Capitol Update
Congressman Cook Introduces the California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act
Congressman Cook introduced HR 3668, the California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act. This bill presents a balanced approach to protecting, managing, and using our desert and forest areas in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties. This bill would deal with the management of existing federal land and would not result in an increase in federal landownership.
This bill establishes a Mojave Trails Special Management Area (SMA) in an area south of the existing Mojave Preserve and northeast of the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. This designation protects existing mining operations and allows for future mining exploration as long as mining projects never exceed ten percent of the total acreage. It would also prevent the installation of any industrial-scale renewable energy projects. Additionally, this bill would protect from development any lands within the management area donated to the federal government for conservation purposes. Over 1,200 miles of roads and off-road vehicle trails are written into law as well.
This bill establishes five new National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas in Spangler Hills, El Mirage, Rasor, Dumont Dunes, and Stoddard Valley, together creating the first system of National Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Areas in the nation. Additionally, it redesignates Johnson Valley as a National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area and expands it by nearly 20,000 acres. This bill affords additional protections to OHV users and ensures that these areas cannot be closed administratively. In total, this legislation preserves a total of 300,000 acres for OHV recreational use.
Additionally, this bill protects many desert landscapes in pristine areas and in areas of particular environmental value. The Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa area north of Yucca Valley would be designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This will protect the scenic vistas and historic Native American cultural sites from industrial-scale energy projects. It would also establish the Sand to Snow National Monument covering approximately 140,000 acres of federal land near Morongo Valley. The vast majority of this exists as part of the San Gorgonio Wilderness or the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve between the Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
Cook said, “The desert is our home, and most importantly this bill ensures those who live here have a voice in how existing federal lands are used. It offers a sensible solution that addresses the needs of our off-highway vehicle recreation areas, protects mineral and mining sites, while still preserving our majestic desert landscapes for future generations. I’m proud of the work that’s gone into this historic bill and look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to pass it.”
San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood pledged his support for the bill, saying “I’m pleased to support Col. Paul Cook’s bill because it takes a balanced approach that protects our desert while also protecting mining jobs and economic opportunities. It strikes a responsible compromise among recreational activities and environmental preservation. Unlike a possible presidential executive order, this bill is good policy because it incorporates the voices of local residents and elected bodies. And it maintains the long-standing philosophy that the desert is a land of many uses.”
For the text of HR 3668, a list of all the accompanying maps, and the executive summary, please click here.
Congressman Cook Votes for Critical National Security Legislation
Last week, Congressman Cook voted for critical national security legislation. This legislation provides the legal authority for our military to protect the homeland, pay our soldiers, and provide benefits to military retirees.
This year’s bill includes a pay raise for active duty service members, prevents a 10-year increase of TRICARE co-pays, lays out a plan to combat Iranian influence in the Middle East, and funds cyber security measures to protect our national infrastructure from future data breaches.
Cook said, “This is the biggest piece of legislation the House Armed Services Committee will pass this year. With this bill, we provide a well-deserved pay raise for our men and women in uniform, we will keep our civilian and contractor employees working at our military bases and depots without furlough, and we will stop the Senate from creating a marriage penalty on the Basic Allowance for Housing.
“With all of the issues around the world today, from an aggressive Russia, to an unpredictable North Korea, to an out-of-control Iran, this is the worst possible time to jeopardize our military’s ability to find and defeat the threat abroad so that it does not come to our shores. The President owes it to our troops to sign this bill into law.”
Congressman Cook Votes for the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terror Act
Last week, Congressman Cook voted in favor of HR 3457, the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act. This bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Rep. Cook is a cosponsor of this legislation.
The Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act prohibits the President from waiving, lifting, or suspending sanctions pursuant to the Iran Deal until Iran pays the judgements owed to victims of terror. The bill requires the President must certify to Congress that the Government of Iran has paid all its judgement.
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) as amended gives US victims of state-sponsored terrorism the ability to bring suit in US court and collect damages from those states. Over the last 15 years, Iran has accumulated a debt of $43.5 billion in unpaid damages through more than 80 FSIA cases.
Cook said, “Iran is a well-known funder and supporter of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist proxies. Iran continues to be the world’s lead sponsor of terrorism and should not get one cent in US sanctions relief until it has compensated the families of those whose lives were taken by Iranian terrorism.”
"Alternative to Feinstein bill protects desert"- By Congressman Paul Cook
Those of us who live in the Mojave Desert and surrounding areas often encounter a prejudice that we care little about the environment. I know that to be unequivocally false. Conservative, moderate, or liberal, almost every rural resident I know appreciates nature and its amazing economic, recreational and ecological qualities. I know that local residents must be in the driver’s seat when the future of our desert is at stake.
Last October, President Obama used the Antiquities Act and signed an executive order declaring the San Gabriel National Forest a national monument. Originally, the Antiquities Act was designed to protect historic landmarks and structures situated on federal land. Presidents have abused this power creating massive monuments. (A recently created monument in Nevada totals 704,000 acres.)
I opposed the San Gabriel National Monument designation because the creation process occurred behind closed doors, and there was little opportunity for local residents to provide input. Save for the commendable efforts by our San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and others to push back the monument boundary to Los Angeles County, the creation of this monument was an unmitigated disaster, angering nearly every party involved. In fact, I first saw a map of the finalized boundaries not in October when the president created the monument, but the following February when it was published in a local newspaper. Frighteningly, it appears the president is once again considering executive action to create new monuments in San Bernardino County.
Earlier this year, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act (CDCRA), a wide-ranging proposal with five congressionally designated Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas, pristine wilderness areas, and — among other items — a 965,000-acre Mojave Trails National Monument on federal land to the south of the existing Mojave National Preserve.
However, with a Republican-controlled Congress, some proponents of CDCRA are urging President Obama to create this monument through the Antiquities Act. In short, the process would be turned over to unaccountable bureaucrats, most of which don’t live, work or recreate in the very areas they will transform.
I do not support Feinstein’s CDCRA, but I believe her bill should have a hearing in the Senate and be considered on its merit. If the senator is encountering resistance to her proposal in Congress, altering her proposal seems a reasonable solution.
Bypassing the legislative process and using an executive order to cherry-pick the Mojave Trails National Monument would be as disastrous as it is undemocratic. It would eliminate guarantees made for off-roaders under CDCRA and spell the end of mining jobs in the area. This is not the balanced approach we need for our desert.
While far from perfect, Congress is designed to reflect the preferences of the people, much more so than unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats working for the President.
I’ve introduced an alternative to Feinstein’s bill that protects economic activities such as mining and conserves areas with overwhelming local support — specifically Flat Top Mesa-Black Lava Butte, Juniper Flats and Alabama Hills. I’m listening to local officials and residents, mining communities, off-road enthusiasts, local conservationists and many others.
We need local consensus when we make changes to our desert. I urge the president and all interested parties to resist the temptation to create a monument through executive order and let the legislative process play out in Congress. We cannot stand for another “orphan” designation of federal land, such as the newly created San Gabriel National Monument.
Without buy-in from Congress, funding will be meager at best, and the roads and facilities will be left to degrade to a point where public use is unsafe or impossible. Anyone who’s read the recent reporting on the San Gabriel National Monument’s deteriorating infrastructure can attest to this. With public land, the public deserves access, and local residents must have the strongest voice.
Rep. Paul Cook represents the 8th Congressional District, which includes all of the High Desert, in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This editorial first appeared in the VictorVille Daily Press on October 3, 2015. You can access the original article by clicking here.
District Update
Heroes of the 8th Nominations NOW Open!
This year marks the 50th anniversary since the start of the Vietnam War. This conflict was a challenging time for our country, with many service men and women experiencing public backlash upon returning home. To show his appreciation for their service and for the service of other veterans, Congressman Paul Cook is hosting a special event called “Heroes of the 8th,” focusing this year on Vietnam veterans from the 8th Congressional District.
If you know a Vietnam veteran or other outstanding veteran who deserves this recognition, please complete the nomination form by visiting Congressman Cook’s website. Please click here.
Completed forms should be dropped off at 14955 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley, CA 92307, emailed to Kellie.Hartl@mail.house.gov, or faxed to (760)-247-8073.
*Nomination forms must be submitted by October 16, 2015*
Please note, the "Heroes of the 8th" event will take place in the evening on Friday, November 13, 2015 at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley. This event is open to the public. More information will be coming soon.
Remaining Service Academy Information Sessions Announced!
Congressman Cook announced the remaining information sessions for students interested in attending one of the five US Military Service Academies. The informational meetings will take place throughout the Eighth Congressional District.
The no-cost events give attendees the opportunity to learn more about our nation’s five service academies. Representatives from Congressman Cook’s office will be on hand to answer questions regarding requirements and qualifications for entrance to an academy, Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships, military preparatory schools, and congressional nominations.
High school seniors who reside in Congressman Cook’s district and are seeking admission to the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for the fall 2016 semester must submit a completed nomination packet to Rep. Cook’s District Office by December 4, 2015. Please note that students interested in attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy do not need a congressional nomination.
The scheduled information sessions are as follows:
October 6, 2015
Apple Valley Town Hall
Parks and Recreation Building
14955 Dale Evans Pkwy
Apple Valley, CA 92307
6:30PM to 9:00PM
October 7, 2015
County Administrative Office Building
Upstairs Conference Room
163 May St.
Bishop, CA 93514
6:00PM to 9:00PM
October 13, 2015
East Valley Water District Meeting Room
31111 Greenspot Road
Highland, CA 92346
6:30PM to 9:00PM
October 14, 2015
Yucca Valley Town Hall
Yucca Room
57090 Twentynine Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
6:30PM to 9:00PM
Additional information and the application packet can be found on Congressman Cook’s website or by calling the Apple Valley District Office at 760-247-1815.
Veterans’ Corner
My office is here to help you. If you or someone you know needs help with the Veterans' Administration please call my Apple Valley District Office at (760) 247-1815.
VA to Host Veteran Job/Education and Resource Fair
On Thursday, October 15, 2015, there will be a Veteran Job/Education and Resource Fair at the Beaumont Civic Center, 550 E. 6th Street, Beaumont, CA 92223. The fair will begin at 10:00AM and will last until 2:00PM.
Please bring your resume and be prepared to meet and interview with potential employers. More information is available at http://www.lomalinda.va.gov/.
Inaugural Air Rifle Shooting Competition at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center- THIS SATURDAY!
The Morongo Basin #60 Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans will be hosting the inaugural Air Rifle Shooting Competition at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, CA. The event is co-sponsored by the National Rifle Association, the MCAGCC Marksman Training Unit, and Z107.7 FM. This event will take place on Saturday October 10, 2015.
All veterans are welcome, and any and all disabilities will be accommodated. Sign-in and range safety instructions begin at 7:30AM, and the competition begins at 9:00AM. This is a family-friendly event and no alcohol will be allowed. Families will enjoy shaded bleachers and shooters are encouraged to bring camp chairs. A lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and soda will be provided.
Entry fees are $25.00 per adult and $15.00 per child (16 and under).
Please send contact information (full name, address, phone number, and email address) to the DAV CA-Morongo Basin Chapter #60 Air Rifle Shooting Competition Committee Chairman Keith Brownmiller at 760-831-9821 or at brownmil@gmail.com. Contact information is required to gain clearance to the Marine Corps Base. There will be prizes for different categories of shooters.
Veteran’s Information Seminar- THIS FRIDAY!
On Friday, October 9, 2015, the Morongo Basin Chapter #60 of the Disabled American Veterans will be hosting a free informational seminar for disabled veterans and their families. The seminar will provide information regarding specific veteran’s benefits and services from the Veteran’s Administration (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other government agencies. Members of the DAV National Service Officer Corps will conduct the informational seminars. These members provide excellent counseling for veterans and their families on claim filing issues. The event goes from 9AM to 3PM.
The informational seminars are free, and you do not have to be a member of DAV to attend. Veterans of all ages and their families, including spouses and children, are encouraged to attend.
The seminars will be held on Friday, October 9, 2015, at Elk Lodge #2134, 6501 Elk Trail Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. For more information, please visit www.dav.org or contact either Thomas Wendel at 310-235-7157 or Allen Pagdilao at 760-830-4131.