GOP Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Defang Bureau of Land Management

Utah representative speak up for the public

Republican Jason Chaffetz is known for going against the government grain a bit, and that is as it should be. He favors local control by those who understand local situations and conditions. His new bill will face an uphill battle, but needs to be passed.

Republican representative Jason Chaffetz introduced legislation that rips public land policing responsibilities from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service officials and hands it to local sheriffs.

The bill, titled “Local Enforcement for Local Lands Act,” has created angst among groups such as the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress (CAP), among other environmentalists.

“This legislation will help de-escalate conflicts between law enforcement and local residents while improving transparency and accountability,” Chaffetz said in a statement. “The BLM and Forest Service will be able to focus on their core missions without the distraction of police functions.”

Of course extremist environmental groups take great exception to the proposal, making wild accusations and claims of violent, anti-government militia groups running rough-shod over the public lands, but it is important to remember that in situations such as Ruby Ridge, Waco, Texas, and the recent conflict in Oregon, the only deaths that occurred were committed by government agents killing protesting citizens.

“Congress has been a compliant witness to the rise of violent extremism on America’s public lands, ignoring the dangers that so-called Patriot militias and anti-government extremists pose to communities and public servants,” Matt Lee-Ashley, senior fellow and director of the Public Lands Project at the CAP, wrote in a statement to the press.

He added: “Congress should send a clear message that violent extremism will not be tolerated and that anti-government efforts to seize and sell public lands do not reflect mainstream American values. Public lands must remain open to all, safe for all, and protected for all.”

The environmentalists do not support public lands for all, they prefer as much land as possible under the jurisdiction of the federal government (with their own help and access). It is shocking that few know about the constitutional limits of federal government land ownership, and that the restrictions are so widely ignored by the government.

It is also clear that the federal government is willing to kill protesting citizens in cold blood if their position of national landlord is challenged. The best recommendation now is for Jason Chaffetz to watch his back, because the federal government and the environmental groups have shown themselves to be as vicious and bloodthirsty as they claim the ranchers and rural citizens are when they protest the illegal overreach of the federal government.

Source: dailycaller.com