Rep. Chaffetz's Christsmas gift to poachers, arsonists and drug runners

[Ben Long]

http://www.outdoorlife.com/rep-chaffetzs-bill-is-poachers-dream-sportsmans-nightmare

Amigos, I would really appreciate it if you would read, discuss and share my latest post for Outdoor Life. Rep. Chaffetz "companion bill" to his public land grab would eliminate law enforcement officers for BLM and National Forest land. This is a terrible idea that would make hundreds of millions of acres of public land essentially lawless. (You think my county sheriff is going to send a deputy into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, no matter how many block grants you give him? Sorry, aint' gonna happen.) Of course, this is all part of the plan to weaken the Forest Service/BLM to make it that much easier to grab our land. Let's keep the chorus going into both Chaffetz's ears. Thank you.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

This Chaffetz dude must be a real putz!!!

 

[Big Fin]

I would ask all people to pay attention to what Ben has written here.

To me, this is the "Bundys are my boys and I'm here to support them" Act.

More pressure is needed. What good are these public lands if there is no way to enforce the rules that keep them intact?

 

[Pagosa]

Is this HB 622? This seems like a very bad idea, to restrict LEO's from public lands. The BLM and FS respond to a lot of emergency situations throughout the year on public lands. This Senator from Utah must have been paid well from the elites in Utah.

 

[Southern Elk]

This is such a bad idea. Is there even a chance that it would pass?

I mentioned this bill as well as 621 to my rep. I think Chaffetz felt much more heat on 621. What else can we do?

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Thanks for bringing this up Ben, it hasn't received nearly as much attention. I agree, local deputies are not going to patrol wilderness areas, road less areas, and I doubt the local sheriff is going to tell them put much emphasis into travel plan enforcement. Not a knock on the local guys, just a fact of life.

 

[Sytes]

Great article, Ben. Thanks.

 

[TheTone]

Does he have a plan for those people he will be putting out of work? A bunch will be rural people as well that the R's love so much...

In my experience the FS and BLM LEO's are already burdened with a huge task and way too big of areas to keep track of. The right thing to do would be add more LEO's, not get rid of them.

 

[BBwheelgunner]

In my experience the FS and BLM LEO's are already burdened with a huge task and way too big of areas to keep track of. The right thing to do would be add more LEO's, not get rid of them.

THIS! they are spread very thin

 

[RobG]

This would also allow our land to be stolen from us another way. In the area where I got the ticket the sheriff, the commissioners, etc are all related or otherwise stand to gain by closing the trail to public land. The only law enforcement I have on my side is the Forest Service. If it wasn't for them this land would have been gone long ago.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Owyhee co is 7697sqmi with 10644 people and 3710 houses
The sheriff department is 12 officers a dog and a lady in dispatch.

 

[cowboy]

This would also allow our land to be stolen from us another way. In the area where I got the ticket the sheriff, the commissioners, etc are all related or otherwise stand to gain by closing the trail to public land. The only law enforcement I have on my side is the Forest Service. If it wasn't for them this land would have been gone long ago.

^^^^^ This is way more common than uncommon. In small rural communities everyone either knows everyone or they are related to each other.

 

[katqanna]

Ben, thanks for a well timed article to keep striking while the iron is hot. I posted to several sub reddits for national attention and will get out on my newsletter tomorrow.

 

[MTGomer]

This would also allow our land to be stolen from us another way. In the area where I got the ticket the sheriff, the commissioners, etc are all related or otherwise stand to gain by closing the trail to public land. The only law enforcement I have on my side is the Forest Service. If it wasn't for them this land would have been gone long ago.

Yep. The only thing more corrupt than big government is small government.
Where someone in power owes a favor to someone else over a bad horse trade their grandpa made at the watering hole in the depression.