Plan to sell off public land

The war certainly isn't over, but this battle may be won:
However we need to keep up the pressure on H.R.622 that would effectively gut the BLM and USFS ability to protect our lands:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/622

rando said:

The war certainly isn't over, but this battle may be won:

https://twitter.com/x/status/827020474433544192

However we need to keep up the pressure on H.R.622 that would effectively gut the BLM and USFS ability to protect our lands:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/622

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Wow - great news! Thanks for letting us know. But as you say, the war goes on.

rando said:

The war certainly isn't over, but this battle may be won:

https://twitter.com/x/status/827020474433544192

However we need to keep up the pressure on H.R.622 that would effectively gut the BLM and USFS ability to protect our lands:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/622

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Guess who's the sponsor of H.R.622.
Yup - the same Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3].
Watch out for the head fake from these guys.

To terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and to provide block grants to States for the enforcement of Federal law on Federal land under the jurisdiction of these agencies, and for other purposes.

Agreed. Don't let the pressure off because he backed down on part of his agenda. H.R.622 is probably more dangerous than H.R.621 as it would effect almost ALL public lands. The protection for our public lands are meaningless without a way to enforce them.

MidAtlantic said:

Wow - great news! Thanks for letting us know. But as you say, the war goes on.

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Yes!!! Public outcry and advocacy appear to have affected our ability to retain public lands!

https://wilderness.org/blog/update-public-rejects-bill-would-have-sold-3-million-acres-public-lands


As Rando and others are saying here, we must remain vigilant for other attacks, such as this new definition from Congress.

"Right now, the Congressional Budget Office, which provides lawmakers with data so they can make budget decisions, officially considers public lands to have no monetary value."

I'm just as concerned about HR 622 and HJ 46. The assault on public lands continues. Whether or not we all agree on exactly how those lands should be protected with roads or roadless areas we SHOULD all be able to agree that they need to be protected and remain accessible in some way to all.

Amen

Yep, the CBO, following congressional action, now shows the lands as having no value. That's why the extractive industries (Koch Bros & others) are spending $$ to make this happen.

FYI-for those that don't know it, the chairman of the public lands subcommittee is our own (for several of us anyway) representative ,Tom McClintock (R, 4th, CA). 2200A Douglas Bvd,Suite 240, Roseville, Ca 95661, ph. 916-786,5560, 202-225-2511. His record is mixed on public land issues, although during one of his rare visits here during the last fire season here he said he supported public lands. Anyway, might be worth a phone call expressing you displeasure over Bishops' (R-Ut) direction to OMB. Boy there sure seems to be allot of different groups of all types out there that are opposing this and the other changes like removing LEO authority from the BLM/USFS. I wonder if Trump and our new sec/Interior designate will continue to oppose selling off off the public lands. Most people don't know that while timber sales at best break even, oil,energy and gas sales from public lands are one of the few money makers (a long with recreation, hunting and fishing interests) for the fed and state governments or maybe that's the reason for all this! Ah, we live in interesting times!!!

Smoke

I agree this fight is far from over- has been going on for years. Need to stay vigilant.

Smokecreek1 said:

Most people don't know that while timber sales at best break even, oil,energy and gas sales from public lands are one of the few money makers (a long with recreation, hunting and fishing interests) for the fed and state governments or maybe that's the reason for all this! Ah, we live in interesting times!!!

Smoke

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Smoke, In my state (New Mexico), gas and oil make up a large percentage of state income. A problem with this, of course, is that these products go through boom-and-bust cycles. Right now, we are in a bust and the state coffers are empty. Education and public services have been cut and cut again over the past few years. The state is basically in a financial survival mode.

Any financial advisor will tell you to diversify your investments. New Mexico is starting to realize that tourism is a good source of income, but some state officials haven't yet seemed to connect the dots to the value of public lands for recreation and tourism. An example: our state land commissioner is stuck in extractive industries, not recreation and renewables. He wants to trade state land along the path of Trump's wall for federal land elsewhere that has value for extractive industries. That won't help New Mexico until the next boom, and over the long term, as the rest of the first world moves to renewables, these booms will become fewer. All private citizens can do is make our voices heard and wait for the next election cycle to vote for sustainable solutions.

So yes, be vigilant and be vocal at both federal and state levels, and try not to get burnt out. A nice hike, camping, fishing or hunting trip can help with that.

highz said:

All private citizens can do is make our voices heard and wait for the next election cycle to vote for sustainable solutions.

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Well, I suppose there's also monkeywrenching, not that I would advocate for that.

highz said:

Smoke, In my state (New Mexico), gas and oil make up a large percentage of state income. A problem with this, of course, is that these products go through boom-and-bust cycles. Right now, we are in a bust and the state coffers are empty. Education and public services have been cut and cut again over the past few years. The state is basically in a financial survival mode.

Any financial advisor will tell you to diversify your investments. New Mexico is starting to realize that tourism is a good source of income, but some state officials haven't yet seemed to connect the dots to the value of public lands for recreation and tourism. An example: our state land commissioner is stuck in extractive industries, not recreation and renewables. He wants to trade state land along the path of Trump's wall for federal land elsewhere that has value for extractive industries. That won't help New Mexico until the next boom, and over the long term, as the rest of the first world moves to renewables, these booms will become fewer. All private citizens can do is make our voices heard and wait for the next election cycle to vote for sustainable solutions.

So yes, be vigilant and be vocal at both federal and state levels, and try not to get burnt out. A nice hike, camping, fishing or hunting trip can help with that.

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Believe it or not, local PBS station mentioned NM problem as part of a special report on the clash between the environment and loss of $ and what states needed to do-interesting program.

Smoke

highz,great thoughts.
Thanks,remember "vote early and often"
The tide will turn.
Frank

I've been on the horn all week and I am not stopping till the fat lady sings! That 662 bothers me.... a snake in the grass if there ever was one. There are soooo many reasons to be vocal. Glad this big beautiful country has people in it who care enough to actually do something. Got to participate. Got to vote.

A lot of people don't remember the days when (except for the Caiif Desert and few heavily populated resource areas) the BLM had no LEO's only special agents and a few timber types that could under special circumstances have LEO authority. That's the way it was when I first went to work for the BLM.; BLM management resisted organic rangers for years.The FS and Park Service had both types of LEO's way before we did.

It took time, lots of pleading and writing position papers and finding work months and lot's of lost resources before we got organic LE Ranger. on each RA/District (for example-the entire Winnemucca District had only one Ranger (for that whole area)and we had two! Before that we (cultural resources, recreation and those whose resources were being vandalized or destroyed). did patrols by our selves (and dogs) with only a SA back up or on some holidays they gave us a ranger or two from the desert The only protection we had was (ready) if we were killed or hurt , the full brunt of the us government would be thrown at who ever did it. Yep-had a river ranger thrown in the stans river one time and when they caught the guy his ass was grass.

I went to the first joint cultural resource/LE training session; they had to train us to learn to work together, but in time they became part of us and we, them. In those days they paired the rangers up with resource specialists-something about keeping them from getting lost and teaching them the ways of BLM . Some management types still though have problems with LE over who is in charge of the direction LE takes.

Anyway, that was a long time ago and I got lots of stories of hair raising plane flights and chasing the bad guys around the desert, but I'll save those for that night around the camp fire. All these agencies are now used to organic LE and I don't think they could operate without them. Sorry guys if I respond to much on this one, i spent to many years being involved in this.

Smoke

Thanks Smoke ,we on the outside don't hear or see what really needs to work for us to have the lands we have.
Frank

You never know what you're going to run into. This article doesn't mention it but my engine was doing mop up on the scene when we noticed things that weren't right. The CDF investigator wasn't available and it took a few calls (not willing to say too much on the radio) to convince them we really needed some LE on the scene.

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/10/14/The-Lassen-County-Sheriffs-Department-said-a-huge-drug/5002434952000/

I don't have high hopes the agencies that patrol the West will get improved funding. Hope I'm wrong.

That above link ....after reading it ... I just DO NOT understand the shortsightedness of this bill. I breaks the heart. There are indeed dark clouds looming. It just seems out of control.