[OKDXA] Fw: KP1-5 Project News Update

[Bruce Burnette]

Guys,

We need to get behind this and get Navassa & Desecheo opened up.

It takes about 4 key clicks to fire off an E Mail to your congressman.

73
Bruce, K5PX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NA5U" <na5u at sbcglobal.net>
To: "'Home (E-mail)'" <michael.l.thomas at sbcglobal.net>; "'LM (E-mail)'"
<michael.l.thomas at lmco.com>; "'Mike Thomas NA5U (E-mail)'"
<na5u at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 8:22 PM
Subject: KP1-5 Project News Update


>
>
> DX Organization Leadership:
>
> I am writing to ask for your assistance in an important matter
affecting the
> pastime of DXing. It has been over ten years since Navassa Island
(KP1) and
> Desecheo Island (KP5) have been on the air. This is because the
islands are
> national wildlife refuges under the control of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife
> Service (FWS), which banned Amateur Radio from the islands in the
early
> 1990s.
> Despite many requests for permits to visit the islands for Amateur
Radio
> operations, the FWS has stated unequivocally that Amateur Radio is
> permanently banned from the islands. The FWS asserts that Desecheo is
closed
> for safety reasons because of unexploded bombs, illegal aliens and
drug
> smugglers on the island; Navassa is closed to protect sensitive
habitat. Yet
> the review of over a thousand pages of internal FWS records and
reports
> conducted by Brad Farrell, K4RT reveals that these claims are
baseless. FWS
> records reveal that it considers Navassa a healthy and highly pristine
> habitat. Yet the agency turns a blind eye to the many Haitian
fishermen who
> live there and start fires -- while refusing to issue permits to
American
> Amateur Radio operators and other U.S. citizens for lawful use of the
> islands.  In fact, the FWS recently considered encouraging more
illegal
> alien fishermen to go to Navassa under a federal permit program!
> Since 1994 the FWS has relied on this charade to deny applications for
> special use permits for Amateur Radio on Desecheo or Navassa no fewer
than
> sixteen times.  To top it off, the FWS has wholly misrepresented the
facts
> to several Congressmen who have inquired on behalf of Amateur Radio
> operators whose requests for permits for Desecheo and Navassa were
turned
> down, and certainly did not disclose to these Congressmen the
information
> they have kept hidden in their internal reports and records.
> This is alarming and just plain wrong, and it is why I am asking for
your
> help. The KP1-5 Project, www.kp1-5.com, was launched to right these
wrongs
> and we need your help. As a result of the efforts of hams across the
nation,
> H.R. 1183 has been introduced in Congress. H.R. 1183 would require the
FWS
> to open Desecheo and Navassa to limited public use.  It is not
Ham-Radio
> specific. It is critical that legislators hear from their constituents
> telling them to support and cosponsor H.R. 1183.
> The KP1-5 Team met in Washington, DC on April 8th to present
information to
> Congressional staff and other interested parties. The presentation was
> successful. We learned while we were there that this must be a
'grass-roots'
> effort. So, if the bill is going to pass, it is up to the DX community
to
> make this happen.
> Here is how your organization can help:
> 1. At your next meeting, or as appropriate for your group, please
share
> the content of this letter.
> 2. Encourage your membership to individually contact their Congressman
> asking them to support and cosponsor H.R. 1183. The details on how to
do
> this can be found at www.kp1-5.com. Urge them to follow up with phone
calls!
> 3. Utilize your e-mail reflectors to get the word out to your members
> and other DXers.
> 4. As the leadership of your organization, write each Congressman
whose
> constituents are members of your club urging them to support H.R.
1183.
> 5. Please consider a donation of any amount to the KP1-5 Project. The
> Lone Star DX Association has agreed to oversee this fund. Details on
> donations can be found on the website <http://www.kp1-5.com/> . Any
donation
> will offset direct costs associated with moving this effort forward.
None of
> the considerable personal expenses of the KP1-5 Team will be reimburse
by
> these donations. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any
> questions.
> 73 es DX,
>
> Michael L. Thomas, NA5U
> KP1-5 Project Director
>
>
>