So all the "Crazies" claiming foreign nationalists were training right here in the US, were right after all!
Part of the assertions were the UN had taken over US soil, we already know some of that is true.
Maybe we should check out the black helicopters!
Note the date!!!!!
unausa.org
Does the United Nations Control U.S. Public Lands?
Prepared by Zarrín Caldwell and last updated in July 1997.
Allegations have circulated over the past year that the "U.N. is taking over American public lands." While this assertion is unfounded, the issue has continued to be a matter of concern at the local level and is expected to remain so as congressional debates take place. In anticipation of this debate, the following background information addresses issues involved in the controversy.
Where Did This Controversy Originate?
In February 1996, the media reported on a U.N. delegation visit to Yellowstone National Park. More broadly, these reports dealt with the designation of U.S. landmarks (including Yellowstone) as World Heritage sites and/or Biosphere Reserves -- programs administered by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). At the time, critics contended that these designations subverted U.S. sovereignty and they argued that the U.N. was "meddling" in U.S. domestic policy. Picking up on these themes, several members of the U.S. Congress introduced "The American Land Sovereignty Protection Act" in the fall of 1996, a bill which has been reintroduced in the 105th Congress.
What Are World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves?
The international community, through a specialized agency of the United Nations, has designated 20 U.S. landmarks as World Heritage sites and 47 as Biosphere Reserves -- a designation intended to focus the attention of the world community on areas of natural or cultural significance. Both programs are administered by UNESCO and, despite U.S. withdrawal from UNESCO in 1984, are supported by the U.S. government through annual voluntary contributions. Both programs call for respect of state sovereignty, are symbolic in nature, and have no legal jurisdiction over countries or communities.
According to U.N. officials, Biosphere Reserve programs contribute to the conservation of ecosystems, are entered into voluntarily, and sites are nominated by states for "demonstrating a balanced relationship between people and the environment." The Biosphere Reserve Program was established in 1968 and operates through independent national committees in 114 countries. American scientists from a range of backgrounds serve on the U.S. committee.
Additionally, the U.S. has a long history of participation in the World Heritage Convention which was submitted by President Nixon to the U.S. Senate for its advice and consent in 1973. According to a report of the Congressional Research Service (1996), the purpose of this Convention is "to identify and list worldwide natural and cultural sites and monuments considered to be of such exceptional interest and such universal value that their protection is the responsibility of all mankind." A total of 146 nations participate in the World Heritage Convention. Sites on the World Heritage list include the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon in the U.S., the Great Wall in China and the Taj Mahal in India.
What Is Happening In Congress?
In February 1997, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) and 66 cosponsors introduced H.R. 901, "The American Land Sovereignty Protection Act," a bill meant to clarify the congressional role in the designation of U.S. public lands as international "heritage sites." Rep. Young introduced a very similar bill, H.R. 3752, in the fall of 1996; however, the bill did not obtain the needed two-thirds majority in order to pass the House of Representatives.
Although seemingly centered on U.S. participation in U.N. programs, the fall debate over "The American Land Sovereignty Protection Act" was really a debate over legislative/executive branch authority and prerogatives. For example, H.R. 3752 stated that "no federal official may nominate, classify, or designate any lands owned by the U.S. and located within the U.S. for a special or restricted use under any international agreement unless such nomination, classification, or designation is specifically authorized by law." In a House hearing held in September 1996, Rep. Young said that the purpose of the legislation was "to give a more meaningful role to those of us in Congress who represent the American people. Ultimately, we have the responsibility for Biosphere and World Heritage sites, not the Administration....[T]hese land designations are being used by the executive branch to steer U.S. domestic land use policies and to leverage what can and cannot happen on public and private lands in the U.S."
In the summer of 1997, Rep. Tom Coburn, (R-OK) also introduced language in several appropriations bills to prohibit different Federal agencies from funding these UNESCO programs. The last vote, as an amendment to the Interior Department Appropriations bill (H.R. 2107), passed on a vote of 222 ayes to 203 noes on 15 July.
What Does The Administration Say?
Taking issue with the assertion that the U.N. had, or will have, any control of U.S. public lands, a statement of Administration policy clarifies that UNESCO programs "do not give the U.N. the authority to affect land management decisions within the U.S. and have in no way been utilized to exclude Congress from land management decisions, nor could they do so." The statement adds that the initiatives proposed in Congress "would impose unnecessary restrictions on the existing legal and administrative framework that implements U.S. commitments to international environmental cooperative efforts." In testimony last fall before a House committee in September 1996, George Frampton, Jr., an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, noted that U.S. participation in the UNESCO programs has given federal agencies the ability to work cooperatively with state and other levels of government to achieve the benefits of international recognition for U.S. conservation sites. "World Heritage sites and U.S. Biosphere Reserves have been embraced in many local areas as value-added designations, increasing partnership among federal, state and local governments, and private property owners for mutual benefit and have additionally contributed to notable increases in international tourism, especially vital to rural economies," said Frampton.
In Summary
The U.N. and its specialized agencies have no jurisdiction over landmarks designated as Biosphere Reserves or World Heritage Sites. These sites, while internationally recognized, remain under national jurisdiction. The ongoing debate over "U.N. control of public lands" is, thus, not really about the U.N. Rather, international organizations are caught in the middle of a larger debate over U.S. domestic land use policies.
Prepared by Zarrín Caldwell and last updated in July 1997. |
