The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

DEN Alert: Help Protect Wildlife And Communities Along Our Borders Help Protect Wildlife And Communities Along Our Borders! Dear DEN Activist: This week, Congress will vote on a bill that could endanger both wildlife and people living near America's borders. H.R. 418, The Real ID Act of 2005, would give the Homeland Security Department sweeping and unprecedented exemptions from every federal environmental protection law on the books when constructing roads, fences, walls, and other barriers along America's nearly 7,500 miles of borders. > The exemptions would apply to all U.S. borders with both Mexico and Canada, and threaten national parks, forests and monuments, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas and other environmentally sensitive areas. The bill also eliminates Americans' ability to know what their federal government is doing and denies Americans the right to seek redress in the courts for damage caused by the government's borderland activities. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please go to the DEN Action Center and send a free fax to your representative in Congress urging him or her to oppose these unnecessary and sweeping exemptions from the laws that protect our air, water, land and wildlife. Urge him or her to vote NO on H.R. 418, The Real ID Act of 2005. Thank you for helping to send a message to Congress that we can achieve national security while protecting the American borderland environment. Sincerely, Robert Dewey Vice President for Government Relations Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife is a leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat and known for its effective leadership on saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 475,000 members and supporters. Copyright Defenders of Wildlife 2004