Federal Land Grab Comes To Helena

[katqanna]

This Wednesday, May 14th in Helena, the federal land grab fight is in Montana. Our Environmental Quality Council will be meeting and on the Agenda at 3:35 - Study of Federal Land Management. Rep. Kerry White (He was on his way to assist Cliven Bundy in Nevada) and other members of the Federal Land Management Committees will be presenting including speakers from Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Nevada. If you cannot attend the meeting, please take the time to call or email the members and let them know as a land owner - your Federal Lands are not for sale! Especially NOT at gunpoint!

All Along The Watchtower - Montana's Bully Pulpit

 

[Ben Lamb]

State land is not public land. If you want to keep the public in public land, you need to stand up and be counted.

Great cartoon Kat.

http://www.mtbullypulpit.org/2014/05/all-along-watchtower.html

 

[RobG]

State land is not public land. If you want to keep the public in public land, you need to stand up and be counted.

Great cartoon Kat.

http://www.mtbullypulpit.org/2014/05/all-along-watchtower.html

Isn't it only recently that we can access leased state land in MT? I think we needed to have permission of the lessee before.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Isn't it only recently that we can access leased state land in MT? I think we needed to have permission of the lessee before.

Yes.

State lands are not public land. They are managed to return the highest yield for state school trusts. Recreation isn't generally considered a "highest and best use," regardless of how much money public land recreation pumps into the economy (in MT, that's about $5.8 billion annually

 

[Big Fin]

I will be filming that day, but will send comments tomorrow. Will the testimony be available as public record? Hopefully video record.

If Kerry "pass my communist bills" White and his ilk want to go down this road, I am happy to give them enough rope for self-hanging. I hope the committee takes action on some of these crazy notions. That would be the first good step in showing the public what kind of screwballs they have elected.

I see they have stacked the deck with the legislators who are already biased toward selling the public lands. Expect a high level of ignorance, rants based on self-study legal theory, and conspiracy theories aplenty.

This is going to get interesting, real fast.

 

[Rimrock]

Well, State Land is actually "public", at least if it's accessible by public road. We even farm some, although there aren't even gophers on the Rockpile!!
Very few mulies anymore, but even had some nightime elk visitors a few days ago. They like organic winter wheat and camelina!
Of course that's over by hunting season...

 

[katqanna]

Ben, thanks. It was timely that while I was finishing up my cartoon, putting together the newsletter, I saw the Bully Pulpit article. The cherry on top. Very well written.

Randy, first I thought you were going to the meeting and filming it - giving them enough rope for self hanging. Then I realized that you were stating you would be filming, therefore you couldnt be there. That meeting is slated for both audio and video. I am taking my recorder anyway. Call me cynical.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Well, State Land is actually "public", at least if it's accessible by public road. We even farm some, although there aren't even gophers on the Rockpile!!
Very few mulies anymore, but even had some nightime elk visitors a few days ago. They like organic winter wheat and camelina!
Of course that's over by hunting season...

Not to argue over a technicality, but "Public Land" means land owned by all and held in trust for the benefit of the nation, i.e. federal public land, FWP fee title land, etc. State Land is owned by the state and held in trust for the public schools. Citizens don't have the same kind of rights to access, camp, etc that we do on truly public lands. State land is managed to bring in a maximun yield to the state trust and wildlife rarely enter into their decision making processes (although there has been movement towards sensible wildlife planning on state lands, especially those with T&E species on them.).

What the state giveth, they can taketh away. It was a herculean effort to get camping and recreating on state land. Some states still don't allow recreational access, others manage it extremely tightly (2 day camping max in one spot on state land in MT). In AZ, you can camp a total of 14 days PER YEAR on state land.

How's that gonna effect elk camp?

 

[ingomar]

I will be there to testify and present two documents that should be of interest. First, an excerpt of the 2012 MT Republican Party Platform wherein it states "We oppose additional acquisition of acreage by state or federal agencies. Any public acquisition of private land cannot result in a new acreage gain to the state or federal government"

The second document is LC0451, a 2011 draft bill by Sen. Brendon which states "Land purchases must be approved by the board of land commissioners. To the extent practical and consistent with the board of land commissioners' powers and duties pursuant to 77-1-202, land purchases may not result in a net gain in land owned by the state". This bill was never introduced and did not receive a bill number but it shows the thought process.

Seems very hypocritical that they oppose land acquisitions that would provide recreational opportunities for Montanans but now want to acquire the federal landholdings within the state so they can sell it to the highest bidder or develop it, neither of which would be beneficial to our wildlife resources or the Montana resident hunters/angler/recreationists.

 

[Straight Arrow]

neither of which would be beneficial to our wildlife resources or the Montana resident hunters/angler/recreationists.

nor to the ever-increasing tourism industry which is a growing economic engine fueling Montana's fiscal health. I thought the platform also included support for a healthy economy and more jobs.

 

[Ben Lamb]

nor to the ever-increasing tourism industry which is a growing economic engine fueling Montana's fiscal health. I thought the platform also included support for a healthy economy and more jobs.

$5.8 billion in economic activity fort 2012, and 68,000 jobs.

Outdoor recreation is bigger than Oil & Gas and rivals Ag for economic activity.

 

[katqanna]

This particular portion of the EQC federal lands is Listed as SJ 15. Here is their "Study Matrix" they have been working on.

Here are the County Commission Surveys they conducted with the results to their questions. Take a good look at the questions they ask. I know the county commissioners in three counties down here, have heard their public comments on a number of public land and wildlife issues, including hunting. The county commissioner survey results do not surprise me.

 

[Straight Arrow]

County Commission survey results are indeed predictable based on the structure of the survey and the phrasing of questions.

Had I submitted a response it would have been drafted in the form of paragraphs expressing information regarding each question topic.

 

[katqanna]

Sending in comments I realized a number of the EQC members did not have email links provided on their name links, so here is what I could find from other sources like Vote Smart and MEIC. All but one Senator Jim Keane, make that two, Welborn's came back as not deliverable.

Rep. Jerry Bennett [email protected]
Rep. Virginia Court [email protected]
Rep. Ed Lieser [email protected]
Rep. Bill McChesney [email protected]
Rep. Kerry White [email protected]
Sen. John Brenden [email protected]
Sen. Jennifer Fielder [email protected]
Sen Bradley Hamlett [email protected]
Sen. Gene Vuckovich [email protected]
Sen. Rick Ripley [email protected]
Mr. Scott Aspenlieder [email protected]
Mr. Dexter Busby [email protected]
Ms. Mary Fitzpatrick [email protected]
Mr. Roy Morris [email protected]
Governors Office Mr. Tim Baker [email protected]

 

[Rimrock]

Not to argue over a technicality, but "Public Land" means land owned by all and held in trust for the benefit of the nation, i.e. federal public land, FWP fee title land, etc. State Land is owned by the state and held in trust for the public schools. Citizens don't have the same kind of rights to access, camp, etc that we do on truly public lands. State land is managed to bring in a maximun yield to the state trust and wildlife rarely enter into their decision making processes (although there has been movement towards sensible wildlife planning on state lands, especially those with T&E species on them.).

What the state giveth, they can taketh away. It was a herculean effort to get camping and recreating on state land. Some states still don't allow recreational access, others manage it extremely tightly (2 day camping max in one spot on state land in MT). In AZ, you can camp a total of 14 days PER YEAR on state land.

How's that gonna effect elk camp?

That's correct, Ben, there are more restrictions on State Land. Some ironies there...!
There's also a State section not far from our elk camp. Except you have to cross miles and miles of Public land to get there, and Kerry White can't ride his ATV there!
Makes for better hunting...

 

[Ben Lamb]

That's correct, Ben, there are more restrictions on State Land. Some ironies there...!
There's also a State section not far from our elk camp. Except you have to cross miles and miles of Public land to get there, and Kerry White can't ride his ATV there!
Makes for better hunting...

He can'tride his ATV on most of state land either. In fact, travel is much more restricted on state land than on fed land. Seems the leesees don't want ATV's ripping through their wheat fields, etc.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Anti-Public Land meeting is today folks. This portion of the hearing should start around 3-3:30 pm.

You can listen or watch live here: http://leg.mt.gov/css/Video-and-Audio/live-session-2013.asp

 

[bigskyblueman]

No Net Gain is a pathetic slogan of false choices. Durnham Meadows , e.g.

 

[BuzzH]

Anyone listening to the MTFWP funding issue?

WOW!

I attended the meeting in Missoula on this issue. The 32 hunters/fishermen that were there are more in the know than the Legislature...

 

[BuzzH]

The tea party is on...for those interested.