GOP House Leaders Create ‘Action Group’ To Seize And Sell America’s Public Lands

[hue]

Source: CLIMATEPROGRESS

A group of Republican congressmen this week took an aggressive step in a campaign to seize and sell off America’s national forests and other public lands.

In launching what they are calling the “Federal Land Action Group,” Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) plan to develop a legislative framework for giving states control of America’s public lands. Calling the federal government a “lousy landlord for western states,” Rep. Stewart said “we simply think the states can do it better.”

Bishop, who is also chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said that “this group will explore legal and historical background in order to determine the best congressional action needed to return these lands back to the rightful owners.”

This latest effort to transfer or dispose of national forests and public lands was immediately blasted by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, as being unwise, unpopular, and illegal.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/01/3653883/gop-action-group-seize-public-lands/

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Any way for Repukes & their supporters to get their hands on $$!!

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Like I said, they want a bloody civil war. Must, because that is the only way they

are getting this, gonna have to kill me first, that is for sure.

It would suck, I would have to get in a plane and fly to a place where they were trying to steal my resources and land and then I guess I would get shot, but I wont go alone.

[yeoman6987]

9. This is dumb on so many levels

Our land is worth a ton. What happens in a hundred years of we need that land? It won't be ours. And that is the weakest reason to keep it. There a ton more very important reasons to keep it.

[billhicks76]

33. Repukes Declared War On Our Government

They should be treated as such.

[jtuck004]

2. "to return these lands back to the rightful owners.” < Cool. They can expand the Native Lands... n/

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

4. Imagine how stupid they are and how much of a criminal act this would be.

[jtuck004]

10. They have in mind it goes back to a bunch of white people. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

The states were the original caretakers, and lost it because they just saw $$$. Feds took it over, and now the same thing.

So I think this is a fine idea, give it all back to the Native Nations, the original "owners" - as he stated.

They were doing a fine job before the occupying force now known as the "United States" *cough* came in and murdered tens of millions of them.

Seems fair to me...

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

11. Hell yes, lets put the white man on reservations. Starting with me

what is fair is fair

[jtuck004]

12. Don't see the point but ymmv. Restoring what was taken nearly always brings some justice, tho. n/t

[unionthug777]

25. i totally agree with you !!!

and it has nothing to do with me being native American.

[jtuck004]

32. No more criminal than the initial taking. But what a silly waste of time

to sit around and imagine that.

bye.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. Exactly what I was thinking.

Expand tribal lands a hundredfold.

[upaloopa]

3. Along with the SCOTUS appointments that

will be made by the next President, the selling of our public lands to the right wing supporters is a reason why we MUST win in 2016.
May the candidate with the best chance to defeat the Repubs win the primaries.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

5. I think you should only repeat that 4,376 times a day...anymore would be overkill

It is ASTOUNDING to me that we have so many ANGRY people here who say they will NOT vote Hillary if she is the candidate

I will NEVER get over how DUMB and SELFISH that is

[RKP5637]

6. These individuals are so un-American it's incredible. They should be nowhere near ANY public office

and should not have any power to make decisions.

[NBachers]

7. Why don't they sell off their god-damn mothers' graves?

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Whom do you really think is the deep pockets behind this.

Does the State of Deseret ring a bell. Read your History about this region of America.

[secondvariety]

21. I think you're on to something.

[Wellstone ruled]

23. Yup!!!

Put up with their fake Culture for twelve years. I know,just a slow learner,what a relief it is to not have to associate with these fakes. Here is a example,Las Vegas Strip is zoned Clark County,all the Joints sit on leased land and there for don't pay Real Estate Taxes. The land is owned buy a Religious Non Profit and there for Tax exempt. Same Cult as before mentioned.

[Punx]

13. Economic Royalists

is what FDR called them and that is spot on!

Sell everything to the highest bidder and eventually nothing will be left for the general population. We will all be serfs to the owners, paying rents for the privilege to live here.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Teddy Roosevelt is rolling in his grave. nt

[Punx]

15. Indeed!

+1

[BumRushDaShow]

19. I did find an article that may at least offer some good news

<...>

While land transfer proposals have yet to succeed, hunting and fishing groups clearly deem the dangers to public lands worth organizing against. Sixty-nine percent of hunters in the 11 Western states rely on public lands for hunting according to a recent report by Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Groups also tout the huge economic benefits of public lands. The Department of Interior reported that its 2013 management activities alone supported 296,993 jobs in outdoor recreation and added $16.6 billion dollars to the national economy.

Beyond the financial impacts, however, hunting and angling anti-land-transfer campaigns also speak to a more personal concern: being "locked out" of lands that communities have used for generations. As the recent TRCP report declares, national forest and Bureau of Land Management lands are "strongholds" for hunters and anglers of all income brackets. “Federal public lands have always afforded the opportunity for Americans to hunt, hike, fish and enjoy the outdoors,” said Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s David Allen. “The RMEF wants it to remain that way.”

http://www.hcn.org/articles/sportsmen-unite-against-land-transfers

I.e., these sorts of proposals are considered "worse" than "Obama is gonna take away my gun". It's now going to be "The GOP is gonna take away the land where I use my gun because I won't be able to hunt on it if it becomes 'private' land".

[Punx]

24. Yep

Last edited Fri May 1, 2015, 10:53 PM - Edit history (1)

I've seen something like this play out in Eastern Oregon where a local landowner died and the land was sold to an out of state person. The locals had to cross a small strip to get to public lands and the former land owner, being part of the community had always left it un-gated. Until it was sold and the new owner put a gate on the road. That did not go over well with the local residents.

Not sure what finally happened. This would be on a much bigger scale of course. My worry is that these reps will only care about the money they get from selling out. Hopefully the locals will organize as you mention.

[jalan48]

16. These Republicans are major Koch suckers.

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. And John Birchers too

[jalan48]

20. Modern version of the racist Birchers.

[Dont call me Shirley]

22. They're still alive and kicking...

"Once considered by the right and the left as the political equivalent of an addled uncle sent down to the basement rec room to drink, rant and hopefully pass out before saying anything too nutty in front of the guests, in recent years the John Birch Society has been invited back upstairs and has even hosted a dinner party or two. In 2010, the society was a co-sponsor of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. “It’s a fallacy to say that we ever went into hibernation,” Thompson said in the interview with the Report. “We’ve always been active. We’ve always influenced the conservative movement. We just don’t bang the drum and wave the flag about everything we do.’’


http://www.splcenter.org/home/2012/spring/bringing-back-birch

[grntuscarora]

18. Expected to see my ass-hat, repuke congressman's name on the list

of ass-hats involved in this ass-hatted attempt at a land grab. Delighted (and surprised) he was not listed.

Probably he just hasn't heard of the group yet.

[Rolando]

28. A better idea:

Sell Alaska back to Russia. Unload the Louisiana Purchase and the Gadsden Purchase. Give Texas back to Mexico. Get rid of all that baggage.

[grntuscarora]

31. Or even better: allow the Forest Service

to honor its mission statement of "Caring for the Land, and Serving People."

Don't think the mission statement mentions selling it off piecemeal to private corporate interests.

[Bartlet]

27. Huh

So by rightful owners they mean Native Americans right? Oh wait, that's not what they meant, they meant their corporate masters...got it.

[nruthie]

29. They never cease to disgust me.

[valerief]

30. Frackomania! nt

[asiliveandbreathe]

34. A good read for those who enjoy a (an) historical reference point

Selling of Federal Land.....many attempts have been made to claim federal land over many years and many a congress....yep - Utah wants their so called state land...as in the past - hopefully today...this attempt won't make it to the floor - even Bush tried twice....

http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/crsdocuments/RL34267_12032007.pdf

Greed - nothing more....the Escalade Project at the Grand Canyon comes to mind, although is up for debate re Fed or American Indian authority....but then, there is something else - it is called water!