CA: Bush's land giveaway

Sac Bee ^ | 2/2/03 | Bee Editorial Staff

[NormsRevenge]

The Bush administration has hijacked an 1866 law intended to help open the West. The uses that the administration now envisions for this law has the potential to ruin vast portions of the West.

Many of the state's signature landscapes -- Death Valley and the Mojave National Preserve -- could soon face claims from local governments demanding rights-of-way over these federal lands for new roads. On the Mojave preserve alone, San Bernardino County is pressing claims to 2,567 miles of rights-of-way, according to the Los Angeles Times.

[okie01]

On the theory that whatever gets the enviro-whackos lathered up is a good thing, I applaud the Bush administration.

And issue my sincerest condolences to the editorial board of the Sacramento Bee...

[anniegetyourgun]

My kids threw more interesting tantrums.....

[Recovering_Democrat]

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Bush is telling environmentalist earth worshipers to take a HIKE. I love it.

[Kay Ludlow]

Darn! That will really put a crimp in the Wildlands Project, since it demands vast roadless areas...

I attended the Pennsylvania Re-Wilding conference yesterday (opposition research on my part) and got to hear all about their plans. As soon as I get my 40 pages of notes typed, I'll post something. I'd never want to help foil their plans (/sarcasm).

[Servant of the Nine]

The Government has no business owning most of that land anyway. The frontier should never have been closed.

All land except military bases and National Parks should be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

So9

[lefty4w]

hooray, for America and the Bush Admin. I only hope it includes some roads in those forests too. To check fires and to see what some?? people do way back there in those trees. EXP: "funny crops", strange hideouts, and God knows what. Remember a few years ago when it was or maybe is still a danger to back pack in the dense forests?

[lefty4w]

Doesn't the federal gov. own 70 to 80% of the western lands, guess I should look it up first, anyway it is way too much. Some persons call that communism.

[expatpat]

The enviro-wackos brouhgt this on themselves by trying to block and eliminate roads on existing rights of way on Federal land.

[Nebullis]

"pro-road elements"

[Inyo-Mono]

Yet another outraged newspaper article from people that are far removed from the areas they are writing about. I live near Death Valley and have spent many, many nights camping in what is now the Mojave Nat'l Preserve. These very sparsely populated lands are so huge, so vast, that several eastern states could fit inside their boundaries.

San Bernardino County is only pressing for right of way on existing roads that outdoorsmen (and women) are now denied use of to enjoy the vast desert wilderness. The article makes it sound as though they want to build 2,567 miles of new roads.

[Belisaurius]

Maybe I'd be more willing to take the Sacremento Bee's editorial views more seriously if they'd stop reprinting faxes from Red Davis's office on the op-ed page. Just me, maybe I'm cynical

[nunya bidness]

Heads up.

[NormsRevenge]

Ping

[Carry_Okie]

Land lockups are usually political favors: Fedgov sequestering mineral resources from the American people to enrich multinational contributors. Roads such as are cited in this article are access to existing patented claims that in the past might have been non-economic.

Such a pity when a government is so fickle that it doesn't stay bought! How are holders of competing mines at home and abroad going to make an ill-gotten buck through artificial shortages if the American people can maintain access to their property?

Dialing the phone to peon writers at the Bee....

[Carry_Okie]

Why not auction National Parks? Why should the government hold a monopoly in the land entertainment business? It causes prime assets to be both overused and underinvested, while preventing anyone from going into a competing use because of civic price suppression. That devalues all land for its natural value and helps set it up for development.

[okie01]

"Dialing the phone to peon writers at the Bee...."

I don't think they wanna hear what you've got to tell 'em...

[nightdriver]

"The Government has no business owning most of that land anyway."

Aye-men bro!

When the FedGov owns the property, nobody pays any taxes on it, making ours higher.

[farmfriend]

PInging the usuals, and one unusual.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Thanks for the oing from the unusual one :0)