It Pays to be a friend of Bush

Feds' closed-door deal could ease development
New Forest Service rules could let largest private owner convert landBy Karl Vick MSNBC Sat., July. 5, 2008

MISSOULA, Mont. - The Bush administration is preparing to ease the way for the nation's largest private landowner to convert hundreds of thousands of acres of mountain forestland to residential subdivisions.

The deal was struck behind closed doors between Mark E. Rey, the former timber lobbyist who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and Plum Creek Timber Co., a former logging company turned real estate investment trust that is building homes. Plum Creek owns more than 8 million acres nationwide, including 1.2 million acres in the mountains of western Montana, where local officials were stunned and outraged at the deal.

"We have 40 years of Forest Service history that has been reversed in the last three months," said Pat O'Herren, an official in Missoula County, which is threatening to sue the Forest Service for forgoing environmental assessments and other procedures that would have given the public a voice in the matter.
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Former Larry Craig aide and timber lobbyist, uses federal position to help access to trophy home sites deep in the forest
June 11, 2008 — Ralph Maughan

We’ve talked about Mark Rey before. He is under secretary for natural resources and environment in USDA, and thus oversees the U.S. Forest Service. Before that he learned the ropes from none other than Larry Craig and became a lobbyist for the timber industry.
In the past, he has barely escaped jail for defying court orders, and most recently is busy trampling on states rights to open national forest logging roads as acess to proposed and under constrution trophy homes deep the the forests.

These energy sucking, hard-to-service palaces are being built over the objections of states and counties that will have to pay the bills.

Rocky Barker discusses Rey today. D.C. political appointee flouts states rights and local control. Letters from the West. Idaho Statesman
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Friends of Mark E. Rey:

Richard Pombo: The two work together to move public resources to private companies. They have created more park roads and bargin mining rights in history. GOP Team.

Pombo Connections:

Jack Abramoff: Campaign accounts received $7,500 from Abramoff.

George W. Bush: Bush calls Pombo "The Marlboro Man." Pombo is one of Bush's closest allies on Capitol Hill.

Abramoff-Reed Indian Casino Scandal: Pombo chairs the House Resources Committee (deals with Indian tribes) and he has received thousands in contributions from tribes.

K Street Project: Pombo chairs the House Resources Committee which handles Native American issues linked tightly to the K Street influence.

John T. Doolittle: The FDIC's chief spokesman characterized what Doolittle and Pombo did as "a seamy abuse of the legislative process. In 2001, the two congressmen inserted many of the sensitive documents into the Congressional record

Mark E. Rey: The two work together to move public resources to private companies. They have created more park roads and bargin mining rights in history. GOP Team.

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay made Pombo chairman of the Resources Committee, he did so largely because he shared Pombo's desire to gut the Endangered Species Act.

Endangered Species: Pombo's changes to the Endangered Species Act will give more freedom to developers and require taxpayers to compensate developers for lost opportunity when the Act prohibits building.

Duane Gibson: Former House Resources Committee aide and mining industry lobbyist, Gibson held a $1,000 a head fundraiser for Pombo that included many mining industry officials.

Duane R. Gibson: Gibson, a mining lobbyist, hasworked for the Resources Committee and is a former Abramoff hand. Monsanto: Pombo was one of the members who helped the rBGH Hormone milk get on the market. Detalis of Monsanto's support $$ for cooperation below.

Safari Club: Pombo supports the broader legislation for the SCI canned hunts where caged animals are shot in fenced areas. Check the Cheney story, he got 70 pheasants in a day plus ducks.

Barbara Bonfiglio: Bonfiglio was Treasurer for Rep. Pombo's RICH Political Action Committee (leadership PAC)

Biotech Brigade: Where ever there are corporate interests against the environment or human health, Pombo can be counted on to jump in and fight for his corporate supporters.

Michael J. Malik, Sr.: Malik was a top Donor & friend

Marian Ilitch: Top 10 Donor and giftgiver

LCV “Dirty Dozen,” members, Conrad Burns (MT), Rick Santorum (PA), Jim Talent (MO), and Representatives Henry Cuellar (TX), Katherine Harris (FL), Richard Pombo (CA), Charles Taylor (NC) and Heather ...

Monsanto's American Government : 1994 Member Congressional Committee stalling rBGH labeling to kill it in committee; he took Monsanto funds at the time.