Salon.com > National Park Service

Is Arizona trying to steal the Grand Canyon?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:44:00 +0000

When Teddy Roosevelt dedicated the Grand Canyon as a national protected monument in January of 1908, he declared, “Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur.” But if Arizona voters approve Proposition 120 on Election Day, they'd create a precedent that may one day be used to take the natural wonder away from the federal government and enstrust it with the people who sold off their own state house for quick buck: Arizona's state legislature.

Proposition 120, the Arizona Declaration of State Sovereignty Amendment, "declares [Arizona's] sovereign and exclusive authority and jurisdiction over the air, water, public lands, minerals, wildlife and other natural resources within its boundaries." The language makes specific exemptions for Indian reservations, along with “lands of the United States...pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17” of the U.S. Constitution. That clause gives the federal government power over lands “purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings.”

Under Occupy DC’s tent of dreams

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:29:00 +0000

In 122 days OccupyDC had managed to change the nation's capital. The question on Monday night was, Would they make it to 123?

As if determined to vindicate the occupation movement's every argument about the power of the 1 percent , Rep. Darrell Issa, the richest man in Congress, had taken the greatest offense at their use of public space in the heart of the city to broadcast their egalitarian message. Last week, the California Republican called a hearing to browbeat the flak-catchers of the federal bureaucracy to enforce a ban on camping in public places. And on Friday he got his way. The Park Police posted a yellow notice that come Monday at noon the demonstrators would all be subject to arrest for sleeping in the park.

In response, an ad hoc committee of about 15 occupiers got together last Friday night to talk about what they wanted to do. "We wanted a confrontation on our terms," said Ricky Lehner, a 23-year-old man from Florida who has made the camp his home since October.

D.C. bucks the eviction trend

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:02:00 +0000

As police action against the Occupy Wall Street movement continues across the country, with arrests in Los Angeles and Philadelphia Wednesday, both occupiers and reporters have suggested Washington's two camps may face imminent eviction.

"DC may be next," said the Washington Post on Tuesday after the National Park Service handed out a circular saying the Park Police would step up patrolling of Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square in downtown Washington, "due to increasing problems of public urination and defecation, illegal drug and alcohol use, and assaults."

"We regard this as the first step toward eviction," said Kevin Zeese, a leader of Freedom Plaza camp (and a Salon contributor).