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Updates from Organizations - Government agencies - Advertise Various Artists

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 - 12:30pm

New Scorecard Ranks Western State Policies on Public Lands Access, Outdoor Recreation, and Responsible Energy Development

Western state conservation leaders to discuss results and opportunities for sharing best practices

DENVER—The Center for Western Priorities will host a press conference call this morning, Tuesday, October 17th, to release a new Western States Conservation Scorecard. The scorecard ranks state policies on public lands access, outdoor recreation, and responsible energy development in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The goal of the scorecard is to illuminate best practices and gaps in state-level public lands-related policy to highlight where Western states are demonstrating leadership and where states can improve.

Local conservation leaders will discuss the results of the scorecard and opportunities for collaboration on a conference call open to media.

What: Media conference call on release of new Western States Conservation Scorecard

When: Tuesday, October 17th at 9:30 am PDT/10:30 am MDT

Call: 855-796-8563, Conference ID 1543122

Who:  Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director, Center for Western Priorities
           Andy Maggi, Executive Director, Nevada Conservation League
           Dave Chadwick, Executive Director, Montana Wildlife Federation
           Scott Braden, Wilderness and Public Lands Advocate, Conservation Colorado

For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org.

New Scorecard Ranks Western State Policies on Public Lands Access, Outdoor Recreation, and Responsible Energy Development

Colorado and Montana receive high marks; New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming in the middle of the pack; Idaho and Arizona receive low marks

DENVER—The Center for Western Priorities released a new Western States Conservation Scorecard today, ranking state policies on public lands access, outdoor recreation, and responsible energy development in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The goal of the scorecard is to illuminate best practices and gaps in state-level public lands-related policy in the West in an effort to highlight where Western states are demonstrating leadership and where they can improve.

As “laboratories of democracy,” states are well-positioned to build the culture and economy that protects and enhances America’s public lands, with effective state policies and regulations often being replicated by other states and the federal government. For example, Colorado’s methane waste rules and Montana’s stream access law serve as models for other states and for the federal government’s approach to these issues. Montana opened an Office of Outdoor Recreation after seeing the success of similar state agencies in Utah and Colorado.

“At a time when Westerners are feeling less confident about the federal government’s commitment to respecting and protecting our outdoor way of life, we are increasingly looking to our state governments to fill the leadership void,” said Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director at the Center for Western Priorities. “Some states are taking the reigns of leadership and others have room for improvement, but all have a lot to offer and learn from one another.”

Colorado topped the scorecard, ranking as the first or second place state in all three categories and outpacing the other states in the overall score. Montana had the second-highest scorecard total and led all states in access to public lands. Nevada landed in the middle of the pack, just behind Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. Idaho and Arizona received the lowest rankings among the eight Western states.

Scott Braden, Public Lands and Wilderness Advocate with Conservation Colorado, added, "Colorado has made a long-term commitment to protecting the outdoors, funding recreation access, and encouraging responsible use of public lands. Colorado's leadership isn't just our hallmark, but it's also directly benefiting the state's economy, bringing new companies and jobs into Colorado, and establishing the Centennial State as a national leader.”

 

“The report card focuses on proactive, state-based conservation policies with a concentration on what Western states are doing well,” said Rokala. “It’s also important we acknowledge that lawmakers in some Western states, namely Utah, have spent countless hours attacking public lands and undermining outdoor recreation opportunities. It’s our hope that this report card can provide a roadmap for lawmakers across the West to focus on policies that move the needle forwards not backwards.”

Scorecard Methodology

Each scorecard category—Lands and Access, Outdoor Recreation, and Responsible Energy Development—was graded under a rubric of measurable state-level policy standards to compare eight Western states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. These rubrics were based on research and interviews with state policy experts. Each state was awarded between 0 to 3 points for meeting benchmarks within each category. Points were then tallied for each state. States with the top score in each category ranked “best,” states with middle scores ranked “average,” and states with the lowest scores ranked “needs improvement.”

Lands and Access:

  • States were measured on four subcategories: access to state trust lands, stream access, funding for land, water and wildlife conservation, and public lands commemoration.

  • Rank: Montana (best); Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming (average); Arizona, Utah (needs improvement)

Outdoor Recreation:

  • States were measured on three subcategories: the existence of offices of outdoor recreation, funding for outdoor infrastructure, and their outdoor education programs.

  • Rank: Colorado (best); Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming (average); Idaho (needs improvement)

Responsible Energy Development:

  • States were measured across seven subcategories: setbacks of oil and gas wells, public disclosure of fracking chemicals, spill reporting and transparency, baseline water testing, oil and gas methane emission reduction, well and mine bonding, and whether taxpayers are receiving a fair return for the use of their public lands for private energy development.

  • Rank: Colorado (best); New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming (average); Arizona, Idaho, Montana (needs improvement)

A PDF of the Western States Conservation Scorecard is available for download at westernpriorities.org/statescorecard. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org.

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Group Home Homicide of Heather Roselli Leads to Manslaughter Charges

Jonathan Carey "Champion for the Disabled" Born September 12,1993 Killed by caregivers on February 15,2007

Heather Roselli was developmentally disabled, she simply wanted to talk with her father on Father’s day, but instead she was killed by her caregivers

 

Over 7,800 calls are reported to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s abuse hotline for the disabled every month and between 11-13 deaths every day and nothing is being done to stop these horrors.”

— Michael Carey- Advocate for people with disabilities and their families

ALBANY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This year, on Father’s day, June 18th , of all days, the unspeakable happened, Heather Roselli, who was only 35- years- old was killed by the hands of her New York State caregivers https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/12/sandra-abdo-sarah-dilallo-death-webster-group-home-heather-roselli/758370001/ . Heather was living in a State group home because she was unable to fully care for herself. Heather s life was taken; Heather was taken from her family. Heather’s father, Keith, got the worst imaginable news on Father’s day that his precious daughter has died. Heather’s mom, Holly, as well got the worst news a mom can ever receive, my God, when are Governor Cuomo and the State top leadership in New York State going to take emergency actions to stop these preventable deaths and ensure immediate 911 services for the disabled? Why is 911 not being immediately called regarding these types of crimes and medical emergencies? You can only imagine if this was your child, this type of horrific and deadly discrimination must end now. Tragically, these types of deaths of people with disabilities while living in State run or private group homes under the direct care of others are happening all of the time throughout New York State’s mental health care system, they are not rare, you simply do not hear of many because most are internally covered-up with the assistance of New York State Justice Center http://www.justicecenter.ny.gov/sites/default/files/documents/JusticeCenterDeathReportingClarification12-17-15.pdf and https://apnews.com/34c9c059196a4b70bc8ded92d2fbe4b7/9-deaths-no-charges-raise-questions-about-oversight-agency . Heather died because people entrusted to care for her and watch out for her did the exact opposite of what they are hired to do. Months have passed since and finally some arrests have been made, but there are many unanswered questions and it appears more people are involved.

This horrific death of Heather Roselli and this preventable tragedy is eerily similar to the death of 13 year old Jonathan Carey in 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/nyregion/boys-death-highlights-crisis-in-homes-for-disabled.html - https://www.nytimes.com/video/nyregion/100000000849083/a-failure-to-protect.html . Heather was illegally restrained for a period of time, she stopped breathing and immediate police and medical assistance was not provider her. Heather’s death was preventable, if only staff called 911 immediately when she was being assaulted, leading into the bigger civil, constitutional and human rights issue of why are people with disabilities in most cases not being provided 911 services? I will shout it from the roof tops and many more should as well, people with disabilities are equally valuable people and they are supposed to have the same equal rights, privileges and equal protections of laws that everyone else enjoys. It is a discrimination and civil rights matter of utmost importance that cannot be overlooked any longer; many more innocent people will die if emergency legislative actions are not taken to rectify this gross injustice. Heather, like Jonathan, did not die in vain and their deaths speak loudly for not only justice, but for reformation, and the ending of decades of wide-scale deadly discrimination against countless innocent children and adults with disabilities.

Governor Cuomo continues to deny the most basic civil rights to 1,000,000 people with disabilities within agencies under his control or oversight after many recent investigative news reports done by AP News and BuzzFeed News (Google). New York State has been exposed many times now since Governor Cuomo became the governor, but these civil rights and criminal matters surrounding the disabled being treated unequally were brought directly to him and his top staff’s attention dating back to when he was the Attorney General. The New York Times “Abused and Used” award winning investigative reporting series, which was a runner up for a Pulitzer Prize, exposed the extremely dangerous and deadly New York State mental health care system throughout all of 2011, yet Governor Cuomo took no actions to save the further loss of innocent lives or put emergency measures in place to stop the rampant abuse and neglect http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/nyregion/abused-and-used-series-page.html .

Over 7,800 calls are reported to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s abuse hotline for the disabled every month and between 11-13 deaths every day and nothing is being done to stop these horrors. There is a pervasive attitude that without question reveals the level of blatant discrimination of people that simply cannot speak or defend themselves because of their disabilities. To say that “this specific group of people” is not worthy or not valuable enough to provide immediate 911 medical and police services and assistance is outright discrimination and in many cases obviously it is deadly. Both Heather and Jonathan would both be still here with us, blessings everyone they meet, if only 911 was called when the crimes being committed against them were reported immediately to 911 and authorities could have responded within minutes. The criminals would have been taken into custody before they could have taken their lives. Think about this for a minute and really imagine if this were you and someone was sitting on top of you, may it be your head or chest, you can’t breathe, your struggling to breathe, and staff do nothing? Then even after you are motionless, no one calls 911 or possibly attempts to revive you? It is the number one known trend leading to what are being called “untimely”, but really criminally negligent deaths, of people with developmental or intellectual disabilities, staff not calling 911, and Governor Cuomo does nothing http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/10/opinion/protecting-the-most-vulnerable.html ?
Governor Andrew Cuomo, to date, has done everything in his power to block a 911 Civil Rights bill from becoming law that has three quarters of the State legislators support and sponsorship. This critical life saving and discrimination ending legislation would ensure immediate 911 services for people with disabilities living in residential facilities and group homes. Countless innocent lives will be saved if only 911 was simply called. Heather’s homicide and tragic death screams out for wide-scale system reforms starting with the swift passage of the 911 Civil Rights bill that simply requires mandated reporters, everyone working with the disabled, to call 911 regarding physical and sexual assaults, significant injuries and medical distress situations including the ultimate medical distress, when someone has stopped breathing. Anyone who thinks, or believes, that a vulnerable person that cannot call 911 for themselves is not valuable enough or worthy of 911 emergency services is involved in Discrimination in Civil Rights of the worst kind. People that care about our most vulnerable, respect them, and that will provide them the best and most excellent of services are those worthy of caring for the most vulnerable amongst us.

Michael Carey
The Jonathan Carey Foundation
(518) 852-9377
email us here

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