[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

[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.

[nunya bidness]

Heads up.

[farmfriend]

PInging the usuals, and one unusual.

[JSteff]

FRom what I see from this article it looks like it is just a way to give SOME government entity land that is currently off limits to everyone. So where is the good in that?
I hate the enviro weenies but distrust government just as much.
At least the way it is now the no-nothing local governments can't use it either.... or so it appears from this article.

[Dog Gone]

Hurray for the Bush Administration. Can anyone imagine a Gore Administration doing this?

Was the the fight we fought in 2000 worth it?

[John Lenin]

The liberals would rather we all live in 400 story skyscrapers to make it easier for the terrorists to kill us with one plane.

[TigersEye]

The Clinton administration sought to limit this loophole by prohibiting the conversion of an unpaved Alaskan dogsled path into an asphalt highway.

Oh yeah! The Clintons "let them eat cake" style of governing.

[marsh2]

" It will be up to the federal Interior Department to say yes or no to these rights-of-way requests. Given the interest of San Bernardino County alone, the department will soon be barraged with thousands upon thousands of them once the rule formally takes effect on Feb. 5. The more these rights-of-way easements are granted, the more it complicates the management of public lands."

I don't think they get it. The grant was made in 1866. A "claim" or "application" is not needed. The Interior has no right to "approve" the right of way. It has ALREADY been granted. Use and establishment through use constitues acceptance of the 1866 offer. Any passage established and used after 1866 and before 1972 (FLPMA repeal)- or before withdrawal from public lands as a Park, Refuge or National Forest- constitues acceptance of the original 1866 Mining Law (later R.S. 2477) offer of grant.

Also, State law governs rights of way NOT federal.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..in practical terms, he has declared open season on federal lands....

[sauropod]

This is the RS 2477 statute. There is (or was) a great site called rs2477roads.com that discusses all this.

[countrydummy]

bump! Thanks for the post!