Paging all lovers of Public Lands

This takes my breath away. Thanks for the link to the article.

I will need my breath for speaking up for our lands. It's only morning in this administration and Congress, and we're already dealing with darkness; it's got to give.

You're right, of course. We have our work to do.

> give away our national birthright of public lands by categorizing them as having no value

I'm not saying they won't try to do this, but public lands have been generating revenues for decades. To a thinking person, that would seem to be a fairly solid indicator of economic value.

I read the article.  The value the lands generate is accounted for. It is just not assigned value if it is not generating income.

"Rowsome said he’s not exactly sure how the rule will be used"  - maybe he should look into that before he starts his chicken - little routine

Thanks for posting this Alias. Though it won't get much traction here at Viva.

Our legislature just passed two resolutions, pushed by an anti-environmental clown from Kanab, Utah who may just become the next head of the BLM,  http://www.sltrib.com/news/4858088-155/can-utahs-mike-noel-run-the   asking Orange Mussolini to rescind not only the recent Bears Ears Monument, but also rescind or trim the 20 year-old Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument. Definitely reasons to be seriously worried.  

The Greg Hughes pushing it is Utah's House leader and a Trump supporter who almost got a job with him. Orrin Hatch personally met with Trump last week and supposedly our new Interior Dept chief Zinke's first stop will be to Utah to examine the Bears Ears issue.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/4872395-155/resolutions-advance-to-erase-bear...

The sub-headline said "Monuments » No public opposition heard in hearings; only Democrats on committee oppose it.". The reason there was no public opposition was because it was a hastily called meeting which didn't lend itself to getting the word out or I would have testified. I had off yesterday. I just called the paper to bitch about that misleading statement.

The odd statement from Bishop in your link that “Washington bureaucrats don’t listen to people. Local governments do.” is typical Bishop bullshit. His PLI proposal didn't get any public hearings and he consulted mainly with county commissioners. 93% of his campaign support comes from out-of-state energy firms, not Utahns. And remember that the U.S. has 330 million people in it who own this land. There's 3 million (less than 1%) in Utah, and only 15,000 people in San Juan County, many of whom support the monument. Why should 7,500 people be determining the fate of these lands for 330 million others?   

Time to rise up. Again thanks for posting this to try and get the word out. 

Check out www.suwa.org from time to time for info.  

Oh yeah - one more thing. When Utah became a state, the Enabling Act allowing Utah to join the Union in 1896 states "That the people inhabiting said proposed State do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries thereof; 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..."

https://archives.utah.gov/research/exhibits/Statehood/1894text.htm 

Zinke quit a Republican platform committee over this issue as he didn't  not support transfer of lands to the states. Fingers crossed. 

In a related note, here is the link to sign up for the alternate national park service site.

https://altnps.org/

Thanks, Mark D.

Agreed Alias. Escalante is special.

"until the title thereto shall have been extinguished by the United States"     Im sorry, what is your argument here?  I don't get it

Thanks, Mark D. Signed up.