[Nmcaver] Fort Stanton/Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area Act - Update/Action Needed

[the hummel's]

Fort Stanton/Snowy River Cave National Conservation
Area Act - Update

Hi All:       

I’ve been asked about the status of the Fort Stanton
Cave bill, and if there is anything cavers can do to
help pass this bill.  Here is what I found out:

It seems that infighting between the House and Senate
slowed down the passage of bills. After passing the
Senate the Cave Bill was caught up in this and died in
the House.  

Congress will be going back in a lame duck session in
November to address appropriations and other bills as
needed.  So we have another chance to see this bill
passed this year.  If the bill does not pass then it
will have to be reintroduced in January.

Senator’s Domenici and Bingaman already support the
bill and have passed it in the Senate (S.1170). 
Congressman Pearce is not as well informed about the
bill and has not introduced a version of it in the
House.  It’s really too late to write our
representatives letters and phone calls will be more
effective than emails at this point.

Since this is a personal project of Senator Domenici
he would be the most important person to call.   Many
of you met the Senator at Fort Stanton, so you could
call him, ask him the status of this bill and discuss
the importance of protecting the cave, the new
discoveries, and the establishment of research
facilities to carry out the management actions
discussed in the bill. 

If you are interested in supporting the Fort
Stanton/Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area
Act  here is the information you need to contact our
representatives.

Senator Pete V. Domenici 202-224-6621	505-346-6791
http://domenici.senate.gov/contact/contactform.cfm

Senator Jeff Bingaman 	202-224-5521	505-346-601
senator_bingaman at bingaman.senate.gov

Representative Steve Pearce 202-225-2365	             
                 (Contact Bob Carter in Hobbs, NM @
505-346-6601	http://www.house.gov/formpearce/emailtemplate.htm