Transfer of Public Lands

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
I'll add that there was quite a bit of banter from the one's supporting the bill that their counties and the state have a large percentage of land that they could get taxes/revenue from if it was under state control.
Revenues from hunters, fisherman, recreationists, and tourists, right?

Sure........
 

shootbrownelk

Veteran member
Apr 11, 2011
1,535
196
Wyoming
What Senators were the most vocal?
I just got an e-mail from Enzi's office, saying that he and Barrasso and Lumis support the transfer, and and guess if I don't like it I can join a group and protest. Big Deal, He basically said they're going to go ahead with it if they can, and it's tough cookies if the Wyoming sportspeople don't agree with them. That's what I got out of it. He's a total butt-munch.
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,925
2,828
www.eastmans.com
I just got an e-mail from Enzi's office, saying that he and Barrasso and Lumis support the transfer, and and guess if I don't like it I can join a group and protest. Big Deal, He basically said they're going to go ahead with it if they can, and it's tough cookies if the Wyoming sportspeople don't agree with them. That's what I got out of it. He's a total butt-munch.
Can you post the text of that letter?


Eastmans' Staff Digital Media Coordinator
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
I received this email from Enzi's office yesterday in response to my objection to transferring federal lands:


February 6, 2015

Dear xxxx:

Federal control of public lands has long been a controversial issue. I believe Wyoming hands should manage Wyoming lands and I have secured specific land transfers of federal land back to local governments in the past. I sponsored the Powell Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act that passed September 12, 2013 and gave the Powell Recreation District the land for the Powell Shooting Range.

The Wyoming Legislature is considering a bill that would study the possibility of the state taking over management of public lands. The study would identify lands the state could manage, revenue sources to pay for management, division of revenue that the state could earn from the lands, and an analysis of revenue the state is losing due to federal management. I strongly encourage you to reach out to your state legislators and share your concerns with them.

Regardless of whether public land is under the management of the federal government or state it should be managed with close consultation of local stakeholders. It’s exciting though to see states starting a formal dialogue. I believe more conversations are needed if we are to stop an increasingly overreaching federal government and I will continue to follow this issue.

Thanks for contacting me.

Sincerely,
Michael B. Enzi
United States Senator

MBE:AC
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
I received this response from Senator Barrasso on January 29, 2015:


Dear xxxx,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about public land management. It is good to hear from you.

As a citizen and U.S. Senator from Wyoming, a state with over 50 percent public land, I am very interested in the multiple-use management of our nation's public lands and resources. I believe any land use decisions in Wyoming must be borne of community support that includes all stakeholders.

I appreciate hearing your concerns with state ownership or management of certain public lands within their borders. You may be interested to know in 2013, the Wyoming State Legislature directed a task force to begin studying the issue of federal land ownership in the state.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

John Barrasso, M.D.
United States Senator
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
Folks, let's not bash our two senators too much. I really like both of them (or at least I have up til now). We are going to need their support.
 
Last edited:

packmule

Veteran member
Jun 21, 2011
2,433
0
TX
Sounds like they're dead set on it and an approach to minimize it is needed. Widening state ROWs (road ditches) to make room for business development while leaving roads/creating roads to access federal land behind it is an angle to take. May even cut down on road kill. They should see with the current market that with dabbling in O&G extraction it's impossible to forecast their budgets.
 
Last edited:

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
Toward the end of the 30 minutes you will hear Mr. Miller attempt to categorize the opposition as "green" groups perhaps against the second amendment.
Forgive me if I quote myself:

The genius of these special interests is they managed to make it look like a political issue. Now they get to pressure support by labeling conservatives that don't support it as RINOs or government lovers or un-American or whatever.
 

go_deep

Veteran member
Nov 30, 2014
2,650
1,984
Wyoming
Bitterroot Bulls if I'm understanding you, you think without doing research that these groups are what Mr Miller says they are?
Here is the group that I belong to http://backcountryhunters.org/ they opposed it proudly along with many other actual outdoor hunting and fishing first groups their not the groups that he made them out to be. Mr. Miller has resorted to mud slinging because he knows these groups are legit. The only thing that makes any sense is that they want control of the federal land to sell of the pieces they want for themselves and their buddies want to buy. Like I said earlier Governor Matt Mead looked me straight in the face and said the state of Wyoming does not have the money or the means to manage all the federal land in the state of Wyoming. So what do you do with it when you get it? FIRE SALE, let you and your buddies get what they want and need, still got to much maybe the Chinese or western Europe would like to buy some, maybe Russia, and then what? We all sit around and talk about the greatest American travesty of are time. Not me I will go to any meeting I can, write emails, letters to everyone that I can, go to whatever lengths I can to prevent this, and at a minimum if it still happens I can piss and moan and complain knowing that I tried to stop it instead of just sitting back hoping it doesn't.
 
Last edited:

shootbrownelk

Veteran member
Apr 11, 2011
1,535
196
Wyoming
Folks, let's not bash our two senators too much. I really like both of them (or at least I have up til now). We are going to need their support.
HPD, you and I will not get our Senators support. They're all for this transfer. All the "Stakeholders" Means OIL, GAS, COAL and AGRICULTURE and perhaps outfitters. Not run-of-the-mill sportspeople. JMO
 

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
Bitterroot Bulls if I'm understanding you, you think without doing research that these groups are what Mr Miller says they are?
Haha, no my friend, you are misunderstanding me. We are on the same side. I fully support the backcountry hunters and anglers, and all the other coalitions of hunters, hikers, fisherman, and other recreators that oppose this incredibly stupid "transfer" scam. Like you I am doing everything I possibly can to prevent this disaster.

The special interests I was referring to were extraction interests represented by the "American Lands Council" con-artists that are forcing this travesty on the West. Mr. Miller's ridiculous comments were just what I predicted: Lame distractions and diversions and haphazard labeling of legitimately concerned citizens like you, me, the backcountry hunters, and the majority of the public that want to preserve our public lands for recreation for us and our descendents far into the future.

And I always do my research.
 
Last edited:

go_deep

Veteran member
Nov 30, 2014
2,650
1,984
Wyoming
Haha, no my friend, you are misunderstanding me. We are on the same side. I fully support the backcountry hunters and anglers, and all the other coalitions of hunters, hikers, fisherman, and other recreators that oppose this incredibly stupid "transfer" scam. Like you I am doing everything I possibly can to prevent this disaster.

The special interests I was referring to were extraction interests represented by the "American Lands Council" con-artists that are forcing this travesty on the West. Mr. Miller's ridiculous comments were just what I predicted: Lame distractions and diversions and haphazard labeling of legitimately concerned citizens like you, me, the backcountry hunters, and the majority of the public that want to preserve our public lands for recreation for us and our descendents far into the future.

And I always do my research.
I read into it wrong I apologize for implying that.

Glad to have you in the trenches.
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
HPD, you and I will not get our Senators support. They're all for this transfer. All the "Stakeholders" Means OIL, GAS, COAL and AGRICULTURE and perhaps outfitters. Not run-of-the-mill sportspeople. JMO
shootbrownelk, You may be right. Nevertheless I remain hopeful that we as sportsmen can influence their position on this.

My first letter to each of them was very generic against the transfer. I plan to write again stressing the point that I am not alone against this. Numerous outdoor groups have come out against it. These outdoor groups represent tens of thousands of Wyoming sportsmen. We need to let them know this is unpopular among outdoor enthusiasts. Like any politician, they will listen to numbers.

I encourage all sportsmen (and women) to write your Wyoming senators and express your opinion.
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
Dr. Taylor Haynes, former candidate for governor, has a letter to the editor in the Cheyenne paper this morning. As many of you may know, he ran on the issue of transferring federal lands and lost the primary election in August. In the letter he claims the state could increase its wealth and "reach its full potential" if they took over federal lands.

Seems to me he is making the point that I and others on this forum have made many times: If the state gets control, they will emphasize for-profit activities while paying only lip-service to recreation. I find it scary that the state "may reach its full potential" when he is clearly referring to economic potential.

I hope you all have contacted your elected officials and will continue to do so.
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
128
Wyoming
The Casper Star Tribune has come out against the transfer of federal lands to the state:

http://trib.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-board-discussion-needed-on-state-land-use/article_856b5196-53c6-5d6b-bc7b-1d5ca060ba9c.html

While they still support a study, I think they have softened their stand compared to the editorial they published in January. Today's editorial specifically recognizes the importance of sportsmen's input to the study.

Let's keep up the pressure. I think we are making a little progress. I, for one, am not about to quit fighting for elk and the elk country I love so much!
 

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
The victories are small and hard-earned right now.

The opposition is well-funded and motivated, including the Koch-funded "dark money" groups:

Americans for Prosperity (AFP)
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
American Lands Council (ALC)

If you look into the legislators pushing this agenda, against the will of the people, you will find one or more of these groups behind them, and they don't play fair:

http://mtstandard.com/news/local/dillon-republican-legislator-others-targeted-by-conservative-group/article_432a72f9-29b9-598a-8841-8b650bc94bbb.html

http://missoulian.com/news/local/conservative-group-targets-kalispell-lawmaker-over-medicaid/article_7b775c9f-051c-52ec-a77e-1aaabaec0ab4.html

Apparently, if you don't pledge allegiance to these interests they come after you...

A new tactic is being played in Montana, where they are proposing bills to block selling the transferred land:

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/thompson-falls-lawmaker-presents-bill-transferring-federal-land-management-to/article_be0a37cb-a917-52b4-9675-584e9baf07d9.html

Of course the article above points out the catch:

"Fielder said it will place a moratorium on any land sales while the management and transfer issue is studied, as well as require the Legislature to reverse the law before any sales would occur."

Oh well, all you have to do is reverse your own law when the need arises. Sounds like a great safeguard (sarcasm).

So lets find out about Senator Fielder and her friends:

http://www.jenniferfielder.us/page.php?t=blog&winht=850

http://jenniferfielder.us/page.php?t=Federal_Lands

She has ALC propaganda on her official blog. And she is publicily berating hunters. I think that says it all...
 
Last edited: