How the National Park Service Treats Alaskans

The Pacific Legal Foundation, a prominent constitutional public interest law firm, has sued the Federal government over its denial of a family's only access road to its property trapped inside the Wrangell-St. Elias Park in Alaska. The National Park Service has been bullying this family for most of the year, refusing to allow it access over an existing right of way. The Bush Administration has so far refused to intervene and reign in the agency. This case is typical of National Park Service behavior and should be a clear warning against this agency's presence anywhere. The National Park Service not only exemplifies government mismanagement of its own land, its authority and exercise of power supersedes the moral right of private property.

• Washington Times Nov. 4, 2003 article
• Anchorage Daily News Nov. 4, 2003 article
• The Complaint filed in Federal District Court by the Pacific Legal Foundation includes a straightforward account of essential issues and history, and as a consequence provides a self-contained source for refuting the spin being put out by the viros and other apologists for the National Park Service.

One reason why this case is very important to the viros is that they are trying to redefine guaranteed rights of way to private property to exclude "motorized vehicles". Another is that they are trying to establish that a 'right of way' across Federal land is subject to 'environmental review' and therefore denial.--Erich Veyhl