[South Florida DX Association] : KP1-5 Project News Update

[Esteban Romagni]

> 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
>
>