Congress Drops “Public Land Grab” Amendment
14 December 2005
A big win for mining reform advocates and indigenous people
US Representative Jim Gibbons (R-Nevada) announced yesterday that the House Deficit Reduction Act would not include the controversial amendment proposed by US Representative Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) that would have allowed the sale of public lands, and opening up areas for mining without consulting local communities. Rep. Gibbons is the chairman of the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee.
Oxfam America and a coalition of Native American, mining reform, environmental, recreation, and other organizations opposed the amendment because it would allow a widespread transfer of land ownership from the public to private hands. In messages to its constituents, Oxfam America and No Dirty Gold campaign partner Earthworks asked voters to oppose the budget amendment. In an appeal to campaigners, Oxfam and Earthworks said that the amendment would “open more than 270 million acres of publicly owned lands--land that is supposed to be held in trust for all Americans now and in the future--for purchase by foreign and domestic corporations and other private interests.”
This is the first advocacy effort undertaken by Oxfam America related to domestic mining legislation. It was carried out in partnership with the Western Shoshone Defense Project, the Indigenous Environmental Network, and others. Indigenous communities such as the Western Shoshone objected to the Pombo amendment because it would allow the sale of lands containing sites that are sacred to Native American communities, such as Mount Tenabo in Nevada. This violates the emerging global standard Oxfam America and the No Dirty Gold campaign are promoting that would require mining operations to secure the consent of local communities before extracting minerals from community lands, and to refrain from mining on protected lands.
Members of Oxfam America’s eCommunity played an essential role in urging law makers in Washington to reject Pombo’s amendment. More than 13,000 activists responded to a call to send emails to their congressmen about the amendment.
“Oxfam America supports the revision of our country’s antiquated mining laws, but this should be done in an open, transparent and deliberative manner,” said Ian Gary, policy analyst for Oxfam America. “The unprecedented alliances that were built to defeat this amendment can now be marshaled in 2006 to reform our mining codes so that they protect the rights of indigenous peoples and support the sustainable management of our public lands.”
