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Last June, I posted an entry titled "Recreation Takeover Toolbox went live today" and did the unusual thing of prefacing it with the words "!!!THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!"
Obviously, I thought this was unusually important. I then went on to say:
I STRONGLY encourage people who care about America's Public Lands to explore the new www.tools4outdoors.us website and to familiarize yourself with the privatization tools being used to bring about this transformation.
My introduction was followed with a news release from the American Recreation Coalition. It began with these words.
The Toolbox for the Great Outdoors Second Edition is now available online at www.tools4outdoors.us. The Toolbox is the result of cooperation between six federal agencies, ReserveAmerica and the American Recreation Coalition (ARC).
In my desire to provide a heads-up about a major new threat, I missed what was quite possibly the most important part of the story. I missed the scandalous part and I am now in a position to share a new discovery that will likely make you angry.
It turns out that the ARC's privatization toolbox, although created by and for
the benefit of the commercial industry, was funded by the TAXPAYERS. We the People paid dearly so that we could be screwed by industry.
Searching the website FederalSpending.org (a project of OMB Watch) I have discovered that since the year 2000, American taxpayers have paid the ARC more than $450,000 for its efforts. Our money was awarded in 19 separate contracts involving six federal agencies. Approximately half of this money was paid to the ARC for its creation of the Toolbox for the Great Outdoors. In addition the ARC has been awarded at least five federal grants worth, in total, more than $40,000.
It is one thing for a lobbying organization, such as the ARC, to spend it's own money in an effort to influence public policy. It is something altogether different when governmental agencies pay an lobbying organization, to advance their own anti-public lands agenda.
Pasted below is a sampling of what I have discovered and a link where full information can be found.
Scott
LINK TO FULL DATA, CLICK HERE.
Summary
Total dollars: $451,220
Total number of contractors: 1
Total number of transactions: 19
Extent of Competition
Full and open competiton $750
Full and open competiton, but only one bid $7,150
Competition after exclusion of sources $800
Not available for competition $0
Not competed $442,520
Top 5 Products or Services Sold
Recreation Studies $220,000
ADP Supplies $46,000
Other Professional Services $45,000
Other Administrative Support Services $39,000
ADP Software $30,000
Top 5 Agencies Purchasing from Contractor(s)
Federal Highway Administration $294,000
Bureau of Land Management $65,600
Forest Service $46,000
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - civil program financing only $30,020
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $24,850
Top 10 Contractors
AMERICAN RECREATION COALITION $451,220
Trend
2000 $39,000
2001 $0
2002 $230,020
2003 $10,000
2004 $5,600
2005 $2,300
2006 $164,300 *
*Note: FY 2006 does not include data from some agencies.
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- Privatization 
