Old Rocks
Diamond Member
That is what the proposed sell off of National Forest, BLM, and Wildlife Refuges is. And the party supporting this criminal idea is the GOP.
Senate Vote: Amendment Sanctions Sale Of National Forests, Public Land
Amendment SA 838 was introduced to allow states to take over, transfer and sell public, federal lands, including National Forests, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas.
The vote was purely symbolic — budget amendments carry no weight of law. But senators use the opportunity to bring attention to favored political issues and compel colleagues to take a stance on major debates.
For outdoors enthusiasts, it is a wake-up call. There are many interests trying to get their hands on your public lands, and our elected officials may be willing to sell.
“We’ve got to keep an eye out for it,” said Steve Kline, Director of Government Relations at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “If you let a bad idea fester long enough, it sounds less and less like a bad idea.”
The passage of this amendment is a signal that some senators are willing to clear a path for the sale of America’s most treasured resource to the highest bidder — likely billionaires and massive corporations, foreign and domestic.
While there are currently methods such as land swaps and leases in place to exploit natural resources on public lands, once sold off to mining, fracking, oil drilling, and other industry interests, these lands will be lost forever.
From my perspective, trading our national heritage for an easily balanced budget or quick mining claim is an unforgivable sin, one that would be regretted by every generation to follow. But where is the uproar among the groups who depend on these public lands?
Senate Vote: Amendment Sanctions Sale Of National Forests, Public Land
Amendment SA 838 was introduced to allow states to take over, transfer and sell public, federal lands, including National Forests, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas.
The vote was purely symbolic — budget amendments carry no weight of law. But senators use the opportunity to bring attention to favored political issues and compel colleagues to take a stance on major debates.
For outdoors enthusiasts, it is a wake-up call. There are many interests trying to get their hands on your public lands, and our elected officials may be willing to sell.
“We’ve got to keep an eye out for it,” said Steve Kline, Director of Government Relations at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “If you let a bad idea fester long enough, it sounds less and less like a bad idea.”
The passage of this amendment is a signal that some senators are willing to clear a path for the sale of America’s most treasured resource to the highest bidder — likely billionaires and massive corporations, foreign and domestic.
While there are currently methods such as land swaps and leases in place to exploit natural resources on public lands, once sold off to mining, fracking, oil drilling, and other industry interests, these lands will be lost forever.
From my perspective, trading our national heritage for an easily balanced budget or quick mining claim is an unforgivable sin, one that would be regretted by every generation to follow. But where is the uproar among the groups who depend on these public lands?
