A Summary of the PRP Bill from the SVP
By Government Affairs Committee Chair, Ted Vlamis
The Paleontological Resources Preservation Bill, a bill that would protect fossils on federal lands from commercial exploitation and that has been supported by SVP, has been reintroduced in the 110th Congress in both the House and the Senate. A link to the full text of the bill follows this letter.
SVP has worked for several years to pass this important legislation. I urge you to write your Senators and Representative today in support of this legislation. On Wednesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to mark-up the bill, so we also ask that you contact senior members of that committee to show your support and to explain the bill's importance to the science of vertebrate paleontology.
Model letters are provided through the links below. Feel free to use these, or, better yet, put them into your own words. Inserting a paragraph on how the legislation will benefit your institution or the discipline as a whole would be most helpful. Letters carry more weight than e-mails, so it would be beneficial if you would go to the extra effort of sending a letter.
If possible, please follow-up your letter with a phone call to speak with the legislative assistants in the offices of your congressional representatives who handle public lands and environmental issues.
Your support letter will arrive faster if you fax it in addition to mailing the hard copy. You can find your Senators' and Representatives addresses and fax number at http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/directory/congdir.tt.
The following are the Chairs and Ranking Members of the committees that will review the bill:
The Honorable Nick Rahall
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Don Young
Ranking Member, Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Collin Peterson
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture
1301 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Bob Goodlatte
Ranking Member, Committee on Agriculture
1301 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Model Letter to be sent to your Senator
Model Letter to be sent to your Representative