The great environmentalist land grab knows no bounds. A million acres here, a million acres there, and before long we'll need a permit to walk in our own backyards.

Now the self-appointed environmental police are using -- misusing would be a better word -- the California energy crisis to justify their latest attempt to seize prized recreational land and put it off limits to the public. This time it is 24,000 acres, mostly in the mountains of eastern Fresno County that has long been in private ownership and long open to the public.

This land is a target of opportunity for environmental zealots because Southern California Edison now owns it. The nearly bankrupt utility is struggling to pay off billions of dollars in debt, and may be willing to do just about anything in exchange for a state bailout. That includes selling its 6,000 miles of transmission lines to the state -- and the recreational land along with the power lines.

Ironically, while the final deal between the state and Edison may not include the power line purchase, state bureaucrats are insisting that Edison give the state a "conservation easement" on the 24,000 acres. That would make the secretary of the state Resources Agency – a strong environmentalist – the virtual czar over these lands.

Here's what state Senator Jim Costa from the Fresno area says: "for the last century, residents of the San Joaquin Valley and people from all over the state have recreated on property owned by Edison. As a lifelong participant in outdoor activities, I have been impressed with their stewardship of the land. They have balanced the needs of the environment with the needs of the surrounding communities and outdoor enthusiasts. I do not believe the state would have that same balanced approach."

Anyone who has paid attention to the excesses of environmental extremists and their allies, in both state and federal bureaucracies, knows what Senator Costa is talking about. These rigid ideologues have only want goal: to put as much of America's natural heritage off limits to Americans as possible.

Last year Bill Clinton, Al Gore and their environmental allies tried to keep us from using 43 million acres of national forests by putting them off limits. This meant no roads for either timber harvests or off-road recreation. Some of the people in the current California administration, and the legislature, have the same liberal attitude. "Endangered species" have more rights than American citizens. But, at the same time, while we are forbidden to enter the sacred areas of the kangaroo rat, fairy shrimp and a variety of obnoxious varmints, we are also required to do it all at taxpayer expense.

The takeover of the Edison lands will hit taxpayers twice. First, we will wind up paying taxes to support bureaucrats who are dedicated to keeping us off these lands. Second, a state takeover would cause Fresno County to lose $5 million in property and sales tax revenue that it would have received when the Shaver Lake project was completed. In addition, the county would lose 400 permanent jobs and as much as $10 million a year in payrolls from those jobs. Most important, the county would lose an environmentally sustainable access point to the recreation lands in the Sierra.

Lost recreation, lost tax revenue, lost jobs, lost educational opportunities. That's an exorbitant price to pay for a state seizure of lands that have provided so much enjoyment for so many Californians for so many years.

It will be a sad day for California if environmental zealots are allowed to manipulate fears about the energy crisis to take all of this away from us.

Please go to www.clorv.org for the latest on California Legislation as well as what you can do to help preserve your off road recreational freedoms. In addition, you may help by forwarding our emails, alerts and updates to your interested friends.