5_Rights Campaigns, Projects & Politix
~ public advocacy, appeals to agencies & Congress…
- Group Use Regs – “A LEGAL & LAND USE REVIEW” (December 1993)
- The formal policy analysis presented by ‘PCU’ in December 1993: “Group Use Rules for National Forest Lands – A LEGAL & LAND USE REVIEW” ….. a campaign unto itself, developed by S. Addison in collaboration with the implacable, erascible William Thomas of Peace Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue.
- USFS Proposed ‘Law Enforcement’ Rules, Feb.-May 1994
- In February 1994 the Forest Service published a proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, broadly expanding police powers in the National Forests… how rights activists fought and STOPPED this move: The “Son of FrankenRegs” Campaign.
- Rainbow ‘Accommodation’ w/ USDA, ’07-08
- Gatherers’ appeals to USDA-Forest Service, seeking an ‘accommodation’ for Rainbow Gatherings under Group Use regulations — and some of the crossfires.
- USDA Inspector General – Rainbow ’08 Investigation
- In July ’08 the USDA Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) launched an investigation into police incidents at Rainbow Gathering ’08 in Wyoming. This was disclosed in a teleconference with outgoing USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey on Dec. 9, 2008.
- The Mark Rey Files… Policy Crits, 2002-08
- Official correspondence from ‘PCU_/Free Assembly Project’ to USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey — a series of timely policy critiques on Rainbow Gathering-related events & discussions, from Michigan ’02 to Wyoming ’08. As Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (a sub-Cabinet position), he was the top civilian official over U.S. Forest Service operations, and he took an active role in policy decisions and negotiations.
- FOIA Moves in New Mexico
- 2 FOIA Requests were presented to the Forest Service during the 2009 Rainbow Gathering, on the signed Permit and the Delegation of Authority… and 1 to the Sandoval County Sheriff, tracking Rainbow detainees — the queries, correspondence, and disclosures received.
- Amending the ‘Group Use’ Regs
- A Rulemaking Proposed to the USDA (June 2018) ~ after 22 years of contentions & litigations on the USFS Noncommercial Group Use rules, PCU•FAP filed a Petition to Amend the CFR regulation, under rights reserved under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The Logic: If Gatherers finally won the Big Kahuna 1st Amendment Court Case on ‘the Regs’, these are the fair new rules we would achieve to legalize free assembly – so go for the right solution now.