Bill on interstate compact on federal lands transfer dies in committee in Senate. Spokesman-Review. By Betsy Z. Russell.
Earlier . . . Critical vote in state senate committee probably on April Fool’s-
It has already passed the Idaho House with plenty of room to spare. April Fool’s Day is the likely day the Idaho State Senate committee will vote on H265 . . .”To provide an interstate compact on the transfer of public lands.”
The goal of the bill is “The compact commission, member states, associate member states, and the compact administrator shall cooperate and offer mutual assistance with each other in enforcing the terms of the compact for securing the transfer of title to federally controlled public lands to willing western states.”
The idea is that Utah will convince Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and other states with a lot of national forest, BLM lands, national wildlife refuges, etc. to cooperate in taking the U.S. public lands. This is the attempt by Utah to grab hold of Idaho and form what opponents call “the land grab compact.”
Opponents worry (beyond the loss of the 62% of Idaho that is public land) that this compact will make Idaho share the $12-million expenses that Utah has already authorized for action to take the public lands for the states. The compact rules in the bill say that if any state leaves the compact, its resignation will not take effect for 6 months.
It was generally felt that Idaho would not act in favor of trying to take the public lands this session because of lack of public support and the negative fiscal projections of what state land management would cost, but the bill was been introduced near the end of the legislative session. It made rapid progress through the Idaho House, although a number of Republicans did vote with the entire, but small, Democratic caucus against it.
The Senate Resources and Environment Committee vote, likely to be tomorrow, April 1, is thought to be where the bill has the best chance to be killed.
Committee members can be contacted at http://legislature.idaho.gov/about/contactbycommittee.cfm
Comments
All this sick BS is written, promulgated and paid for by Kochs and other disgusting rich bastards who care nothing for their own grandchildren and only worship the mighty dollar. Think Scrooge. “Are there no dust masks? Are there no prisons, slums & project warehouses for this rabble?” “I have a yacht, I’ll just float up to the new NYC shoreline. Oh wait, it’ll now be north Jersey.”
See George Carlin monologue on Youtube, “They don’t care about you!”
So isn’t a land grab illegal, for one. And for two, the factfinding committee ran around the state gathering public input and the result was – don’t attempt a takeover of public lands, the state can’t afford it and it’s illegal to take federal lands. Federal lands belong to every US citizen; are Idaho Republicans going to pay every citizen in the US for the lands they take? I’m so sick of this.
Kathi Wagner,
The states that want to grab the public lands have had no legal success, and they probably won’t even with this reactionary Supreme Court. However, if Congress wants to give the public lands all, or in part, to the states, it seems to me that it would be legally able to do it.
Since public lands belong to all Americans is it possible for a large group of Americans to sue these states, or the feds if they try to exchange, sell or gift this land to a state?
“Or will Arizona Tea-Publicans seek out an armed confrontation with the federal government over federal land, like their good buddy Cliven Bundy, and live out their fantasies of starting an insurrection against the United States Government?”
http://blogforarizona.net/arizona-land-grab-bills-and-the-anniversary-of-bundy-ranch/
While I don’t care to participate in commenting on this blog anymore I will make an exception here as this land grab topic is something that everyone should be paying attention to and expressing their opposition to. Instead of commenting on this blog, take the same 60 seconds and contact your state senators and representatives and tell them not to support or introduce any further legislation on the land transfer/sale. That is the only way to silence the fringe groups who are pushing this. For the record, I just returned from Washington, D.C. on behalf of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and met with Colorado’s senators and representatives to let them know where we stand. Griping on a blog won’t get anything done, contacting your congressmen directly will do better.
Adam Gall,
Rightly said about the punch power when we contact legislative representatives. However dismissing this blog is like sitting quietly in school for 12 years. No participation in conversations, no blossoming of ideas. I certainly do not have all the answers but I do like to throw my 2cents worth in the ring once and awhile. Time after time it brings responses that I use to either reinforce my thought or awaken me that tweaking it just a little would be much more effective. And while I’m at it, thanks for reinforcing me to the need to get in the face of legislators. Glad you made the exception today. Bye.
Hi Larry, thank you. I used to participate in this blog with some frequency and I think what Ralph et al are doing on this page is a good thing. Hope you contact your congressmen.
“However dismissing this blog is like sitting quietly in school for 12 years. No participation in conversations, no blossoming of ideas. I certainly do not have all the answers but I do like to throw my 2cents worth in the ring once and awhile. Time after time it brings responses that I use to either reinforce my thought or awaken me that tweaking it just a little would be much more effective”
Nice, Larry K. Thank you.
This blog is for people who care!!!!!!!!!!!!!