Jan. 18, 2024
From: Ken Beitel [REDACTED] Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 9:22 AM To: WebMaster [REDACTED]; Chair [REDACTED]; CommissionerPeirce [REDACTED]; CommissionerCrenshaw [REDACTED]; CommissionerUyeda [REDACTED]; CommissionerLizarraga [REDACTED] Cc: [REDACTED] Subject: URGENT: Request for 90 day Public Comment Extension re NACs - error in submitting public comment SR-NYSE-2023-09 [REDACTED] Jan 18, 2024 - URGENT Hon. SEC Commissioners, When I submit the public comment below for SR-NYSE-2023-09 re:Natural Asset Companies with a 7 MB pdf file attachment after clicking the Submit button I am receiving an error message. Validation has timed out. The web page then changes to the error page shown below titled: Web Page is temporarily unavailable. I have tried to submit a second time and received the same error message. It is critical that I be able to submit the supporting documents for the comments below via pdf. I am unable to do so. Because I, and likely other submitters, are unable to submit public comments or public comments with attachments, I am legally and formally requesting a 90 day extension of the public comment period on SR-NYSE-2023-09. Please let me know when you have this issue resolved and whether the deadline for public comment will be extended by 90 days. Yours sincerely, Ken Beitel Boulder, Colorado e: [REDACTED] m: [REDACTED] Comment on SR-NYSE-2023-09 Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change to Amend the NYSE Listed Company Manual to Adopt Listing Standards for Natural Asset Companies To maintain American sovereignty, to maintain voter control over ecosystems and to maintain affordable access for American families and recreational users to our national and state parks and public lands, I strongly urge the SEC to reject the proposal for Natural Asset Companies. National and state parks and public lands are currently managed by elected officials, communities and recreational users to meet the admirable goals of: - Ecosystem protection - Public Recreation - Carefully managed grazing and resource utilization Each of the above goals will be damaged by the sale or licensing of national and state parks and public lands to unelected Natural Asset Companies. Below are some of the damaging impacts that will occur if the Securities Exchange Commission approves the existence of Natural Asset Companies: LOSS OF VOTER CONTROL: A national park purchased or licensed under a 30 or 50 year contract to a Natural Asset Corporation will be taken away from voter control and be managed by corporate executives, board members and shareholders. These contracts can not be canceled due to severe financial penalties and potential for legal action. When US Highway #36 was privatized in Colorado in 2012, it took months of public protest and media attention for elected Colorado state representatives and senators to be able to even view the 50 year, 700+ page privatization contract that had been negotiated but not yet signed with an Australian toll road company. LOSS OF AMERICAN CONTROL: Sale of American public lands to private interests, including foreign-controlled sovereign wealth funds, and foreign adversaries. China or Russia could use their capital to purchase or manage American farmlands, national and state parks and public lands. RISK OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND COLLUSION BETWEEN NACS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND UNELECTED DECISION MAKERS: "The top-four concession holders in national parks—Aramark Parks and Destinations, Delaware North Companies, Forever Resorts, and Xanterra Parks and Resorts—also wield immense political power. Aramark and Delaware North have collectively given more than $500,000 to politicians since 2010. And some concessionaires are fighting, and winning, trademark battles for the names of national parks." https://www.americanprogress.org/article/yosemite-for-sale HIGH USER FEES FOR FAMILIES AND RECREATION: Public recreation will be seen as a source of revenue for shareholders and executive salaries which will lead to high user fees for families and individuals to hike, camp and tour America’s national forests and public lands. Mountain trailhead parking fees of $50, Old Faithful viewing permits of $100 per person and national forest camping fees of $300 per night could become the NAC norm in order to fund NAC executive salaries and shareholder profits. Recreation fees for families and individuals to use our national and state parks and public lands must not become a profit source for Wall Street shareholders. NAC control of public lands will shift American citizens from being owners of public lands to being renters who foolishly sold their house in a reverse mortgage scheme designed to benefit only the bank, Wall Street investors and foreign corporations. To hike a path alongside a surging mountain stream, to breathe the clean air fresh off a glacier and to live in a land where grizzly bears, wolves and buffalo roam wild is our sacred trust. We must defend this trust from any who would seek to sell this right and evict Americans from our public lands. In closing, to maintain American sovereignty, to maintain voter control over ecosystems and to maintain affordable access for American families and recreational users of our national and state parks and public lands, and to maintain control of our lands that produce foods, I strongly urge the SEC to reject the proposal for Natural Asset Companies. Please Protect American Public Lands and Affordable Access to Our Wild Places ==== I have tried to submit a second time and received the same error message. It is critical that I be able to submit the supporting documents for the comments below via pdf. I am unable to do so.