Catching up with . . . Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.)

I promised we would try to get caught up on some of the DWT fave Republicrooks, and why not start with the pride of San Diego, Duncan Hunter, powerful (and still-unindicted) chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, known in certain circles—okay, in this circle—as "dirtier than Duke . . . just smarter"?

Well, it appears that our Duncan, in between stumping for torture and a fence between the U.S. and Mexico, has been a busy beaver. One current project is using every trick in the congressional book to snatch Santa Rosa Island, off the California coast, away from Channel Island National Park, to give it to the Defense Dept., which has expressed no interest in it, originally as a resort for DoD fatcats.

This account comes courtesy of Daily Kos. I've included the whole thing for the sake of the comments, which are amusing as well as informative.

Why Does Duncan Hunter Want to Steal A National Park

by shadowgov

Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:04:55 PM PDT

Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA-52) has had a pretty high media profile lately. In just the last few weeks, Hunter, who is Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, opposed the McCain anti-torture amendment; proposed building a fence along the entire US-Mexico border and the study of a similar barrier for the Canadian border; AND attempted to steal 53,000 acres of the Channel Island National Park.

Duncan has been a busy, busy boy, lately. Of course being a close associate of Cunningham pay-for-play Co-conspirator #1, Brent Wilkes, may be part of Hunter's inspiration to change the subject in public.

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Hunter's opposition to McCain's anti-torture legislation was motivated by his desire to serve his masters in the Bush Administration and possibly to provide cover for one of his major corporate contributors and torture investigation subject, the Titan Corporation.

Hunter has long been a proponent of sealing the Mexican border. His efforts lead to miles of fence in the San Diego area. This, of course, just pushed illegal border crossing out into the less inhabited areas of San Diego and Imperial counties. Since the fences were built illegal immigration has increased, but facts don't get in the way of a Republican when he has a wedge issue to exploit.

Yet, Hunter's proposal to turn Santa Rosa Island over to the Department of Defense seems bizarre, even by the very low standards of San Diego county Republicans. The island makes up over 40% of a national park that serves about half a million visitors a year, but Hunter is proposing that it be converted into a hunting and recreation preserve for the military and their guests. When pressed on the issue he even went so far as to propose the island be established as a hunting preserve for disabled veterans.

Santa Rosa Island was privately owned until 1986 when the Federal government bought the island from the Vail and Vickers Company for $30 million. Vail and Vickers is a family business that has run cattle ranching and, more recently trophy deer and elk hunting, operations on the island since 1902. Part of the government purchase agreement allowed Vail and Vickers to continue their hunting operation on the island until 2011.

The hunting operation provides well heeled hunters the opportunity to bag trophy Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer from herds managed to provide the maximum number of such animals. Neither the elk nor the deer are native to the island. They were transported the 40 miles from the mainland for the specific purpose of establishing a hunting preserve. The going rate for hunting on the island ranges from $5,000 to as much as $20,000 for a four day visit.

It is interesting that Hunter's proposal would turn the island over to the Department of Defense in 2009. As the purpose of the land grab is to provide recreation and hunting to the military and any fat cat congressional guests they might invite along, it looks like Hunter's motivation might be to maintain the island hunting concession, while freezing out the general public.

Hunter might even be able to argue that the island hunting concession could pay for much of the military's recreational use, if it were allowed to continue its commercial business. So, in essence, Hunter's proposal would transfer the island from public use to private use while maintaining the hunting concession. Ron Sundergill, Pacific Regional Director, National Parks Conservation Association, suggested as much in an article he wrote about Hunter's proposal.

"We can only guess that the reason this is being proposed is to protect the commercial interest that operates the elk and deer hunting venture on the island. The owners of the venture, whose family sold the island to the federal government in 1986 for nearly $30 million, will be required to end their commercial activities in 2011. The timeline for ending the elk and deer hunting results from a legally binding agreement between the National Park Service and the National Parks Conservation Association, but the owners of the hunting venture strongly objected to the agreement."

Could it be that this whole deal is as transparent as that? Is Hunter really proposing that a national park serving hundreds of thousand visitors a year be taken out of the public realm and locked up by the Department of Defense just to serve the narrow self-interests of small commercial venture?

Hunter attached his island take-over amendment to the defense appropriation bill. Just a few words in a multi-billion dollar spending package. This is the second time Hunter has tried to slip this proposal through Congress. In May, Democrats and environmental groups thwarted his first attempt. This time, Republican Senator John Warner, told Hunter that pushing forward with this proposal would jeopardize the passage of the entire appropriations bill. Hunter withdrew the amendment, but vowed to present the proposal again when Congress reconvenes next year.

The Sacramento Bee editorialized about Hunter's persistent efforts to take Santa Rosa Island back from the public.

"This is an insult to the national park system and for the efforts put into properly managing these islands. Last-minute amendments are no way to enact proposals like this. California's two senators say the military never asked for Santa Rosa Island as an exclusive retreat; regardless, they say they would never support such a fate for the island. It is not Duncan Hunter's to give away."

Why does Duncan Hunter want Santa Rosa Island? The Department of Defense has never asked for the island. In fact, the Department of Defense is closing military facilities all over the country. Many of these military bases, which the DOD still controls could easily be converted to the use Hunter proposes for Santa Rosa Island. These facilities are far more accessible and developed than an island 40 miles off the California coast.

So, why does Duncan Hunter persist in his efforts to take Santa Rosa Island away from the public? Whose interest is he serving?

Tags: Duncan Hunter, National Park, steal, CA-52, congress of corruption (all tags)

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Permalink | 9 comments

Why does Duncan Hunter (4.00 / 2) want to steal anything? Because he can and/or because some paid him to try. Does the devil wear a suit and tie, Or does he work at the Dairy Queen- Martin Sexton by strengthof10kmen on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:09:42 PM PDT

This is why I never go east of I-15 in San Diego (4.00 / 2) You might as well be in Idaho or Utah, without the scenery, and with an endless sea of poorly planned shopping malls and housing developments. by diana04 on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:39:34 PM PDT

A hunting preserve for disabled veterans? (4.00 / 2) Shooting guys in wheel-chairs doesn't seem like very good sport? "Republicans hate the French Revolution, and everything it stands for; Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, but they love the Guillotine. by agent double o soul on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:54:11 PM PDT Not sporting? (4.00 / 3) Actually, I think Hunter propose that the island be used for paralyzed veteran hunting. I guess hunting deer and elk in a confined preserve wasn't enough and vets in wheel chairs were too scary, so Hunter is after vets who can't move at all. by shadowgov on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 01:02:06 PM PDT [ Parent ] An immodest denial (none / 1) No I didn't mean to suggest that Republican fat cats might want to shoot disabled veterans in wheel chairs just for the sport of it. (It would have to make good economic sense as well). Hunter is completely wacked out and in deep in the Cunningham conspiracy. Hard to tell who is getting their wheels greased on this one. "Republicans hate the French Revolution, and everything it stands for; Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, but they love the Guillotine. by agent double o soul on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 01:20:40 PM PDT [ Parent ]

Maybe not a bad idea.. (none / 1) I would support it being turned into a hunting preserve on the condition that the only game that Republican fat cats and their lackeys could shoot are each other. Or is that a pollution violation? "Abby Normal". "Are you sure that was the name?" "I'm almost certain." by vegancannibal on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 01:27:43 PM PDT

If it looks like a Duke and it walks like a Duke (none / 0) Why does Duncan Hunter want Santa Rosa Island? The Department of Defense has never asked for the island. In fact, the Department of Defense is closing military facilities all over the country. Many of these military bases, which the DOD still controls could easily be converted to the use Hunter proposes for Santa Rosa Island. These facilities are far more accessible and developed than an island 40 miles off the California coast This is the subtext going through the Cunningham, Wilkes, Mitchell scandal. This ceaseless promotion of projects the Defense Department does not want. They only listen when they hear the handcuffs snap shut. "Republicans hate the French Revolution, and everything it stands for; Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, but they love the Guillotine. by agent double o soul on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 01:28:40 PM PDT

If Really Wants to Help Disabled Veterans ... (4.00 / 3) If Hunter really wants to help disabled veterans, he could get money appropriated for a handicapped boat ramp and for paths for persons with disabilities on the island. He could also get legislation passed giving disabled vets preference for any hunting permits issued in the future. Or, he could work to reduce the number of newly disabled veterans that the Bush Administration is creating each month. by JPZenger on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 01:30:29 PM PDT

This is the weirdest scandal story yet! (none / 0)

Transfer Santa Rosa island to the DoD? And the DoD responds with... "Huh?" Too weird. And unbelievably brazen, especially coming at a time with so many other swirling scandals on the table. Unbelievable!

By the way, Santa Rosa island is a beautiful place. I've been there, not to hunt but to camp, hike, and kayak. It has some great scenery and it's populated with free-roaming sheep, wild horses, elk, and those pesky little Island foxes, lol! It also has many sea caves around its perimeter. It's a great place to visit if you're into that sort of thing. And I am shocked and disgusted at this revelation.

by ricorun on Fri Dec 23, 2005 at 11:07:00 AM PDT