Posted on 02/02/2017 12:40:03 PM PST by Sheapdog
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) announced he is withdrawing a bill that would have sold off 3.3 million acres of public lands across 10 states following backlash from the sporting community. The Disposal of Excess Federal Lans Act of 2017 (or H.R. 621) would have directed “the Secretary of the Interior to sell certain Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, previously identified as suitable for disposal, and for other purposes.” This would have encompassed 3.5 million acres– roughly the same size as the state of Connecticut.
Many saw this as a threat to access to hunting and fishing on public lands, so Chaffetz felt it was wise to withdraw the bill and let it die in the House Natural Resources Committee.
(Excerpt) Read more at theresurgent.com ...
Wow, what a missed opportunity.
I wonder who paid for this bill?
Selling it? Give it back to its rightful owners...the states
More paid off politician swamp.
Good move. Keep these in public so we the people have access!
My other question would be....Which Land Baron usually gets first crack.
Keep it simple, and just sell off Connecticut.
“Keep it simple, and just sell off Connecticut.”
One sanctuary state down, and three more to go!
Good move. Keep these in public so we the people have access!
The problem is that the left thinks they own it and would impose limits so the public couldn’t use it..
In PA, much of our state forests have been ‘protected’ from mining, drilling, timbering, by closing the thousands of miles of fire roads to the public (unless you are a hiker or mountain biker). Now, the state timbers, drills, mines for the state interests, and the PA Game commission manages the State Game-lands for the benefit of ‘all species’.
Basically, I wouldn't assume that a deep pocketed donor was necessarily behind the bill. Could have been a bill in the public interest that was opposed by eco-whackos posing as sportsmen trying to stop it. If the public isn't going to be allowed on ‘public lands’, I'd rather see it sold so we do have a chance again.
They own half the west and it just is not FAIR! We get Payment in Lieu of Taxes but it is nowhere near what we’d get if regular property taxes were paid.
It isn’t the government’s place to cheap access to sportsmen and that only in the west.
Return the land to the respective states and abolish the BLM.
Good news. Not exactly a right/left issue, but this was opposed by hunters, fishers, campers, everyone who enjoys outdoor recreation, a $650 billion industry nationally.
“The problem is that the left thinks they own it and would impose limits so the public couldn’t use it..”
As the Fraud taught us (and veterans), public land can be petulantly closed off to punish us for not marching in lock-step with the fascist domestic enemy.
Growing up in Colorado surrounded by millions of acres of national forest that everyone could use, I have mixed feelings about this selling it off. Not sure I want the beautiful forests that I hiked, camped, hunted and fished in to be marked “Private Property. No Trespassing.”
My guess is that the first two buyers lining up to submit their bids would be (in no particular order) Bill Gates and the government of China.
I'm all for abolishing Black Lives Matter.
The Sporting Community is not always on the side of the Constitution and Liberty. We count on them for support of the 2AMD but beyond that they are not so solid for the Constitution.
Them too.
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