRIOR" TO THE BILL. LET ME JUST PLACE VERY SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON WHAT GOES ON OUT AT FT. IRWIN. IT IS A COMBAT TRAINING CENTER FOR THE CONVENTIONAL WAR OF THE FUTURE. ON APRIL 18, 1989 THE HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY DEFEATED (38143) A RESOLUTION TO DISAPPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DEFENSE SECRETARY'S COMMISSION ON BASE CLOSURE AND REALIGNMENT. THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN THE CLOSURE OR REALIGNMENT OF 145 DOMESTIC MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, ARE ESTIMATED TO SAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT $5.6 BILLION OVER THE NEXT TWENTY CHAPTER FIVE OF THE COMMISSION REPORT WAS VERY SPECIFIC YEARS. IN THIS REGARD. "...the Services should be seeking ways in The Honorable Jerry Lewis SUCH AN EXPANSION CAN EITHER CONFLICT WITH LANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL MONUMENT OR THE SODA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA (CDCA-242). INCIDENTALLY, THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A CONFLICT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ABIDING THE PUBLIC PROCESS MANDATED UNDER FLPMA. IN THAT WILDERNESS. YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM A GREAT MANY PEOPLE TODAY WHO WILL ADDRESS BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE. MOST DESERT USERS ARE AMONG THE GREATEST CONSERVATIONISTS. THEIR GENUINE APPRECIATION FOR THE LAND, AND RECOGNITION THAT THEIR PERSONAL LIVELIHOOD IS BASED--IN LARGE MEASURE--ON RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE DESERT MUST NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS ARE LEFT SHAKING THEIR HEADS (AND OFTEN TIMES THEIR FISTS) AT THE EFFORTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LOBBYISTS AND WASHINGTON BUREAUCRATS WHO SEEK TO ENACT LEGISLATION FROM 3000 MILES AWAY THAT FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DESERT. TEDDY ROOSEVELT SAID IT BEST BACK IN 1908. "Our public land policy has for its aim the The Honorable Jerry Lewis BUILDING A WALL AROUND THE DESERT, AS THIS LEGISLATION DOES WILL NOT SERVE THE PEOPLE. THE CALIFORNIA DESERT PLAN WAS BUILT ON PUBLIC TRUST IN A PROCESS THAT INVOLVED ALL THE USERS OF THE DESERT. S. 11 AND COUNTERPART H.R. 780 REPRESENT A GROSS VIOLATION OF THAT TRUST AND AN IMPRACTICAL CIRCUMVENTION OF A LONGSTANDING CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS. California Retired Teachers Association ETIRED ACKERS LEGISLATION Mrs. Ruth Q. de Prida, Chairman 2166 Kenilworth Avenue Hollywood, California 90039 213-664-5764 Dr. Kenneth Brown - Area | 6534 Stonecroft Terrace Santa Rosa, California 95405 707-539-5932 Mrs. Lois Aaberg - Area II 580 Bryden Way Marysville, California 95901 916-743-6376 Dr. George Bliss - Area Ill 11 Brentwood Place Oakland, California 94602 415-531-6785 Winston Nelson - Area IV 305 Bruce Avenue Salinas, California 93901 408-422-0230 Mrs. Muriel Mickelson - Area V 206 Helen Avenue Modesto. California 95354 209-523-3513 Mrs. Bessie Yates Area VI 5067 Angeles Crest Highway La Canada, California 91011 818-790-2947 Mrs. Lucile S. Way Area VII 1050 Avocado Crest Road La Habra Heights, California 90631 213-697-5835 Mrs. Mildred McKim Area VIII 450 West 25th Street San Bernardino, California 92405 714-882-4324 Dr. John H. Downey Area IX 413 Hutchison Street Vista, California 92084 619-724-7915 BUSINESS OFFICE Mrs. Dee Adams. 7770 College Town Drive Sacramento, California 95826 916-381-3273 September 7, 1989 Jerry Lewis House of Representatives House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Lewis: I am writing as president of the California Retired Teachers Association. Our association represents the more than 100,000 retired teachers who receive benefits from the California State Teachers' Retirement System. I am writing to request an amendment to H.R. 780 (Levine) concerning the California Desert Protection Act of 1989. We requested this amendment because some of our retirement funding is from the revenues from State School Lands. We were shocked to learn, however, that the State School Land that could be transferred has never been adequately surveyed for its value. We are concerned that the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Land Management may not have land of equal value to accomplish a trade for our lands. Whether the State School Lands are of great or little value is unknown because they have not been surveyed. I and all other presently retired teachers would be remiss in our obligations to future retired teachers if we did not protect the potential value of our land resources. For this reason we respectfully adopt an OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED position on H.R. 780 (Levine). The amendments we request are: * All federal land subject to the Department of Interior, the Department of Defense, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Agriculture be available to trade for the value of State School Lands. * The value of the State School Lands be determined by an independent geological survey by the University of California as approved by the State Lands Commission, the State Department of Conservation and the State Energy Commission. ⭑ The act shall not be effective until 60 percent of the State School Land has been surveyed and traded for land of equal September 7, 1989 The federal government has kept and used the School Land sections in the Elk Hills area in order to balance the federal budget deficit. We do not intend to allow a similar mistake to happen again without our loud and long complaint being heard and remembered. Please make the necessary amendments to protect the value of the land and the pension retirement benefits of California's retired teachers. Thank you for your consideration and understanding of our concerns. Please let me know if you will adopt the amendments. If you have any questions, please call or write me at our state office address or David Walrath (916) 441-3300 at 1130 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Sincerely, Kihiin Willums Edwin Williams, President California Retired Teachers Association EW/bgm |