A CRITICAL TIME: CABIN OWNER CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS NEEDED NOW

A message from Peter D. Bailey,

NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair

The next six weeks, including August and early September, 2010, will be a critical time for the Cabin Fee Act (CFA), which has been so strongly supported by cabin owners everywhere as a solution to the excessively high fees resulting from the Cabin Users Fee Fairness Act (CUFFA). Congress will be “in recess” for District and State work periods and most Members of Congress will be home for constituent meetings. Cabin owners will likely have more than one opportunity in August and September to ask their Senators and Representatives to support our cause. If cabin owners cannot meet personally with their Senators and Representatives in their State or District offices or at local events, they should try to meet with their staff or phone, e-mail or write to their local offices.

Following the recess, Congress will reconvene in Washington, D.C., on September 14^th with only sixteen legislative days before the targeted adjournment date of October 8^th so the Members can return home to campaign for the November elections. Although there will likely be a “lame duck” session as long as two or three weeks following the elections, the agenda for that session will be very crowded and the outlook uncertain. This all means that we do not have much time to achieve our legislative goals this year. This is why August and September are so important. We simply do not have much time left to let Congress know how much cabin owners have at stake and how determined we are to achieve our goals: First, to enact the Cabin Fee Act. Second, if that cannot be done this year, to extend the moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2011.

The CFA (H.R. 4888 in the U.S. House of Representatives ) has been well received in Congress and moved at a rapid pace since its introduction in early March, with a successful April 22^nd Hearing by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and then, full Natural Resources Committee approval on July 22^nd. Now Congress and cabin owners are awaiting a report on the budget impact of the CFA from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – a prerequisite for final passage. The necessary letter requesting this CBO analysis was co-signed by Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR), all of whom should be thanked for that effort. (NOTE: Members of Congress can be told that cabin owners are confident that the CFA can be modified if necessary to accommodate any changes required by the CBO.)

In the meantime, key Senators are being asked to introduce and pass a Senate CFA . If enactment cannot be accomplished in the limited time left for this Congress, then cabin owners will need an extension of the moratorium on cabin fee increases Congress passed last year.

So, following are the main points to be stressed by cabin owners to their Senators and Representatives:

For Senators:

Support introduction and passage of the CFA in the Senate

If necessary, support an extension of the current moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2011

For Representatives

Pass the CFA on the floor of the House

If necessary, support a moratorium extension

ALL Senators and Representatives should be contacted if possible, with the following Members key because of:

(1) Their positions on committees/subcommittees that have vital jurisdiction over the CFA and/or the prospects for a moratorium; and/or

(2) A large number of cabin owners in their State or their Congressional District.

Senators and Representatives who have clearly indicated their support for cabin owners are noted in the following list and should be thanked, while urged to continue that support through final enactment of the CFA into law. The 27 bipartisan cosponsors of the House CFA (H.R. 4888) should be especially thanked. Also to be especially thanked are the cosponsors of the Senate Resolution in 2009 that established the moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2010. The list also includes the Senate and House Democratic leaders , Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who could determine whether the CFA receives floor votes in the respective chambers.

For convenient reference, Senators and Representatives are grouped alphabetically by state.

Abbreviations are:

SA – Senate Appropriations Committee

SIA – Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

ENR – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

PFL – Senate ENR Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee

HA – House Appropriations Committee

HIA – House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

NR – House Natural Resources Committee

NPFPL – House NR Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands

“Ranking” identifies the top Republican on a committee or subcommittee.

ALASKA

Senators

Lisa Murkowski (R) Ranking, ENR – Member SA

Mark Begich (D)

Representative Don Young (R) NPFPL

ARIZONA

Senators

Jon Kyl (R)

John McCain (R) PLF

Representatives

Gabrielle Giffords (D-8^th District), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Raul Grijalva (D-7) Chairman, NPFPL

Jeff Flake (R-6), NPFPL

Ed Pastor (D-4), HIA

CALIFORNIA

Senators

Barbara Boxer (D)

Diane Feinstein (D), Chair, SIA

Representatives

Joe Baca (D-43)

Ken Calvert (R-44), HIA

Lois Capps (D-23), NR

Dennis Cardoza (D-18)

Jim Costa (D-20), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888, Co-signed necessary letter requesting CBO analysis)

Anna Eshoo (D-14), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Sam Farr (D-17), HA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Elton Gallegly (R-24), NR

Wally Herger (R-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Mike Honda (D-15), HA

Duncan Hunter (R-52), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jerry Lewis (R-41), Ranking, HA

Zoe Lofgren (D-16), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Tom McClintock (R-4), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jerry McInerney (D-11), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

George Miller (D-7), NR

Grace Napolitano (D-38), NPFPL

Devin Nunes (R-21), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Nancy Pelosi (D-8) , Speaker of the House

George Radanovich (R-19), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Adam Schiff (D-29), HA

Jackie Spier (D-12), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Mike Thompson (D-1), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Lynn Woolsey (D-6), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

COLORADO

Senators

Michael Bennet (D)

Mark Udall (D), NPFPL

Representatives

Mike Coffman (R-6), NPFPL

Doug Lamborn (R-5), NPFPL

IDAHO

Senators

Michael Crapo (R), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

James Risch (R) NPFPL, Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representatives

Walt Minnick (D-1)

Mike Simpson (R-2), Ranking, HIA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

IOWA

Senator Charles Grassley (R), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

MICHIGAN

Representative

Dale Kildee (D-5), NPFPL

MINNESOTA

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representatives

Collin C. Peterson (D-7) (Chairman, Agriculture Committee) (SPECIAL NOTE: It is possible that the Agriculture Committee could assert jurisdiction over the CFA and insist on a hearing. This would hold up progress on the bill, possibly delaying it until too late. Minnesota cabin owners should ask Chairman Peterson to agree to waive Agriculture Committee jurisdiction over the CFA.)

Michelle Bachmann (R-6)

Keith Ellison (D-5)

John P. Kline, Jr. (R-2)

Betty McCollum (D-4), HA

James Oberstar (D8)

Erik Paulsen (R-3), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Tim Walz (R-3)

MONTANA

Senators

Max Baucus (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution)

Jon Tester (D) Introduced 2009 Moratorium Resolution, Prime prospect to introduce CFA in Senate

Representative Dennis Rehberg (R), HA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

NEVADA

Senators

John Ensign, (R)

Harry Reid (D), Majority Leader of the Senate

Representatives

Shelly Berkley (D-1)

Dean Heller (R-2)

Dina Titus (D-3)

NEW MEXICO

Senators

Jeff Bingaman (D), Chairman, ENR

Tom Udall (D)

Representatives

Ben R. Lujan (D)

Harry Teague (D)

Martin Heinrich (D-1), NPFPL

NORTH CAROLINA

Senators

Richard M. Burr (R), ENR

Kay R. Hagan (D)

Representatives

Virginia Fox (R-5)

David E. Price (D), HA

Heath Shuler (D-11)

NORTH DAKOTA

Senators

Kent Conrad (D)

Byron Dorgan (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representative Earl Pomeroy (D)

OREGON

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D), Chairman, PLF

Representatives

Earl Blumenauer (D-3)

Peter DeFazio (D-4), NPFPL (co-signed necessary letter requesting CBO analysis)

Kurt Shrader (D-OR)

Greg Walden (R-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

David Wu (OR-1), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

TENNESSEE

Senators

Lamar Alexander (R), Ranking, SIA

Bob Corker (R), PLF

Representatives

Lincoln Davis (D), HA

John Duncan (R), NPFPL

Zach Wamp (R), HA

UTAH

Senators

Orrin G. Hatch (R)

Robert F. Bennett (R), SIA, PLF

Representatives

Rob Bishop, (R-1), Ranking, NPFPL, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jason Chaffetz (R-3), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jim Matheson (R-2)

VIRGINIA

Representative James P. Moran (D), Chairman, HA

WASHINGTON

Senators

Maria Cantwell (D), PLF

Patty Murray (D)

Representatives

Norman Dicks (D-6), HIA

Doc Hastings (R-4), NR, Introduced and championed H.R. 4888, Lead signer of CBO Letter

Jay Inslee (D-1), NPFPL

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

WISCONSIN

Senator Herb Kohl (D), SIA

Representatives

Tammy Baldwin (D-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Ron Kind (D-3), NPFPL

WYOMING

Senators

John Barrasso (R), Ranking, PLF, Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Michael B. Enzi (R)

Representative Cynthia M. Lummis (R-1), NPFPL, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888