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Rural People to Protest Environmental Disaster and Forest Policies- Organizers predict that between 5,000-50,000 people will attend the rally. News release from Freedom for America League & Citizens For The Forest 2/26/03 Media Contact: LeAnn Arganbright Phoenix, AZ - Heber/Overgaard, AZ are planning to bring rural people together to protest national forest policies, and the disastrous effect those laws have had on our country¹s natural resources, endangered species habitat and the economy. They will meet at the Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix on Monday, March 24, 2003. The event will start with a rally at 9 through 11a.m. While people fill the plaza, there will be a band and leaders of many communities and our legislative representatives will be invited to help educate the public and media about the true condition of Arizona¹s forests and how they came to their currently devastated condition. The main event will begin at 11 to 11:45 a.m. While Lewis Tenney of Heber, will serve as master of ceremonies, people such as House Speaker Jake Flake, Senate Majority Whip Marilyn Jarrett, and others will speak on behalf of the rural people of Arizona and their demand for action to respond to federal mismanagement of our natural resources. Rural people are gathering at the capitol because they want the public
to know that they are concerned not only about their businesses, their
futures and their home town heritage, but because they may be looking
the end of rural America as we know it. One of the event planners,
Sylvia Allen, says. "If we have another big fire this summer
or if the environMENTALists have their way with forest policies and
we loose our ranching and tourism industries, then what happens next
is real estate falls and if real estate falls, then construction falls
and if construction falls then our state¹s manufacturing falls
and when manufacturing falls then retail falls - and if the state
thinks that they are having a hard time with their budget this year,
they ain¹t seen nothin¹ yet! We could be looking a situation
that could mean total economic collapse for the state and even the
country. There are solutions to our problems and we want to be part
of the process to bring the forests back to health and that¹s
why we say, OHealthy Forest, Healthy The event intends to show the world what current environmental policies have resulted in and that environmental groups are not truly interested in saving endangered species but rather, the environmental movement is about money, control and power. "More endangered species habitat has been destroyed than saved in the White Mountains under federal management and environmental extremist meddling through the courts, and we can prove it!" says Dave Holt of Heber/Overgaard, another event planner. Rural residents who know and love their forests will demand that
industries of ranching and logging will be included as a necessary
and instrumental part of recovering the health of the forest and our
economy. Representatives Organizors perdict that 5,000 to 50,000 people will attend the rally. This event is sponsored Freedom for America League, Citizens and
the Mountains, Paragon Foundation, Paragon America and others. |