America’s special places

Hats off to Rep. Mike Michaud for helping to stop the giveaway of our public lands by voting against attempts to weaken an important provision – an amendment to the House Interior Appropriations Bill.

The amendment would have put the brakes on a Bush administration rule that allows reckless road building in our national monuments, national forests, national conservation areas and even our national parks. Although the final amendment that passed the House on July 17 was watered down and doesn’t protect all of our public lands from the bulldozing of roads, Congress did curb the administration’s radical anti-wilderness policies by voting to protect about a third of our public lands from highways to nowhere.

Our local U.S. representative deserves our thanks for helping to ensure that America’s special places will be around for our children, and theirs, to enjoy.

Rich Chambers

J. Chambers

Orono