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Agenda 21 - Part III: The Wildlands Project

Jun 04   -  John Morrow

“The rights of persons and the rights of property are the objects, for the protection of which Government was instituted.” —James Madison
                         
In my past two articles that I have written about United Nations’ Agenda 21, I noted the bottom line is that it elevates nature above man and endeavors to “protect” the earth from humans by implementing a system of government which strips away our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  The main aim of this agenda is to control population growth and interfere with the right of the individual to pursue his/her own individual destiny.  Consequently, this conflicts with our Judeo-Christian heritage as well.

In this article, I will discuss how the components of UN Agenda 21 called the Wildlands Project and the corresponding unelected bureaucracy are actively at work to undermine the American way of life as we know it.  Much like a termite colony that works quietly, the damage isn’t noticeable until the supporting structures are destroyed.

The Wildlands Project was introduced in 1992 at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, along with the Convention on Biological Diversity treaty, as part of the wide-sweeping radical environmental package often referred to as Agenda 21.  Developed by environmentalists Reed Noss, Michael Soule and Dave Foreman, and based on the concepts of conservation biology, the land management program called the Wildlands Project is staggering in its magnitude.  In the 1992 special issue of Wild Earth, Noss opines:

Conservation must be practiced on a truly grand scale . . . It is estimated that large carnivores and ungulates require reserves on the scale of 2.5 to 25 million acres…For a minimum viable population of 1000 (large mammals), the figures would be 242 million acres for grizzly bears, 200 million acres for wolverines and 100 million acres for wolves.  Core reserves should be managed as roadless areas (wilderness).  All roads should be permanently closed. (2)

Unbelievably, Noss and associates were calling for a complete total restructuring of America with vast areas of core wilderness that would be connected with corridors primarily off limits to human activity.  These core areas would be surrounded by layers of buffer zones which would allow for very limited activity.  A transition period of 20 to 50 years was expected.  “The goal should be staying the course, not setting a speed record.” (2)

Science magazine commented on Reed’s presentation of the Wildlands Project at Arizona State University:

The sweep of the idea elicited gasps from the audience.  On the Oregon coast, for instance – a shoreline dotted by small towns and inundated by millions of summer tourists—the Wildlands approach calls for 23.4 % of the land to be returned to the wilderness and another 26.2 % to be severely restricted in terms of human use.  Most roads would be closed . . . Similar alterations are called for in Vermont, Florida, the Mid-Atlantic region and the rest of the country. 

In fact, the long term goal of the Wildlands Project is nothing less than a transformation of America from a place where 4.7 % of the land is wilderness to an archipelago of human inhabited islands surrounded by natural areas. (1)

Unfortunately, President Clinton signed the treaty of the Convention on Biological Diversity in July of 1993, and it was sent to the Senate for ratification.  (The Wildlands Project plays an essential part of accomplishing the goals of this treaty).  In the meantime, Vice-President Al Gore directed the White House Ecosystem Management Task Force which created the bureaucracy that began to slowly work toward the goals of the treaty and Wildlands Project to “save the earth”. 

In an attempt to illustrate the importance of vigilance and stewardship over the government God has given us, I will briefly relay the story of how close America came – within an hour’s time – of ratifying a treaty that would have absolutely destroyed our Constitution and reconstructed our country as we know it.  Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) was the only Senator on the Foreign Relations Committee that opposed the treaty on the grounds that the protocol for the treaty had not been written yet – the Senate would be signing a blank check.  In addition, the authority for implementing the changes would primarily be directed by environmental and socialist NGO’s (non-governmental organizations).

Senate Majority Leader Mitchell scheduled the ratification vote for Monday, August 8.  However, an intense fax and phone campaign led by the Maine Conservation Rights Institute jammed phone lines for four days into the Senate offices.  The American Farm Bureau and National Cattlemen’s Association joined the effort, with the result that Senator Mitchell postponed the ratification until October 3. 

In the meantime, documents from the UN were uncovered that confirmed that the UN had lied to the United States in trying to hide the fact that property rights and other civil rights would be jeopardized, that our country would be organized into bioregions, and excessive governmental powers would be given to NGO’s to execute the treaty.  Unaware of the documents now possessed by the Republicans, extreme pressure from the media, specifically, scathing ridicule from the Chicago Tribune, was put on the Senate to ratify the treaty. 

Dr. Michael Coffman of the Maine Conservation Rights Institute had been rushing to finish a set of large visual maps to illustrate to the Senators the tremendous damage that this treaty would do.  It was a race against time, according to the Sovereignty International Corporation.  With one hour to go before Senator Mitchell was to petition for cloture, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Dr. Michael Coffman were able to access the Senate floor and expose this UN treaty – consequently, the Senate never ratified it. (3)

This was wonderful news back in 1993 for the preservation of the US Constitution; unfortunately, even without the signed treaty, our governmental bureaucracy (primarily the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior) has been working incrementally at implementing the UN goals of protecting the environment at the expense of citizens’ rights ever since. 

Their basis for regulation comes from the authority granted from the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, etc. that have already been passed by Congress.  In an attempt to help educate the public, Dr. Michael Coffman has recently released an excellent, narrated instructive powerpoint entitled “Taking Liberty”, which explains in detail how private property is continuing to be abolished in America.  I highly recommend setting aside a little time to watch this free powerpoint.  In it, Dr. Coffman explains why private property rights are the cornerstone of liberty and wealth in America, how our rights are being attacked in our daily lives, and what we can do to stop it.

You can now see the contrast between the Founding Fathers’ view of land and property rights in America and the view of the United Nations, which seeks to impose its agenda on the world:

Land cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market.  Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth, and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes.  The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interests of society as a whole.  Public control of land use is therefore indispensable. (5)  (emphasis mine)

I would answer this by quoting from Romans 1:20-22:

For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.  Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (4)

Action Points

-Read to learn more about Agenda 21 and its tentacles:  Sustainable Development,  Smart Growth,  ICLEI, and Public Private Partnerships. 

-Research the ulterior motives of environmentalist NGO’s such as the Sierra Club, World Wildlife Foundation, Nature Conservancy, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

-Share your knowledge with others.  Join a conservative action group that seeks to inform your community about the dangers of Agenda 21.

-Use your voice to become involved in being a good steward of government by attending school board meetings, city council meetings, corresponding with state legislators and/or your US senators and congressmen to inform them of your views on the issues.

Prayer Points

-Lord, exalt the righteous and put down and remove the wicked.  Remove from positions of authority those who stubbornly oppose righteousness, those who refuse to honor the oath they swore to uphold and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  (Ps. 1:5-6, Ps. 7:9, Ps. 37:7-15, 22)

-Father, forgive us for being passive and apathetic concerning our civic duties and heal our land.  (2 Chron. 7:14)

Resources for More Information

-Cornwall Alliance
Excellent Christian resource on the Green Movement.  A 12 part DVD series is available from them at www.resistingthegreendragon.com that may be used for churches.

-Freedom Advocates  
Excellent booklets and materials available at this website and also the one below!

-Sovereignty International

-Taking Liberty 
Dr. Michael Coffman’s excellent narrated powerpoint on the attack on private property rights in America.

-Coffman, Michael.  Rescuing a Broken America.  Garden City, NY.  Morgan James Publishing, 2010.

-Inhofe, Senator James.  The Greatest Hoax.  Washington, D.C.  WND Books, 2012

-Lamb, Henry.  “The Convention on Biological Diversity:Cornerstone of the New World Order”.  Environmental Conservation Organization. 1994.
www.freedom.org/reports/srbio.htm

-Sussman, Brian.  Eco-Tyranny.  Washington, D.C. WND Books, 2012

Bibliography

1. Mann, Charles, et. Al.  “The High Cost of Biodiversity.”  Science.  June 25, 1993

2. Noss, Reed F. “The Wildlands Project.” Wild Earth, Special Issue, 1992

3. Sovereignty International Corporation.  “Biodiversity Treaty More Than Senate Willing to Pay.”  1997.  http://www.sovereignty.net/p/ngo/biodiversity.htm#senate

4. Spirit Filled Life Bible, New King James Version.  Thomas Nelson Publishers, USA, 1991.

5. United Nations.  Preamble to the “Report of Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements”.  Vancouver.  May 31 – June 11, 1976.