I just read Rep. Mike Simpson's most recent angry but not particularly accurate response to a letter criticizing CIEDRA. I believe the fact that his bill has no cosponsors and has not had the hearing in Congress he promised last April speaks eloquently about the problems with the bill.
Rep. Simpson continues to claim his bill is the result of a collaborative effort of a broad spectrum of conservation organizations. This is simply not true. Several years ago, when Rep. Simpson's staff was in Idaho fact-finding, individuals and groups that had concerns with the proposed language, asked to meet with the staff to discuss our concerns. We were told by the group that organized the "fact-finding," in language unprintable, that we would not be allowed even one hour to meet with the staff.
In April 2007, I had two long conversations with Rep. Simpson's chief of staff in which I pleaded for the congressman to sit down with representatives of the groups who were opposed to the bill. I hoped such a discussion might result in a bill the entire conservation community could support, rather than the few that currently support CIEDRA. This conversation was followed up with a letter signed by representatives of the above groups in which the same offer was made. To date, not one of these or other overtures to sit down with Rep. Simpson or the groups who support CIEDRA have ever resulted in any discussion.
Rather than sitting down with those who oppose the language in his bill, Rep Simpson continually chooses to take pot shots at the messengers. Maybe if he hadn't ignored five years of entreaties to sit down and discuss his bill, he wouldn't have dug such a deep hole, and he wouldn't be so angry.
Steve Wolper
Ketchum
