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Anti National Monument Designation Gains Momentum

SedonaEye.com financial columnist J. Rick Normand

SedonaEye.com financial columnist J. Rick Normand notes in his latest National Monument designation expose’ that the RESCUE OUR ARIZONA RED ROCKS (ROARR) Movement Gains Momentum as KSB Falters!

Sedona AZ (September 14, 2015) – Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled program, but the ROARR movement is gaining inmmense momentum against KSB, the Sierra Club and the City of Sedona activist Councilors!

For several months now, ever so slowly, small groups around the Verde Valley and its environs have been forming, independently, to explore the Keep Sedona Beautiful and Sierra Club’s marketing efforts relative to the proposed Sedona-Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument designation. As they have begun to discover that there are immense and likely permanent downside risks to such a federal land resource designation, that deliberately have not been disclosed to an unwary public by its proponents, opposition has organized and coalesced into a movement.

One of the problems for this growing movement against KSB’s push for the SVVRRNM designation is that it doesn’t have a name, or handle, that is identifiable in the media that isn’t extremely wordy and cumbersome to refer to. The proponents are known as KSB, the anti-proponents as “the conspiracy theorists against the SVVRRNM.” I think its time for the anti-designation proponents to find a memorable name, or handle, that instantly identifies who we are to the rest of the country, our Congressional delegation, and the statewide, if not national, news media. Thus, I am proposing that our movement adopt the title of “Rescue Our Arizona Red Rocks” or “ROARR!” which is what we’re beginning to do!

I have intentionally left the name “Sedona” out of this proposed handle because the NM designation proposal involves the whole Verde Valley and northern Arizona, not just the City of Sedona which is fast developing a reputation for its arrogance by acting as if it speaks for all 80,000 residents of the Verde Valley without having the common decency to ask for their input.

Keep Sedona Beautiful 2010 logo

Keep Sedona Beautiful 2010 logo photo

While KSB and the Sierra Club were both started by well-meaning environmental activists with the highest of goal standards, both have now been taken over by a political movement with an agenda that has departed from their original mission statements. Am I audacious for making this claim? Many will say so, but hear me out. I will prove what I allege if you’ll read on.

Consider these facts:

Why are certain City Councilors, and by proxy, the City Government, involved with this issue at all since it’s a political issue that affects all the Verde Valley and must be requested of another political layer for presentation to the federal government, namely our Congressional delegation, who’s majority does not favor the NM designation?

Why does the published marketing in favor of the NM designation list nefarious studies and supporting organizations supported by no demonstable facts, but rather only by unsubstantiated emotional arguments?

Why did Sedona’s Mayor publicly admit that the “Monument Workgroup” is KSB, whose members had never been identified in print, yet who were called to action by the City to prepare a report on the purported need for the NM designation?

Why do the Monument Workgroup and the proponents of the NM designation fail to mention a single downside probability to the NM designation when there are dozens of legitimate and probable legal, operational, economic and quality-of-life issues that are not ever mentioned? Not a single one, mind you!

Sedona Arizona's Village of Oak Creek Association represents over 2300 homeowners

Sedona Arizona’s Village of Oak Creek

Why can’t KSB, the Sierra Club, the Monument Workgroup, and the City of Sedona get a single federal land and resource management official in Washington, D.C. to come to the Verde Valley and admit, in a public forum, that all of the proponent’s purported fact allegations are true? For instance, the proponent’s marketing says that the National Forest Service rather than the National Park Service will manage the NM while they can’t produce a written guarantee from any federal land and resource managment agency as to that alleged fact. And, that is a huge, if not, cataclysmic distinction explained below…and KSB and the Sierra Club know it!

Since it is alleged that a National Monument designation results in extraordinary economic benefits due to an increase in tourism, how is the Verde Valley, and particularly Sedona, going to handle all that increased traffic flow seven days a week when we are currently being strangled by overwhelming unmanageable traffic just three days a week?

And, by the way, how many of you have noticed the traffic jams now beginning to occur in west Sedona southbound on 89A to Cottonwood? What is happening? Motorists experienced with the traffic jam ups on SR 179 on their way to I-17, in order to get home in the Verde Valley, have decided it’s faster to go through west Sedona to get to the SR 260 through Cottonwood to I-17. Just wait until you see what happens if the NM designation is passed. That prospect is not just a matted of traffic jams on steroids but horrendous air pollution that we’ve never known before.

Finally, why is it that every published writer in the area who writes supporting the ROARR movement and employs the support of empirical evidence, points of authority, expert opinions, legal opinions, economic opinions and logical arguments are immediately attacked by commenters and bloggers who never recite any such counter-evidence but always fall back on personal attacks upon the writers?

In light of the abovementioned unanswered critical questions, let’s examine the full-page advertisement published on August 28, 2015 in the Red Rock News by the undisclosed and nefarious proponents of the subject National Monument designation:

  • In appearance, it is worded to appear official and unchallengeable, as well as reliable, when in newspaper print. That is, at least to the unwary eye who still believes KSB and the Sierra Club to be altruistic organizations. The top-of-page and across-the-page headline reads “Preliminary Management Recommendations for the Proposed Sedona Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument.” Recommendations from whom, explicitly, and to whom, explicitly? The advertisement never makes that clear. If it meets the definition of “official” then there should be no question about who makes the claim and paid for the advertisement.

Dept of Agriculture USFS Forest ServiceThen, below that header is another page-wide secondary headline that reads, “The Monument shall be managed consistent with the values that underlie the designation as a National Monument:

  • Sounds great, but the fact of the matter is that National Monuments nationwide are suffering from an unfunded $11.5 billion dollar budget shortfall which has existed for most of the Obama Administration and there has been terrible degradation of most all of Arizona’s 22 National Monuments throughout the state.
  • Note that not a single one of them is managed by the U.S. Forest Service which is claimed by the (nefarious) Monument Workgroup to be the federal management agency that will manage the proposed SVVRRNM – even though KSB, the Sierra Club, Tom O’Halleran, and AZ Congressperson Ann Kirkpatrick can’t come up with a written federal guarantee. In fact, all of our state’s National Monuments are managed by either the National Park Service or the BLM.
  • Nevertheless, is there any consequence to a distinction between management of the subject proposed National Monument by the U.S. Forest Service or the National Park Service? Yes, there is a monumental (pun intended) consequence that the Red Rock News advertisement conveniently doesn’t mention. The U.S. Forest Service is a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which operates under lenient rules towards public access and activities inside the federal land management designation, whereas the National Park Service, that operates under Draconian rules towards public access and activities in the designated territory, is a sub-agency of the Department of the Interior.
  • And, so is the Bureau of Land Management, architect of of state’s rights publicity disaster in Bunkerville, Nevada and the EPA, architect of the ecological disasters in Durango, Colorado and in eastern Arizona in 2002 relative to the nation’s worst ever forest fire known as the Rodeo-Chediski fire.
  • Meanwhile, our National Monuments, nationwide, as mentioned earlier, currently suffer an $11.5 billion backlog of deferred maintenance of aging infrastructure facilities which has existed since the end of the Bush II administration – and will take many years just to catch up once funding is approved which isn’t even under consideration for Congressional action at this time.

    breaking news logoContinuing with the KSB – Sierra Club full page advertisement content, there is a box with the caption at the top that says, “The following recommendations are essential to protect the values of the Monument and they must be consistent with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected by the Proclamation.” Within the box, there are 31 seemingly official recommendations. What they constitute, though, is a wish list, without any federal guarantee document proposed, to ensure that anything on the wish list is ever accomplished!

  • What’s worse is that the most significant of the recommendations are predicated upon management of the subject proposed National Monument by the lenient U.S. Forest Service as opposed to the Draconian National Park Service, with no written federal land and resource management agency guarantee that the USFS will be the intial management agency nor will it not be subject to replacement due to the will of whichever Presidential Administration is in power. This is said in light of the fact that there are currently in the United States 117 National Monuments and all but 9 have had their management assigned to the National Park Service. This Monument Workgroup slight-of-hand is meant to deceive the unwitting public supporters of the SVVRRNM designation proposal into believing that the proposed management will be beneficent.

  • What this rancorous debate all comes down to is this…if KSB, the Sierra Club, the Monument Workgroup, the Mayor, City Councilors and other former City public officials who are proponents of the proposed NM designation were really intent upon acting in the best interests of the City and the Verde Valley, they would evidence sufficient integrity to couch their published arguments in a foundation based upon presentation of both sides arguments, presentation of demonstrable facts, fair and equal consideration for the vast unincorporated areas of the Verde Valley, its other municipalities, and its other townships not within the Sedona City Limits, and, most importantly of all, to objectively inform the unwitting NM proponents who trust them without question of all known facts and potential repercussions!

    But, instead, what the public has gotten from the aforementioned trusted people in power is a tactical shell game of “keep ‘em lookin’ eslewhere (see Mark Dice videos @https://www.youtube.com/user/markdice to see how this tactic works).” KSB, the Sierra Club, Tom O’Halleran, Congressperson Ann Kirkpatrick, and the NM proponents don’t deal with facts, nor even quantifiable probabilities, but, rather, in speculations based on their own personal belief systems. Not to mention intimidation of opposition writers by threats of libel lawsuits and complaints to the police of harassment and physical threats that never happened, published anonymous studies by anonymous workgroups who propose fallacious recommendations based on nonexistent or misstated facts couched in hidden agendas, guilt trips, and political overreach styled as speculative “consequences of inaction” (want to stop ATVs..then have ADOT ban them from state roads of access to the more sensitive Red Rock areas..), threat of political coercion such as Presidential Executive Orders, and, arrogance at public events with no mention of downside risks (they’d have you believe there are none)!

Colorado river canal delivers Arizona water

Colorado river canal delivers Arizona water, a resource impacted by a NM decision

Here’s what KSB and the SVVRRNM proponents never tell their adoring supporters:

The needs of a busy city are incongruent with the restrictions of a National Monument:  Studies of the economic impact of National Monuments on a given area have stated that “land locking by a national monument may not be legal.” No one is sure as it has never been done. Sedona and the Verde Valley may be the unfortunate guinea pigs.

Real issues are water, sewer, power, roads, insecticides, herbicides, firefighting – all of which may become points of contention that may require EIS and NEPA studies costing millions of dollars payable by local Monument adjacent areas, not by the federal government. If so, we will be forced to pay for those studies, even if relative to adjacent private land. It would be rare that any new utilities or roads would ever be allowed in a National Monument, and infrastructure repairs may require NEPA studies.

As I have mentioned in my recent article @ https://sedonaeye.com/damn-all-of-you-who-want-all-the-facts/” the Property Clause of the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other property belonging to the United States …” (Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2).” When deciding whether it is appropriate for federal agencies to regulate private, county and state property, to protect federal lands from external threats, the federal courts have consistently ruled in favor of the “inholders rule” which gives the federal government the right and power to assert its political and physical control over adjacent non-federal property (including municipalities,) in order to eliminate any threats to the objectives of the federal land management policy within the federal stewardship land. Call it what you want…I call it martial law!

monumental mistakeThus, the following question from ROARR, from an ethical if not legal perspective, should be addressed in the Keep Sedona Beautiful, The Sierra Club, and the pro-SVVRRNM designation websites and marketing materials handed out to the public, as follows:

As I asked in my article at The Eye link mentioned above…”Is it possible, that it could be interpreted under the above mentioned ‘inholding rule’ that the federal jurisdiction of the Sedona-Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument would extend into the Village of Oak Creek and the unincorporated environs of the Verde Valley and possibly into the incorporated municipalities of Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Clarkdale that would be immediately adjacent to the proposed SVVRRNM designated boundaries?”

If the “inholding rule” can be applied to the extra territorial areas just mentioned, the fact of local self-governance could be impaired and we could find the place we live and love under indirect, or even direct, federal authority. At the minimum, if the inholding rule does apply in our case, if the subject National Monument designation is accomplished, this could give the Feds a choke-hold on our local economy, qualify-of-life issues, and our liberty.

What the SVVRRNM will give the Verde Valley and the cities of Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Jerome and Clarkdale as well as the VOC, Cornville and Page Springs is a new layer of political control over private property.

We’ll have unincorporated areas of the Verde Valley and its city municipalities overlayed with the Local Land Use Program Administration, and the Jurisdictional Inquiry Unit, which provides advice to landowners and potential project sponsors regarding Agency jurisdiction, including informal phone advice and written jurisdictional determinations. Bureau staff will help citizens determine if an Agency permit or variance is required. Determinations often require a full deed history and other legal and factual research. The Jurisdictional Inquiry Staff also handles referrals from other agencies, telephone calls, and walk-in members of the public.

Harley McGuire and pals chillin' at the dog park

Harley McGuire and pals love hiking and walking Sedona red rock trails! Contact your local representative for more information on access restrictions to National Monuments by pets.

With National Monument status, we’ll have a whole new layer of political control as if we don’t have enough already.

There will be even more restrictions on public land usage that we currently enjoy.

Each of you now have a right to enjoy our public land, but the Feds believe that being inside a National Monument is a privilege, not a right!

Each of us could see a loss of mountain biking trails (99% of our trails were made by bikers), the elimination of some trails, inability to create new trails, loss of back country travel in our vehicles, more road closures without new roads to replace them, loss of ability to hike with a leashed dog – since the Feds believe dogs may chase wildlife even while on a leash – and we could even lose our choices of trail head and associated trails we’ve always known or the choice to go off-trail to do rock climbing.

As it is now, we all have the right to enjoy our public lands, but traversing a Monument is considered only a “federally defined” privilege. Unwitting violators will be met by uniformed and armed federal parkland police!

Read www.SedonaEye.com for daily news and interactive views!

Read www.SedonaEye.com for daily news and interactive views!

130 Comments

  1. steve Segner says:

    KSB, is a great organization.
    And have done great things for Sedona in the past, the comment about KSB has intimidated people and business’s with their threat of boycotting it, is just NOT, true.
    KSB. Has worked very hard on the National Monument,they feel the Forest Service is a better friend then the state government, all they are trying to do is bring some more protection to the Verde Valley.
    There is nothing wrong with KSB or any group bringing forward a plan they think will help or protect Sedona.
    Lets listen to what they have to say.
    The President will have the final say. I’m ok with that.
    Steve

  2. J. J. says:

    To @JJ:
    I just looked it up and according to Yavapai county public records, the Cindy Hensley McCain Family Trust still owns the Hidden Valley Ranch in Page Springs. The McCain property in North Central Phoenix has been sold tho. I live near airport mesa in the Cathedral Valley and I still see McCain’s plane flying in on occasion. McCain’s home is within the proposed Monumental mistake.

  3. With reciprocal due respect to Sheri g. I offer the following.

    The reference I made relating to “Whether or not currently seated Sedona City Council gives their vote of approval apparently won’t much matter if Keep Sedona Beautiful has the drive and ability to move forward and seek the President’s signature on whatever it is “he” chooses to approve, as indicated in the letter from Senator John McCain, courtesy of J.J.”

    That statement was based on the following quote from the referenced letter posted by J.J. from Senator John McCain: “As you may know, the President of the United States has the sole power under a 100-year old law, called the Antiquities Act of 1906, to unilaterally designate ‘national monuments’ as a way to restrict access to federal lands without having to consult with Congress or the impacted State.”

    So, based on that statement coming from a U.S. Senator I do not know if it would make a difference if “the Feds” heard about the position taken by the Sedona City Council, or anyone else for that matter, since Senator McCain clearly states the President of the U.S. has “the sole power” to designate “national monuments.”

    With further due respect to Sheri g., in order to maintain their tax-deductible non-profit status under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, Keep Sedona Beautiful was not permitted to take an official position on the issue of the 89A lighting/city ownership of the route, reportedly at the advice of the late Robert Carabell, retired attorney and former Board Member of KSB. That I presume could be easily verified by contacting his long time companion Susan Amon.

    Over & Out.

  4. Oh Really? says:

    Sheri g. writes: In the past KSB has intimidated people and business’s with their threat of boycotting same.” NOT!!!

    Change KSB to REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and then the statement will be correct! It’s the chamber running the council and city government. The “regional chamber” makes KSB look like amateurs. When KSB manages with one grand swoop to rip off $1.5 mil from city taxes then maybe they will rate top honors.

  5. magickj says:

    In 1980 when the Enchantment resort was being planned, the idea of a National Monument reared it’s ugly head. The Sierra Club wanted the area to be named a Wilderness area, with no roads, no visitor’s center, no trails – just kept as the way it was. Well, we all know what happened and the Enchantment was built, bringing Sedona some of the most wealthy tourist, providing employment and a sustainable tax base.
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19800125&id=pztAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zUwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4906,4092821&hl=en

    The problem with the National Monument is that the citizens are not considered assets, and there’s no promises made to preserve the town. They want to raze it all, remove the population, and have it under strict control. If you value your life as you know it, you’ll do everything possible to stop this crazy idea.

  6. Judy Stein says:

    Wow, to have those comments from real long time folks like Sheri and Eddie mean a lot more to me that anything put out by J Rick Normand. Thank you to both of those fine ladies.

    Because of the unbiased comments above from Eddie and Sheri, I will NEVER send another check to KSB and I’ll be trashing that license place frame that’s on my car.

  7. @Judy Stein:

    If you want to listen to what our two fine ladies here, Eddie and Sheri, have to say instead of me…I’ll be just fine with that. I faithfully listen to both of them too!

    JRN

  8. @Judy Stein, one more time,

    In fact, the six people whose counsel are the most important to me are Eddie, Sheri, former Mayor Pud Colquitt, Terrie Frankel, Donna Joy and Kim Chott. Notice anything they all have in common?

    JRN

  9. JeanJ says:

    I found the “Chamber update reveals growth” article in last Friday’s SRRN very distressing.

    Of the 941 Chamber members, “66 percent are within the Sedona city limits,” the Director of Member Services said. So that’s all.

    And patting tourism on the back, Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff, said that “65 percent of the City’s budget comes from sales tax.” What? Isn’t this a really big whopper? The City Finance Dept’s “Where Does the Money Come From?” pie chart shows only 31 percent of the current year’s budget is from taxes [all taxes].

    When City sales tax revenues for pre-recession years 2006 – 2008 are run through the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator, the sales tax amounts obtained are from $ .64 Million to $1.4 Million HIGHER than the City of Sedona sales tax revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015.

  10. Please, please – once and for all – the single most troubling activity of Keep Sedona Beautiful in my opinion is the current fast-track pursuit of a National Monument. The reason(s) include but are not limited to all questions being asked by so many other people here and elsewhere.

    More specifically what are the names of the individuals who make up the “Monument Workgroup” allegedly “called to action by the City of Sedona” (quoted from KSB RRNews ad 8/28/15)? Why don’t they step out of the shadow and identify themselves; and why doesn’t the Board of Trustees(?) or whatever they call themselves these days demand for that to happen? Secrecy does not bode well in conjunction with this “monumental” decision (again my opinion) and another valid reason for objecting to the designation.

    No attempt here to berate or defame the efforts of KSB, an organization that’s been working for years toward their mission, to Keep Sedona Beautiful. In fact they’ve existed longer than most of us even heard of Sedona. It’s just time to remove shrouds, become transparent, and name the names of those so eager to silence the public and enslave the entire Verde Valley in an unknown destiny.

    If KSB has bullied businesses it’s news to me. And believe me, my late husband and I spent far more years attempting to make a living in Sedona than I have in “retirement.” My husband was a licensed realtor at the time of his sudden death so he didn’t live long enough to enjoy retirement as a reward of the efforts spent struggling for so many years to remain here. Quite frankly and looking at what Sedona has become, I’m happy for him.

    Eddie Maddock

  11. Brian says:

    AN OPEN LETTER TO SEDONA CITY COUNCIL (SENT TO THEM 9/21/15):

    Hello,

    I am a Sedona resident of 33 years and am beyond appalled and upset at even the chance that this area could be turned into a National Monument.

    There is no point.

    WHY?
    Why would we give our power away? Cause we assume we are not worthy or capable of taking better care of it than people 2500 miles away who have a million other things to worry about, including the impending bankruptcy/insolvency of the federal government itself?

    We are less than two weeks away from another potential government shutdown. Would you really want this area shutdown by the federal government if they were the ones running this place and it was a National Monument closed off to tourists because of a government shutdown?

    Can you not see from this one small unintended consequence that maybe there could be a million other unintended consequences that we can’t even see yet?

    WHO WE ARE
    To give you an idea who we are, we were essentially the only National Green Magazine in the country, based right here out of Sedona, for a number of years leading up to the ’08 crash. We were in Barnes and Noble, Borders, Walmart, Safeway, etc…All the way from New York to Florida to Texas to California. We are heavily involved in the Green Movement and sponsored nearly every major Green Trade Show in the country at one point in time or another.

    The word “Green” means: Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice for all people worldwide. The mission statement of our company is to, “create Social, Economic, and Environmental solutions for all people worldwide”.

    It is our duty to be experts on the intersection of those three things. This issue is at that intersection.

    THE FALSE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
    This naive, local environmental movement doesn’t have a clue, with their well meaning intentions, that they are getting duped into giving away our water rights and our land and our sovereignty for absolutely no reason whatsoever, other than the “hope” that the federal government “might” give us more money. It is a major legal misstep and there is no reason whatsoever to give up our rights, our control, or our sovereignty over our land, our water, or our city for that matter.

    WHERE WE THINK THIS MIGHT END UP GOING
    We are already in the fight of our lives to preserve this country. We see a possibility that we will be the center of National News for weeks as the biggest political fight this country has seen since the Bundy Ranch incident in Nevada if this is rammed down our throats against our will.

    I also believe the opposition on this is probably going to have the support of the State Legislator, the County Sheriff, the Governor and thousands of people willing to fight this thing to the death, literally.

    From what I gather no city has ever been landlocked inside a National Monument. We would be the very first.

    I like the idea of us being first and being visionaries and pioneers, but pioneering the worst thing for the People, for the City of Sedona, and for the Rights of the Individual(s) living in our community is not something I want to be a part of. Especially not something that may take away the Rights of our children or our grandchildren.

    WHY THE RIGHT IS SO UPSET
    Bringing this back to basic Civics 101: In a pure Democracy the 51% get to decide the way things are going to be and the other 49% have to deal with it. In a Constitutional Republic (especially ours with the Bill of Rights), no matter what the 51% think the 49% still have certain rights that cannot and will not be infringed upon.

    We are a Republic and this issue is one of those issues where the 49% does not care what the 51% thinks. They will lay their life on the line to not have their rights infringed upon.

    That’s what this issue is. That’s why the Right is so furious. If 51% think they can impose taking away the right to the land and water of all of us, the 49% will fight this to the end.

    OUR FOUNDING FATHERS
    Excuse me for making this somewhat longer than it maybe needed to be, but I think it’s important to cite our founding fathers here so you can see that we are not alone in our thinking regarding this:

    “A Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” – THOMAS JEFFERSON

    “Remember, Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a Democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” – JOHN ADAMS

    “We are a Republican Government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of Democracy.” –ALEXANDER HAMILTON

    At the first inaugural address to the United States under the first President ever, on April 30, 1789, he said that he would dedicate himself to “the preservation … of the Republican model of government.” – GEORGE WASHINGTON

    “Hence it is that such Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention: have ever been found incompatible with personal security of rights of property: and have in general been as short lived in their duration as they have been violent in their Deaths.” – JAMES MADISON

    CONCLUSION: I ASK FOR YOUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
    This issue is symbolic of the wrong direction we’re headed in overall as a nation, where big government just keeps getting bigger and bigger and people keep giving up more and more of their Inalienable Rights to the 51%.

    I strongly recommend, no matter what you think about it to vote NO if a vote is called for the City to take a position this matter.

    Actually, I’m asking a little more than that. I’m asking you to vote NO and fight it all the way to the end to stop it if the President does sign an Executive Order for it.

    You take a Pledge before every City Council meeting. There is a reason for that Pledge.

    “…and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”

    What that means to me is you have a duty to protect the RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY (the 49%) despite what your personal opinion is on this matter, or what the 51% think.

    It is unjust for anyone to impose giving up our Rights for our land, water, or our city. If one person is harmed in this act it is wrong, if a multitude are it is a tragedy. No matter what your belief is, thousands of us believe our rights are being violated and we will feel deeply, deeply harmed regardless of what you or 51% think. No matter what the consensus is injustice will occur, a minority will be harmed, and I ask you to exercise the sole purpose of government: PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY FROM THE MAJORITY, when the two are in conflict with one another.

    I personally will be standing with our Governor, the Sheriff, and our State Legislators, along with anyone else who has to the courage to stand up to the Federal government against this if this is implement against our will.

    I have pledged my allegiance to the REPUBLIC. I am humbly asking you to do the same, no matter what your opinion is.

    Sincerely,

    Brian Wentzel
    Owner/Co-Founder of GoneGreen.org
    & 33 Year Resident of Sedona

  12. @All Readers at The Eye:

    Tomorrow, Sept 22 at 5.00pm, there will be a City Council meeting to vote on resolution AB 1961 to effect an endorsement of the KSB SVVRRNM proposal. Council knows that at this moment the RRNs online poll is showing 78.5% are opposed and the RRN has come out against KSB’s proposal. Meanwhile, Council is being overwhelmed with opposition emails, especially Mayor Moriarty. I’m betting that Councilor Angela LeFevre will NOT show up so that it won’t be possible for the Mayor to call for a vote. Then, KSB will regroup to make yet another charge at it when they MISTAKENLY think that the opposition will die down.

    JRN

  13. PS from ESM says:

    It was a careless oversight to omit crediting J. Rick Normand for not only his ability to research and offer intense information but his tenacity is amazing.

    Kudos to all who are willing to work TOGETHER and not split into secretive groups, making decisions behind the scenes that benefit only a select few. And you all know who you are.

    Great job, Rick, and all others who have been so diligently working to make right and avoid what’s in motion to amount to a terrible wrong. And JeanJ keep up the good work. Amazing what goes on in beautiful(?) Sedona.

    Eddie Maddock

  14. steve Segner says:

    Brian,
    AN OPEN LETTER TO SEDONA CITY COUNCIL (SENT TO THEM 9/21/15):

    Brian,What I enjoy most is knowing the National Monument /Big government haters Is you will have no say in it’s outcome.

    It will be up to our President

    Not one person in Utah, wanted the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and President Clinton,a Democrat did it just to spite them, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a great example of National Monument success.

    Some times presidents just need to be presidential

    NEWSBRIEF: GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZ (AP) — “Siding with environmentalists in one of the nation’s biggest wilderness battles, President Clinton declared 1.7 million acres of southern Utah’s red-rock cliffs and canyons as a national monument Wednesday. The election-year move effectively blocks development of one of America’s largest known coal reserves, to the dismay of political leaders in Utah, the nation’s most Republican state.”
    steve

  15. Jim L says:

    @JJenks
    That is because the Chamber can’t count. They include everyone in the 86336 zip code and PO Boxes as being in the city, when we ALL know Oak Creek Canyon, enchantment, and Red Rock Crossing are OUTSIDE the City Limits.
    Heck we (one location) have three memberships so they count us three times! What do we care? If the City of Sedona is dumb enough to pay us even though we are outside the city We’ll run with that 1.5 million a year! Thank you City of Sedona!

  16. Patriots and friends:

    Watch you fellow Sedona Residents speak out against the Keep Sedona Beautiful effort to slide National Monument onto Obama’s desk….

    WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO – Share with friends of Sedona.

    https://youtu.be/yHD4VCCeqgE

    Let’s come out in force tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 22, AGAINST ANY VERDE VALLEY/SEDONA NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION BY OUR PRESIDENT: Let’s all go to the Sedona City Council meeting at City Hall, 102 Roadrunner Drive, Sedona, 86336.

    The actual meeting starts at 4:30 PM so we ought to get there between 3PM and 3:30 PM; that sounds early but we will NOT get a seat otherwise -and- the other side will try to pack the audience.

    PLEASE BE THERE; the city council must see see the amount of support that we have garnered. Lots of voices matter.

    Our message: No Executive Order. No more federal land assimilation in Arizona without our express permission.

    Blessings and FOR LIBERTY!

  17. @Steve Segner,

    You are anti-U.S Constitution, anti-republican form of government, anti-principles of our Founding Fathers, and, for my money, you’re anti-American. What’s worse you’re utterly ignorant. You know nothing whatsoever about Constitutional law. If Obama even signs the Proclamation, by virtue of Prop 122 in Arizona, it can and will be nullified under the Tenth Amendment in this state not to mention that our majority Congressional delegation can call for an Article V Congressional Convention to repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906 which is despised by most western states. Utah is working with Arizona to bring the Article V Convention into session as are most of the western states. BTW, the state of Utah just used Tenth Amendment nullification to cut of the water to the new $2.3 billion NSA spy facility.

    JRN

  18. Brian says:

    @Steve Segner,

    Yes Steve, since the dawn of civilization those too cowardice to stand in their own power have groveled at the delight in finding security in the State and ultimately tyrants. Its a nice out from you having to live with courage.

    Your Socialist Utopian vision of governement taking care of you from cradle to grave us almost in place. Only problem is the government is about to go bankrupt.

    Six thousand years of human history tells us tyrants always fall and so does tyrranical governement.

    So you might be up in the third quarter but chances are we will take this by the end of the fourth.

    This is your time to shine though. Pride before the fall Steve-O. Keep on shining that bright light of yours. This is gonna be your 15 minutes of fame.

  19. Judy Stein says:

    @ Jean Janks

    Please give your personal agenda a rest right now. we have a real issue in this city and your personal chamber attacks will have to wait. As a matter of fact, get over it and get a life and move along to something that you can really sink your teeth into.

  20. @steve Segner,

    BTW, the state of Utah just used Tenth Amendment nullification to cut off the water to the new $2.3 billion NSA spy facility. Based on model legislation drafted by a transpartisan coalition organized by the Tenth Amendment Center (TAC) and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) called the “OffNow Coalition,” the Utah 4th Amendment Protection Act would prohibit state material support, participation, or assistance to any federal agency that collects electronic data or metadata without a search warrant “that particularly describes the person, place and thing to be searched or seized.” This nullification Act (under the U.S. Tenth Amendment and the Utah 4th Amendment ‘Protection Act’) puts contracts, that provide the 1.7 million gallons of water a day necessary to cool the NSA computers at its Bluffdale facility, in the state’s rights crosshairs.

    JRN

  21. this is a small diversion from the bigger issue at hand. That should send Segner scurrying from the site. Pay attention.

    http://www.activistpost.com/2015/09/agenda-2030-and-the-new-economic-world-order-coming-this-year.html
    Stay in the highest light.

  22. Brian says:

    @Heed the warnings,

    ….getting warmer “Heed the warnings”…..exactly. These small minded people thinking from a local context only haven’t a clue how deep the rabbit hole goes. Not the slightest clue. Like children believing in Santa Clause they are not emotionally prepared to have their paradigm shattered yet. For that reason I don’t even get involved until it’s an issue as big as this one.

  23. JeanJ says:

    Wise up Judy Stein. The real issue here is who people want running the show in Sedona, the greedy, money-mad Chamber of Commerce/Lodging Council or the unknown U.S. government entity that will be in charge if KSB gets Obama to go along with their SVVRRNM proposal!

  24. magickj says:

    According to the Red Rock News poll, 80% of Sedonians are against the National Monument. If the mayor does indeed sign the National Monument proclamation at today’s City Council meeting, recall action for the mayor and the entire City Council will be the obvious result.

  25. steve segner says:

    KSB has every right to make there case to the president it is his call.
    You have the same right.
    The law is the law like it or not.
    Rick save the good stuff for late night A.M. radio
    steve

  26. @Judy Stein

    Aren’t you being a bit hard on Jean J? The contract with the Chamber of Commerce is even a bigger scam than this determination to impose National Monument Designation on the entire Verde Valley. Just think how far that $1.5 million could go towards improving trails and other benefits for tourists and residents if it were awarded to the Forest Service instead of being wasted on building a regional C of C membership, increasing their payroll, and adding to the traffic jams by attracting even more day-trippers than Sedona already needs. Seems if you are so interested in keeping Sedona beautiful yourself you might consider apologizing to Jean J.

  27. steve Segner says:

    Jerry, Sedona City Limits says:
    You use the words “Chamber of Commerce is even a bigger scam”
    Eight open meeting and two council votes; seem like more of a conspiracy to meo
    Steve

  28. @steve says:

    back door deal. You r a scammer. Just like the chamber can’t count.

    Youo liar!

  29. Wes says:

    Hey buddy steve – when are you going to lean how to spell and understand you are not the god of Sedona?

  30. Sorry, Steve Segner, but your public meetings were merely formality since in your own words John Martinez made the deal for increased bed tax based on the rebate to the Chamber before it ever saw daylight. Disgusting, corrupt, and the sell-out of tax collecting businesses within incorporated Sedona.

    KSB is attempting to do the same thing and what portion of the city, as published in KSB ads, asked for them to form the committee? Barbara Litrell and Rob Adams? They have both been outspoken at this time in support of a National Monument but clearly overstepping their “city” representation if they are behind this movement since neither are members of the city council at this time.

    As someone else commented, that $1.5 Chamber payoff should rightfully be allocated to the Forest Service and put to use where it will really benefit tourists and, yes, even flatlanders. But then that’s the problem, we don’t count.

    Didn’t someone else mention the word “RECALL?” Well, that should have occurred with that last council agreeing to the three-year money grab contract with the bogus “visitors center” and worse yet, the regional C of C that delights in trashing businesses who choose to not become members of such a shoddy (but wealthy) operation.

  31. magickj says:

    have you heard of the “Treasured Landscape Initiative?”
    This is from sharetrails dot org:

    The document, titled Our Vision – Our Values proposes a total abandonment of the Congressional mandate to manage public lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. Beyond federally managed lands, Salazar’s “Vision” expands the federal government’s authority over adjacent state, tribal and private lands.

    The document describes in detail the three “designate, rationalize, and “manage-at-scale” components of the new vision, and what that might mean to you and me. Designate, as you might imagine, is a plan to designate more Wilderness, National Parks, National Monuments or other suitable protectionist designations. Salazar’s document identifies over 35 million acres of lands that are “worthy of special protection.”

    The BLM already manages some 130 million acres in protective designations. But 130 million acres isn’t quite enough. Salazar’s document identifies over 35 million acres of lands that are “worthy of special protection, should be considered for anew and/or heightened conservation designation.”

    When tabulating the 130 million acres it manages in “protective designations,” the document includes lands currently in the National Landscape Conservation System. However, the Salazar document also throws Special Recreation Management Areas in the list of areas managed under NLCS. SRMAs definitely do not qualify as lands managed under the NLCS, but if the intent is to do so, motorized recreation on BLM lands is in for a very tough ride.

    The second key component of the administration’s new “vision,” is something they are calling “Rationalization.” Rationalization means buying private lands within and adjacent to BLM lands. They can’t call it buying private land, expanding the federal estate and taking lands off the tax rolls. No, that wouldn’t fly with the general public. The apparently think if they use some totally unrelated word, like, uh, “rationalization” it will all sound so awesome. Dude!

    So we’ll designate all the really scenic land as National Monuments, we’ll buy up, er, I mean “rationalize” all of the private property in and adjacent to public land. What’s next?

    The third leg in this new Vision is a mandate for new land use plans across the board. The document explains:

    The final aspect of the first component of BLM’s Treasured Landscapes vision recognizes that new conservation designations should not be the only – nor, perhaps, even the primary – means of managing for conservation on BLM’s public lands. To that end, BLM also recommends emphasizing conservation values in its land-use planning process, with particular attention focused on two considerations: (a) accounting for the, ecosystem-service values of BLM lands, and (b) the special legal context of conservation management in Wyoming and Alaska.

    Sounds like BLM wants to be the National Park Service, doesn’t it?

    I mentioned above that it’s obvious why Salazar didn’t want this document released.

    The document is a refreshingly honest admission of what the current staff in the Department of Interior and BLM have in mind for our public lands. I wrote recently that I doubt the “Vision” will be formally adopted into BLM’s regulatory structure. It doesn’t have to. Recent hyper-restrictive land use plans in Utah and Northern Arizona are putting massive restrictions on all recreational use, even non-motorized trail use and camping.

  32. magickj says:

    Here’s the link for Treasured Landscape Initiative and how it relates to Sedona:

    http://www.defendruralamerica.com/files/SalazarAgenda.pdf

  33. Darryl Z says:

    WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2015 – Today, the President announced plans to unilaterally designate more than one million acres in Basin and Range in Nevada, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and Berryessa Snow Mountain in California as monuments – totaling already six this year, and 19 since he’s been in office. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement:

    “President Obama has shown complete disdain for Congress and the people of Nevada, California, and Texas. This surreptitious land grab reveals that the Obama Administration will stop at nothing to lock up more and more land, with the stroke of a pen. I condemn this shameful power move which makes states and citizens fearful that the federal government can invade at any time to seize more lands like bandits in the night,” said Chairman Bishop.

    “The White House has made a mess out of the democratic process – which my Committee will now have to try and rectify. How this decree impacts people and their livelihoods – including public safety, water rights, economic development, recreation, and grazing – should be handled by Congress before a designation, not after the fact. Once again, the Obama Administration has put politics above people. Now, Congress is left to fix the mess made by the White House.”

    Contact: Committee Press Office 202-226-9019

  34. CKS says:

    Not liking the idea we can’t take our dogs on leashes or if nobody around we can’t let them run around on the rocks. My mix retriever lab Monk loves climbing rocks & he loves to chase elk if one doesn’t chase him first. Why ruin it?

  35. SIGN OUR PETITION AGAINST THE NATIONAL MONUMENT http://www.arizonaliberty.us

  36. CC4A says:

    See video citizens against this from our Town Hall meeting:

    LINK to TOWN HALL Citizens Speaking Up

    It seems the tide is turning in opposition to this proposal, but we are sure it will take continued support to STAND AGAINST this.

  37. Daisy says:

    I haven’t been in Sedona long. At first I thought the idea of protecting the red rocks was a good one as the sprawl and obnoxious mansions (like the one next to the Chapel) really take the charm out of Sedona.
    I wish to thank everyone who has commented here because I’ve learned a lot and I’ve changed my mind. Yes protection, but not Nazi Germany-type protection! I enjoy hiking with my dog, I enjoy going off-trail, my husband enjoys flying his drone, we both enjoy riding our bikes on trails.
    Please! NO National Monument. Wake up everyone!
    Thanks Sedona Eye. Your coverage and comments are epic!

  38. magickj says:

    This push for a National Monument is part of the Dept of Interior’s Treasured Landscapes agenda. A critical part of the TL agenda is to buy LOTS of land (at pennies on the dollar). The money is to come from the Land and Water Conservation Fund a 40 year old program supported by revenues from outer continental shelf petroleum operations. Appropriations from the LWCF are on track for buying “important properties” from “willing sellers” for National Monuments. Both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are expected to approve land buys in 2016 for lots in and around many of the newly named National Monuments. Please ask the lawyers about this. NO MORE SECRECY!

  39. magickj says:

    and then, the 10 year National Monument anniversary (follow up to above article)

    http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/territory/years-after-upper-missouri-river-breaks-designation-political-wrangling-hidden/article_add273f2-f122-11e0-a268-001cc4c002e0.html

    Really, KSB? You want THIS to be Sedona’s story? YIKES!

  40. magickj says:

    forgot to add this, which was a piece to the two above written earlier this month. Note the comments and how they’ve changed over the years.

    http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/guest-opinion-blm-should-stop-leasing-montana-land-for-bison/article_8a5cf04d-2936-58f1-a899-02077d224c92.html

    There’s nothing good about a National Monument, except to foment anger.

  41. Carl says:

    Anybody ask WHY KSB is doing this? I can’t seem to get a straight answer about who started the ball rolling, it seems people keep pointing fingers at Litrell, DeVol, O’Halleran, O’Brien, Adams, LeFevre, Moriarty and a few others. Ask them personally and they seem to all deflect that they are only acting because of others requests. Bull hockey. Your trying to game the system.

    If Congresswoman Kirkpatrick is smart, she’ll get out from the desperadoes at KSB sinking ship and join the 80% saying no to this. But she’s been unelected before and can find work elsewhere.

    Let’s get a head count at KSB, seems to me that privately lots of its members are saying they oppose it but what can they do? Stand up & say you oppose it.

    Folks at the least resign in protest!. Don’t just avoid the meetings. Sedona Eye or Red Rock News ought to publish names of KSB membership role. It’s a nonprofit and the names are public information. Have each one be held accountable for being a member & their donation. If they don’t want to be associated with this, then they had best get their names off the membership list before its published.

  42. You’re biased and off base. Not fooled by rescue when you mean destroy. Yes to Monument for here and Grand Canyon. Protect our lands!

  43. Jess Lookin says:

    I think a Sedona national monument would be GREAT !!!

    We have the Feds eliminate the City of Sedona, bulldoze all the hotels, bulldoze all the t shirt and tomahawk shops. Bulldoze every commercial business. All businesses will be paid a nominal fee, say $1, as their business was worthless under the new rules. The Feds will eliminate the Chamber of Commerce, no commerce needed in a scenic area. I propose the don’t allow any private vehicles except for residents. All tourists must keep their hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times, no leaving the tour vehicle until you exit the area. No PA systems to disrupt the piece and quiet, like the hotel near me that blares until midnight every weekend. The Feds can pay for the fire department too.

    Be careful what you wish for.

  44. What good is it to preserve if you can’t use the land?
    yes to protection – which is what we are doing.
    Besides the back-door dealings regarding the land exchanges with places like the Cultural Park, where is the Forest Service failing to protect our beautiful home?
    You’re voting to have more laws, more restrictions, more fees, less use. Please do not give support so hastily = you are FOR the entire Verde Valley going through shut down the next time they can’t pay their bills? you are FOR more traffic and congestion ? you are FOR giving up private property and water rights? Gee, you sound like a renter. Wake up.
    http://www.landrights.org/

  45. @Susan Culver, verde lover,

    What you are fooled by is Marxist/Utopian UN Agenda 21 propaganda! God help you.

  46. http://wwlp.com/2015/09/21/no-poverty-hunger-in-15-years-un-sets-sweeping-new-goals/

    backed up by the POPE himself. It is called NEW World Order.
    Agenda 21 new world order initiatives the US signed on for in 1992..
    Don’t worry sleepers, the awake and enlightened have your back, go back to sleepy bye

  47. Darryl Z says:

    This is from landrights dot org:

    My father was a Park Service ranger and I have been an inholder in Yosemite for 44 years. I served in the Student Conservation Corps in 1959 and was a volunteer in what are now three national parks. I was appointed by President Reagan to the National Park System Advisory Board in 1981.

    The Park Service we know today gets confused. They think they are a great agency because they manage great places.

    The park system has an 11 billion dollar operations and maintenance backlog and the number of Americans who visit their parks is declining. There is a reason for this.

    The priority of present leadership of the National Park Service (NPS) is claiming control over more land rather than providing parks for the enjoyment and use of the American people.

    They are reducing visitor facilities and campsites in popular parks such as Yosemite and jacking up entrance fees throughout the park system. Increasingly, they are forcing visitors onto tour busses rather than letting them enjoy the park as a family in the family car. These policies are a threat to the future of our existing great parks and it is the LWCF that provides the funds to continue this tragic course.

    In 2000 the Park Service on the Appalachian Trail in Maine used its authority to threaten eminent domain of the Saddle Mountain Ski Area anytime the former owner wanted to upgrade his ski area or install safety equipment. This went on for 20 years until American Land Rights helped the landowner get the Congressional Committees to take away the Park Service authority to continue these threats.

    The key to these abuses is money. If the Park Service has the money they will use it to threaten eminent domain in nearly every conversation with
    private landowners about selling their property. “Sell or else” is their frame of reference.

    The Park Service is supposed to do Land Protection Plans for each land acquisition area (park like area) such as Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Monuments, National Battlefields, National Recreation Areas, National Parks, etc. where they issue a report for each park like area showing which lands are the most important to be Federally protected and which are the least.

    They are supposed to hold periodic public hearings with local landowners to discuss these priorities. And they are supposed to acquire control over the land using the least expensive method possible. Easements, special agreements, and other alternatives are rarely used by the Park Service.
    They insist on buying in fee title.

    The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has a really bad history of funding Federal Land Acquisition by the National Park Service and other agencies. Whole communities have been wiped out by condemnation. Whole cultures obliterated.

    Condemnation (Eminent Domain like Kelo) has been abused so much by the Park Service that their authority to use Declarations of Takings had to be curtailed in the past by Congress. And this is all related to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. As someone once said, “It’s the Money, Stupid.

  48. @Darryl Z;

    Great research effort on your part. Thank you.

    see: http://www.landrights.org/

    JRN

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