Western lawmakers strategize on taking control of federal lands

I realize that there are a lot of Cliven Bundy vs. B.L.M. threads out there. This is from the view point of infringement upon states rights.

Officials from nine Western states met in Salt Lake City on Friday to discuss taking control of federal lands within their borders on the heels of a standoff between Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and the Bureau of Land Management.

The lawmakers and county commissioners discussed ways to wresting oil-, timber- and mineral-rich lands away from the feds. Utah House Speaker Becky Lockhart said it was in the works before this month's standoff

It seems that not only Cliven Bundy, but also a lot of other state leaders think that the B.L.M. has over stepped their bounds.

link

From Wikipedia

Of the BLM’s 247.3 million acres, the Bureau manages 55 million acres (220,000 km2) of forests and woodlands, including 11 million acres (45,000 km2) of commercial forest and 44 million acres (180,000 km2) of woodlands within 11 western States and Alaska. 53 million acres (210,000 km2) are productive forests and woodlands on Public Domain lands and 2.4 million acres (9,700 km2) are on Oregon and California Grant lands in western Oregon. Additionally, as part of its trust responsibility, the BLM oversees minerals operations on 56 million acres (230,000 km2) of Indian lands. In addition, the BLM also has a National Wild Horse and Burro Program in which it manages animals on public rangelands. Even though the BLM manages one of the largest amount of public land in the United States, resource protection of BLM public lands is being done on an on-going reduced budget, with uniformed law enforcement rangers patrolling an average of 1.45 million acres (5,900 km2) per ranger.

As you can see the B.L.M. is grossly under staffed to have control of this much land. Also notice that virtually all B.L.M. land is in 11 of the western most states and Alaska. Of those states Nevada and Utah have the highest percentage of B.L.M. land.

I live in Idaho, and there are places around here where the deadfall is literally ten feet deep. Then you see all of these massive wildfires over the last few years. It isn't hard to see that the land is not being managed correctly.
It seems to me that the states would do a much better job of managing these lands after all it affects their livelihood.

link

We've all seen the way the B.L.M. deals with the issue of the wild horses in Nevada. How many horses have they killed.

B.L.M. is an acronym for Bureau of land management. I.M.O. it should be the Bureau of land mismanagement. I've seen the results!

a reply to: Diisenchanted

As I suggested on another thread about this general "problem," the main deal seems to be to remove the unnatural critters from the land: cattle, mustangs and humans. All according to the seemingly pie-in-the-sky dictates of Agenda 21. It CAN happen here!

That would be fine if the states would keep it Public Lands, accessible to hunters and anglers. But that is not what happens. The state legislature cronies buy it up and put no trespassing signs everywhere. I would rather no body have access than just the same old cronyism.

a reply to: Diisenchanted

That is great news, it is about time we all start having a "conversation" about ramping down federal responsibilities for the good of the country.

a reply to: Diisenchanted

So I guess they think that the citizens of the other 41 states will cheerfully go along with these 9 states taking over land that belongs to "all of us?" The last thing in the world that I want is for a bunch of radical right-wing legislators taking control over something that is a "national asset."

Stupid is as stupid does!

For one, maybe they should read their respective constitutions;
Nevada:

That the people inhabiting said territory do agree and declare, that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within said territory, and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States; and that lands belonging to citizens of the United States,

Utah:

The people inhabiting this State do affirm and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries hereof, and to all lands lying within said limits owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribes, and that until the title thereto shall have been extinguished by the United States, the same shall be and remain subject to the disposition of the United States, and said Indian lands shall remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the Congress of the United States.

I don't trust the states in the least to effectively manage public lands that may have oil, gas and minerals. We likely wouldn't have a Grand Canyon in Arizona had we gone that route in the early 20th century.

a reply to: Flatfish

So basically what you are saying is that we should have to pay our hard earned taxes to bail out cities like Detroit and New York because the states that swing left cant be fiscally responsible, and yet their opinion should somehow matter to us.

Your quote: The last thing in the world that I want is for a bunch of radical right-wing legislators taking control over something that is a "national asset." - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Isn't that what the left has been doing for the last 5 or 6 years?

This thread is about B.L.M. mismanagement, and what should be done to fix it. Grow up and keep your left vs. right crap to yourself it has nothing to do with anything.

Why should the states in the west give a crap about what the eastern states think?

By the way if you subtract 12 from 50 you come up with 38 not 41 just so you know. Unless you like Obama think there are 57 states.

a reply to: links234

Yet you would have the feds keep responsibility? We have all seen what a wonderful job they have done with managing the land.
Remember the wildfires in Arizona ,Colorado, California, Nevada, and New Mexico? All of them could have been prevented, or at least caused less damage with proper land management. We've all seen how the feds deal with it.
I have a question for you. Do you think that all public land should be accessible to the public? I personally do, but how much of it is fenced off with no access?
Also we are not talking about national parks we are talking about B.L.M. land two completely different things.

a reply to: MOMof3

If I drive twenty miles in any direction I enter B.L.M. land. How much of that land is accessible? It used to be the majority. It is not any more most of it is fenced and gated.

We have had multiple lawsuits on just this matter.

a reply to: Diisenchanted

I think the feds could do a much better job of it if we'd stop cutting their pay and their budgets every year. But hey, fiscal "responsibility" over reason and logic, right?

I've seen lots of public land abused and misused by the public over the years. Native American hieroglyphs defaced and physically cut from the rock? Seen it. Illegal camping causing wildfires? Seen it.

I think it's a serious problem when a few people think 'public land' means they can do whatever they want to it because they're part of the 'public.' Is the BLM perfect? No, but neither are people in general.

a reply to: links234

What budget cuts?

BLM: Controversial Memo was Based on Possible Budget Cuts

BLM spokesman Tom Gorey said the recommendations contained in the memo were possible scenarios if the agency's budget was cut in 2014. But, “those budget cuts never happened,” he said.

a reply to: Diisenchanted

And just exactly why would I want to subtract 12 from 50 in the first place?

If I'm not mistaken, the article you sourced in your OP clearly stated that legislators from 9 states were meeting in Utah to discuss some nutty assed strategy to put all the women out front.

Oh no!

Wait a minute!

That was the Bundy supporters.

That's right, those 9 legislators were meeting to strategize on how to take over federal land in their states.

Just the same, I think I'll stick with 41 and by the way, I don't remember saying anything whatsoever about Detroit or New York.

You must be smoking a lot better stuff than I am.

a reply to: links234

Your quote: I've seen lots of public land abused and misused by the public over the years. Native American hieroglyphs defaced and physically cut from the rock? Seen it. Illegal camping causing wildfires? Seen it. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

The feds have done what to curtail this? Absolutely nothing!

Did you even read my second post? Let me refresh for you.

with uniformed law enforcement rangers patrolling an average of 1.45 million acres (5,900 km2) per ranger. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

With that kind of man power what can they possibly do? Absolutely nothing the same as they are doing right now. Then with the man power at their disposal they use it to harass a rancher in Nevada.

I agree with you on the fact that people trash our public lands. It sickens me, but the feds can't stop it. People just don't seem to give a crap.


your other quote: I think the feds could do a much better job of it if we'd stop cutting their pay and their budgets every year. But hey, fiscal "responsibility" over reason and logic, right? - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I beg to differ we have not cut their pay and benefits every year. If I remember correctly our national debt keeps increasing every year. They just spend it on what they think is more important like billions to the Muslim brotherhood, and lets not forget the multimillions on Obama vacations. This is purely federal mismanagement regardless of how you look at it.

a reply to: Flatfish

My post:As you can see the B.L.M. is grossly under staffed to have control of this much land. Also notice that virtually all B.L.M. land is in 11 of the western most states and Alaska. Of those states Nevada and Utah have the highest percentage of B.L.M. land. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I haven't been smoking any thing. I was talking about what states have B.L.M. land. Now put down your pipe and keep up.

Your Quote: If I'm not mistaken, the article you sourced in your OP clearly stated that legislators from 9 states were meeting in Utah to discuss some nutty assed strategy to put all the women out front. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've seen the video's the women weren't out front that is just more leftist B.S.

Things will become more clear once the Articles of confederation are compared to the constitution;
what was taken away and put in place of...

originally posted by: Diisenchanted
a reply to: Flatfish

My post:As you can see the B.L.M. is grossly under staffed to have control of this much land. Also notice that virtually all B.L.M. land is in 11 of the western most states and Alaska. Of those states Nevada and Utah have the highest percentage of B.L.M. land. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I haven't been smoking any thing. I was talking about what states have B.L.M. land. Now put down your pipe and keep up.

Hey, you're the one who posted the article citing a meeting between the legislators of 9 states and then expect me to clearly understand that you're actually talking about 12 states when that was never mentioned anywhere in your OP.

Wow!

How the hell did I miss that one?

Now I understand why, at the last Democratic Convention, Bill Clinton kinda hinted that the GOP had a little problem with arithmetic.

You might also take note of the fact that with the exception of Nevada, most if not all of those western states you speak of receive more in federal assistance than they pay in federal taxes. In other words, they're "taker" states.

originally posted by: Diisenchanted

Your Quote: If I'm not mistaken, the article you sourced in your OP clearly stated that legislators from 9 states were meeting in Utah to discuss some nutty assed strategy to put all the women out front. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've seen the video's the women weren't out front that is just more leftist B.S.

It may not have happened, but you can't dispute the fact that they were strategizing to do just that. Either that or the sheriff is just a bald faced liar.

a reply to: Diisenchanted

But you can still walk on it to hunt and fish. We turkey hunt on BLM every year. You cannot take motorized vehicles where we go, but you can camp and walk all over.

a reply to: MOMof3

I know better. I don't think you realize how much B.L.M. land has been closed to the public. I really do wish that we had access to the B.L.M. land that we used to.

I have to go to work in a few minutes I will elaborate more on this later tonight.