Mike Lee's Ammendment - Sale Of Some National Park Lands

[Brad]

This asshole just doesn't quit...

Public Land Advocates Warn Senate Amendment Could Greenlight Sale of National Parks - Flathead Beacon

Public land advocates this week warned that a proposed Senate amendment to an appropriations bill could clear a path toward downsizing America’s national parks system. U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee — and who endured a firestorm of criticism...

flatheadbeacon.com

Groups express alarm about Mike Lee lands amendment

The Senate may vote on an amendment to spending legislation that critics say could lead to public lands sales.

www.eenews.net

 

[Big Fin]

No, he doesn't quit. Too much campaign money involved for him to quit. The list of tricks and stunts we should expect from him and his cronies between now and the mid-term election is very long.

 

[Jnasa]

I’m fed up already. I guess the guy doesn’t have anything g better to do but to try screwing the American people.

 

[SAJ-99]

I agree with the trial balloon analogy. He will just keep floating things to see what can sneak through because he has the green light to do so. I eventually expect there will be some fake emergency declaration and some land will be sold or transferred under that.

 

[Laszlo Cravensworth]

I agree with the trial balloon analogy. He will just keep floating things to see what can sneak through because he has the green light to do so. I eventually expect there will be some fake emergency declaration and some land will be sold or transferred under that.

It's been his main campaign platform all along. This is why he went into politics. He's going to keep doing it for as long as Utah elects him.

 

[SAJ-99]

It's been his main campaign platform all along. This is why he went into politics. He's going to keep doing it for as long as Utah elects him.

Sure, but he isn’t acting alone. The game plan all year has been cut staff and starve it of funds so it is easier to convince Americans the sale is warranted.

 

[Gellar]

This seems like a poor play for Lee and his cronies. Americans love of national parks is deep. Hopefully we can turn this against him and run him out of D.C. with his tail tucked between his legs for good.

 

[KingOfTagSoup]

If anyone from Utah feels like primaring him we'd much appreciate it

 

[MTGomer]

Lee isn’t going to lose an election. He’s doing exactly what he was sent there to do and most of his constituency is in the same cult.
Lee is in until he decides not to run.

 

[daltrix99]

A couple quick comments and questions:

- from a cursory read it looks like this amendment only applies to DOI / NPS lands, so not FS / BLM land (for now)?

- I heard Ryan Callahan say he believes Lee is motivated by religious and philosophical ideology, possibly more so than by money and lobbyists. Does anyone have credible insight to Lee’s true motivation for this nonstop BS? I ask because typically this kind of stuff is tied to the typical (awful) money and power games of politics, and for better or worse, that ‘makes sense’, and there is a playbook to fight it. But if homeboy Lee is on a personal crusade, one would be concerned about anything stopping his attempts.

- finally, other than more emails, in my case to Daines, Sheehy, and Zinke, what can we do in this case?

F this un-American crony

 

[KingOfTagSoup]

I suspect he is getting a ton of his motivation from the extremely powerful and wealthy Mormon lobby in Utah. They already control a ton of land in that state and are looking for more. If the feds sell it, they have the money to buy and develop it.

 

[SAJ-99]

A couple quick comments and questions:

- from a cursory read it looks like this amendment only applies to DOI / NPS lands, so not FS / BLM land (for now)?

- I heard Ryan Callahan say he believes Lee is motivated by religious and philosophical ideology, possibly more so than by money and lobbyists. Does anyone have credible insight to Lee’s true motivation for this nonstop BS? I ask because typically this kind of stuff is tied to the typical (awful) money and power games of politics, and for better or worse, that ‘makes sense’, and there is a playbook to fight it. But if homeboy Lee is on a personal crusade, one would be concerned about anything stopping his attempts.

- finally, other than more emails, in my case to Daines, Sheehy, and Zinke, what can we do in this case?

F this un-American crony

Does Lee's true motivation matter? Would you feel better if it was driven by religious ideology? This is tied to politics because was is in the Republican platform, until it got dumbed down for the last election. For many people, everything is measured in money. There is no spiritual benefit to wild places, only how to profit from it. And that view can be as strongly held as any religious ideology.

Lee is disliked broadly for these stunts. Even by those would, like Lee, gladly minimize the federal government out of existence and transfer this land back to states in heartbeat given the opportunity.

Don't discount the power of an email or phone call. They are powerful. Particularly when a lot of people do it.

 

[daltrix99]

Does Lee's true motivation matter? Would you feel better if it was driven by religious ideology? This is tied to politics because was is in the Republican platform, until it got dumbed down for the last election. For many people, everything is measured in money. There is no spiritual benefit to wild places, only how to profit from it. And that view can be as strongly held as any religious ideology.

Lee is disliked broadly for these stunts. Even by those would, like Lee, gladly minimize the federal government out of existence and transfer this land back to states in heartbeat given the opportunity.

Don't discount the power of an email or phone call. They are powerful. Particularly when a lot of people do it.

I think Lee's motivation would matter, because in theory knowing his motive would better inform tactics and strategy to effectively combat his efforts.

No, I would not feel better if he is ideologically driven, because in my opinion that is a tougher challenge than overcoming an effort driven by money or political status. I thought I made that clear in my comment.

I will definitely keep writing to the Montana politicians, but I worry that Lee and the extremely-well-funded Utah cohort will keep going. Maybe if enough of his peers realize he is actually a crazy person in addition to being a corrupt politician, he'll fall as far out of favor as possible.

 

[Laszlo Cravensworth]

It's no coincidence that Mike Lee chairs the Senate energy and natural resources committee. His colleagues put him there on purpose. He's also on the budget committee for a reason.

His outspoken antagonism to public lands is well known and well documented. If they let him have his committee assignments it gives the rest of them cloud cover. The rarer specimen is an R senator that gives a damn about public lands. This idealogy is more widespread than most folks want to believe.

 

[SAJ-99]

I think Lee's motivation would matter, because in theory knowing his motive would better inform tactics and strategy to effectively combat his efforts.

No, I would not feel better if he is ideologically driven, because in my opinion that is a tougher challenge than overcoming an effort driven by money or political status. I thought I made that clear in my comment.

I will definitely keep writing to the Montana politicians, but I worry that Lee and the extremely-well-funded Utah cohort will keep going. Maybe if enough of his peers realize he is actually a crazy person in addition to being a corrupt politician, he'll fall as far out of favor as possible.

It sounds like you want to find a way to stop this, probably so you don't have to worry about it anymore. I get it. All I can say is that is not going to happen. Lee could get voted out or promoted to a new position and someone else will come in to take his place. See the bio for the person nominated to lead BLM. This isn't just Lee or Utah. This idea - "maximizing value of public resources for America" - is a core belief within the party. The risk is if they come up with an idea like "Fed lands for affordable housing" or something that can get both sides to on board.

Trust me, most of his peers generally hate him, but for a lot of reasons other than him being "crazy" or "corrupt" (which I wouldn't say he is). There is one very important guy in DC who likes him though.

 

[Wildabeest]

A couple quick comments and questions:

- from a cursory read it looks like this amendment only applies to DOI / NPS lands, so not FS / BLM land (for now)?

- I heard Ryan Callahan say he believes Lee is motivated by religious and philosophical ideology, possibly more so than by money and lobbyists. Does anyone have credible insight to Lee’s true motivation for this nonstop BS? I ask because typically this kind of stuff is tied to the typical (awful) money and power games of politics, and for better or worse, that ‘makes sense’, and there is a playbook to fight it. But if homeboy Lee is on a personal crusade, one would be concerned about anything stopping his attempts.

- finally, other than more emails, in my case to Daines, Sheehy, and Zinke, what can we do in this case?

F this un-American crony

I think it’s both. There’s a lot of distrust / distaste in UT for the the Federal Govt that dates back to well before UT was even a state. All of that history is heavily intertwined with the LDS church. So I do believe he had ideological inclinations towards his present mission before he became a politician. That being said, today I think it’s just as much about power and money as it is ideology. He’s realized that there’s lots of political money that can be raised from folks who want to exploit these lands (just look at his top donors and this is pretty obvious), and he panders to the strong base of voters in UT who are already inclined to hate anything the Fed Govt does.

 

[SAJ-99]

Montanan can look at their own for instances of attempting to monetize federal land. Just a different approach on what Lee is doing.

Danies also led the charge against Biden allowing BLM land to be leased purely for conservation. I guess you can’t have competition for that $1.35 grazing rate. So value has to be maximized for his friends. Only good part is Danies does what is in his best interest, so the emails help.

Montana delegation backs bill to release wilderness study areas

Most of Montana’s Congressional delegation is once again sponsoring a bill to remove three study areas from consideration as designated wilderness.

missoulacurrent.com

 

[Carnage2011]

Montanan can look at their own for instances of attempting to monetize federal land. Just a different approach on what Lee is doing.

Danies also led the charge against Biden allowing BLM land to be leased purely for conservation. I guess you can’t have competition for that $1.35 grazing rate. So value has to be maximized for his friends. Only good part is Danies does what is in his best interest, so the emails help.

Montana delegation backs bill to release wilderness study areas

Most of Montana’s Congressional delegation is once again sponsoring a bill to remove three study areas from consideration as designated wilderness.

missoulacurrent.com

These aren’t even close to comparable. The wilderness study areas are still public land and accessible. You’re reaching..

 

[rogerthat]

Montanan can look at their own for instances of attempting to monetize federal land. Just a different approach on what Lee is doing.

Danies also led the charge against Biden allowing BLM land to be leased purely for conservation. I guess you can’t have competition for that $1.35 grazing rate. So value has to be maximized for his friends. Only good part is Danies does what is in his best interest, so the emails help.

Montana delegation backs bill to release wilderness study areas

Most of Montana’s Congressional delegation is once again sponsoring a bill to remove three study areas from consideration as designated wilderness.

missoulacurrent.com

Just an interesting point but competition isn’t really the right word. Conservation couldn’t override valid existing rights and uses as the rule was wrote. That whole thing was the most poorly rolled out over politicized hullabaloo ever. Nothing like getting certain user groups hackles up over nothing.

 

[SAJ-99]

These aren’t even close to comparable. The wilderness study areas are still public land and accessible. You’re reaching..

I'm not comparing the two, just saying they come from the same general belief of monetization. Don't miss the forest for the trees. Wilderness study areas are already accessible by public. Removing wilderness designation just opens them up to resource development. And look, that might not always be a bad thing in my opinion. I'm a multi-use supporter. But just call it what it is and stop hiding behind the "sportsman" facade. "Increased access" just = roads.

Lee is singularly focused on transfer and is open about it. Hell, I almost respect that. I would like Daines to say the land should stay Federal because the grazing lease rates are better than state land rates and it would hurt his supporters.