It's obvious by our conversations and your e-mails and letters to me, that you share my concerns about the direction our state and nation are heading.  It is becoming difficult, even for the more cynical among us, to ignore the signs of increasing socialism popping up around us.  It feels like we lose more of our rights and more of our power each day as the government grows fatter, forms another "bailout," and ignores the mounting national debt. It would be very tempting for many of us to fold our cards; to cash in.
But I'm here to tell you that we cannot - we must not - give up!		Rep. Bill Hinkle and Sen. Janéa Holmquist meet with students from Ellensburg Christian School in the State Reception Room

Reinstatement of 'roadless rules' another federal government land grab
A recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared the Bush Administration's State Petitions Rule, invalid.  The court's ruling reinstates the Clinton roadless rules that effectively bans all road construction on more than 50 million acres of national forest.

What the federal government cannot do by force -- thank God for the Constitution -- it is doing by rules and regulations.  We are slowly but surely losing more of our land, more of our rights and more of our freedoms with this ruling. While there is certainly a public interest in preserving our national lands, we have to remember that these lands do NOT belong to bureaucrats in D.C.  These lands belong to you and me: the public.  And, at some point, the public needs to be able to enjoy public lands.

Proponents of roadless rules plan like to point out that they are preserving recreational land for families.  But how do you recreate on the land without access to it?  How many families are going to strap on backpacks and hike for miles into the wilderness to recreate?  Most folks need a road or two for access.  I believe the most visited national forests in our nation, like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone have all proven very successful with limited access via roads.  People can actually enjoy the wonders, the ecosystems and the seclusion these parks offer.

The bottom line is simple: to enjoy the public's land and to recreate on the public's land requires that the public have access to it.  And that means roads.

Washington State Horse Park continues to move forward...
On January 9, 2009 the Horse Park Authority Board signed a Lease Agreement with the City of Cle Elum for a 112 acre site for a term of 99 years at a fee of $1.00 per year, and renewable thereafter.  The property being leased was donated by Suncadia resort for the express purpose of developing a horse park under an offer first made in 1995.  The master site plan is now finalized and we continue to work with the design team on facilities details. Bids are under review for civil engineering work to address permitting and environmental issues.

As a board member serving on the Horse Park Authority, I have been involved in the land/lease negotiations and public meetings within the community.  It has been great to see the progression as this dream slowly becomes a reality.  I know so many members of our local community are looking forward to having a premier equestrian facility in the area, which will create jobs and attract outside money through regional tourism.

For more information on the Horse Park and how you can be involved, check out their web site here.