[SCCC] FW: USFWL NWR Denials To Amateur Radio

[Ray]

All,

Here's the email describing ongoing efforts concerning "gross access denial"
for Amateur Radio operations on Federal lands managed by National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR).

This is where we request your support with a letter or phone call to your US
Senator and Congress representative asking for support of Amateur Radio
operations on Federal lands. It does not take much of a letter or time
requesting their support for Amateur Radio operations. Please follow the
link below and provide some of the reference information in your request to
your elected official.

Sorry, at this moment we do not have a template or sample letter to be used.
I will be sending mine within the next few days.

We would also like to know if any of you have been or are active with the US
Coast Guard? Do you know of any active or retired USCG person? The USCG has
facilities on the Farallons and does not require permission to perform their
activities. They also provide transportation to and from the Farallons. This
may be alternate legal means of operating NA178 w/o permission of the NWR.

If you have questions please contact Eric, K6VVA or myself. If possible,
please send either of us a copy of your correspondence.

Thanks,

Ray, N6VR



-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Hilding [mailto:dx35 at hilding.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2004 1:44 AM
To: na178 at k6vva.com
Cc: rbrent at garlic.com; rbenny at sbcglobal.net; n6jv at comcast.net;
w5bos at airmail.net; ad5a at beecreek.net
Subject: Fwd: USFWL NWR Denials To Amateur Radio

PLEASE route to ANYONE you know who has also been rejected, and DX Clubs,
Contest Clubs, IOTA Groups, etc.

Tnx & 73...

Rick, K6VVA



Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 01:40:00 -0700
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
From: Eric Hilding <dx35 at hilding.com>
Subject: USFWL NWR Denials To Amateur Radio

*NOTE: This is of critical importance to  CONTEST-Peditioners,
DX-Peditioners & IOTA-Xpeditioners ***  (All others may wish to hit the
delete key now) ***

There has been an alarming number of "denials" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
(USFWL a/k/a FWS) Agency via their National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Managers
for access permission requests from Amateur Radio operators for
CONTEST-Peditions, DX-Peditions and IOTA-Xpeditions.  One generic reason
stated appears to be for alleged "incompatible use, but without factual
substantiating evidence by the NWR Managers.

NWR areas include not only Navassa & Desecho Islands, but Islands in the
Pacific desirable for similar Amateur Radio CONTEST-Pedition, DX-Pedition &
IOTA-Xpedition purposes.  My specific battle-in-process involves access
permission for The Farallon Islands (IOTA NA-178) which is less than 2 hours
from where I live.

I've had numerous discussion with the Staff Director of the Sub-Committee
within the U.S. House of Representatives' "Committee On Resources" regarding
this general problem, and believe an opportunity exists to help see some
desperately needed changes result to the benefit of the Amateur Radio
Community.  The Committee on Resources oversees activities of the Department
of Interior (DOI) and the USFWL, and they are aware of the unacceptable
"problem" with USFWL denials for access in various NWRs.

A major meeting took place in Washington, D.C. on 9/14/04 between
bi-partisan sub-committee personnel and high ranking officials from the
USFWL.  The USFWL has clearly been making decisions out-of-harmony with the
intent of both the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966 and
the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.  IMHO, the
USFWL is finally going to (deservingly) get hammered.  But more factual
documentation from the Amateur Radio community will be of critical
importance as the plot thickens.  A second follow-up meeting will take place
in a week or two.

Further, I just filed Comments in a USFWL matter involving Special Use
Permit Applications for Wildlife Areas Outside Alaska.  This information
will also go to the OMB, and both the House and Senate Sub-Committees have
received copies, additionally highlighting the problem.

PLEASE...if you have ever been denied access permission for a
CONTEST-Pedition (or any other  Ham Radio purposes) by ANY Manager of an
NWR, I need this info ASAP to include as supplementary facts for the
sub-committee.   Hopefully, our efforts will inure to the  benefit of the
Amateur Radio community as a whole.

"Time is of the Essence" in gathering and consolidating these additional
facts prior to the next high-level meeting, as well as for additional
comments  to the USFWL Division of Policy and Directives Management and any
other venue which may help effecutate a resolution of the access blockage to
Amateur Radio.

If you haven't  experienced this problem personally,  but know anyone
(individual or group) who has, PLEASE pass this info along to them ASAP with
a request for immediate action (Contest Clubs, DX Clubs,
etc., etc.).

For specific information on what is needed and were to send it, please see:

         http://www.k6vva.com/usfwl

Tnx very much for your QRQ assistance.

73 & Good luck in the contest, OM!

Rick (Locust) Hilding, K6VVA
* Co-Founder, Northern California Contest Club