A good public petition makes a strong record of people’s views in the right place. PCU•Free Assembly Project has a stellar history of receiving and submitting thousands of petitions properly for best effect.
THE CURRENT CAMPAIGN:::
Again as in the beginning, it is about the US Forest Service ‘Group Use’ regulation that has plagued public gatherings and 1st Amendment exercise in the National Forests. After years of discussions among concerned wizards & stakeholders, PCU•FAP has launched a different kind of petition –
“… a formal Petition to Amend the U.S. Forest Service ‘Noncommercial Group Use’ regulation and related special use provisions, 36 CFR 251.50- 251.56, pursuant to the right of petition and relief reserved by the Administrative Procedure Act. 5 U.S.C. §553(e).”
The ‘APA Petition’ package landed at USDA headquarters on 13 June 2018, so it’s live as a new rule proposal to the agency.
The project is documented and explained here –
– this on-site webpage outlines the background & logic of the initiative, and provides access to the full proposal package and relevant docs, downloadable in PDF format.
– it will also track the Petition’s progress, and report on official actions & good ideas… watch for news and Check for Updates.
What matters here — this initiative needs public awareness and support – which is precisely the purpose of a citizen petition. This one has been around in prior versions for a few years, although without much momentum, with no active proposal in play… now there IS one!
THE NEW PUBLIC PETITION:::
Here is the new rendering, “v.6a” updated in June 2019 with salutations to the Secretary of Agriculture and USFS Chief at the top, and better instructions at the bottom, to be viewed and downloaded —
Public Petition to Amend USFS ‘Group Use’ Rules
The page sets forth a brief position statement, generally endorsing the need and principles for policy change. It includes 2–line entries for 8 signatures, with space for printed names and postal + e-mail addresses. Inquiries are directed to this webpage “For Info” and instructions.
PETITION DIRECTIONS, BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED:::
• Getting Signatures – engage friends and family, go to a local bar, set up with permission at an event. It’s OK to talk to people about issues that count… this one is narrow but saving the right of assembly really matters… overcome squirrely reticence by simply saying what you mean, explaining the stakes and asking for endorsement.
• Contents — a printed name helps to make it legible, and a residential address makes it legal, part of identifying a real person signing. An e-mail address is requested, and may be added to our private distribution list for periodic news and information in the future.
• Completed petitions – make copies for your records and send originals to PCU•Free Assembly Project, where they can be compiled for presentation… arrange for mailing with the Coordinator by e-mail: sca {at} free–assembly.org. Later on, if it serves to send completed petitions directly to a particular agency recipient, those alternative instructions will be added on here.
• Confidentiality – all petitions go to official recipients with personal information… our petitions will go ONLY to responsible officials identified for this purpose, otherwise they are held strictly confidential in our files. Those who provide eMail addresses will receive occasional news & info posts as ‘Bcc:’ addressees… they are never exposed to others, and can opt out at any time.