House Republicans this week killed a BLM plan that would have given Washington and environmentalists, or as Bruce Finely calls them “Americans,” more say over public land use than locals and state officials.
The rule was applauded by greenies, because it gave them a seat at the table before we local yahoos could get involved, so outsiders would have the upper hand to prevent public use of said public lands.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton was a major supporter of the effort to dismantle the rule citing sweeping negative impacts it would have on Colorado and throughout the West.
If there was any doubt the changes would have disregarded local input, it was evident by the fact the BLM disregarded calls from western counties and farm bureaus begging for involvement in developing the rule.
“Further, the final rule would diminish the role that state and local governments, whose communities are most directly impacted, have historically played in the planning process,” Tipton said. “The rule would also increasingly shift decision-making ability from those local communities and their local BLM officials to unelected bureaucrats in Washington. I was proud to support H.J.Res. 44, because I want to make sure important land management decisions are made by the people who know the land best.”
Phil Hanceford, a Wilderness Society official, is very upset over the House vote, insisting that their way of doing land-use planning is the “modern way.”
“These are our public lands. People should have more of a say in how they are managed. Otherwise, the wrong decisions can be made,” Hanceford said. “BLM land management plans control, for decades, how oil and gas is developed, conservation, and grazing – how every use of our public land is managed. The public should have more of a say in the process.”
And by “the public,” he means, environmentalists.