Selling Public LandHR 621 and 622: Do We All Agree that Jason Chaffetz is a Coward?

[hank4elk]

In my experience BLM,USDA-FS lands maps & lists as discussed are real hard to pin down. Been involved with trying to get several land swaps done in past and it's a nightmare. Wish it wasn't & above board.

As to sales etc. of public lands, unless it is a BLM/FS etc office in a town that is surplus or can be swapped equitably,blow me.

Surplus,does not effect taxpayers....BS.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

The maps/descriptions the blm provides are a huge pain in the butt to use. Below are the tracts in the Gunnison Resource Area RMP, I can provide .kml layers for google earth or .pdf maps if anyone is interested in a particular area on their website. I think a big issue with the land transfer is a lack of transparency, I'm sure there are some landlocked parcels that could be swapped for the benefit of everyone, but if the BLM is going to provide such crappy resources how is anyone supposed to know what is going on. It wouldn't take a BLM employee more than a couple of weeks to map every tract here and make them available on a .kml layer for the public.

 

[BuzzH]

For example, the current Green River RMP has existed since 1997. Those land listed as suitable have been in that RMP since that time. I believe each RMP is different. I am not sure what instigates a change in RMP or how often it is revised. I know that sales/transfers or exchanges can and most likely did take place since its inception.

It is interesting that at least some of these RMP's and associated saleable land lists have existed for decades and no one has come forward to buy/transfer or exchange yet. This Bill may want the land sold but that doesn't mean anyone wants to buy it.

I think one thing to keep in mind, is that things have changed a lot since 1997. Land that people didn't have an interest in, in the past, is now highly sought after. I think another thing driving this, is the thought of PLT happening. People are willing to buy anything when considering what could happen with PLT. Even a few hundred acres of sagebrush and rock is a better place to recreate than a city park in town.

As I pointed out in my public testimony on the Bonander land exchange...once these lands are traded, swapped, or sold...they're gone forever. There is no getting them back. Our Federal delegation, will be very reluctant as a best case, and fully opposed more than likely, to ever re-acquire Federal Lands, on the remote chance they would ever come up for sale.

While I also support land trades more than disposals, I think we have to be very prudent in studying the impacts that any exchange's may have on our ability to access other public lands. How those exchanges will impact resource management of all kinds. How these exchanges will impact things 100 years from now.

I just don't want to be too quick on the trigger to "dispose" of lands that meet some set of guidelines. Disposals and exchanges need close scrutiny on a case by case basis.

 

[Oak]

I think one thing to keep in mind, is that things have changed a lot since 1997. Land that people didn't have an interest in, in the past, is now highly sought after. I think another thing driving this, is the thought of PLT happening. People are willing to buy anything when considering what could happen with PLT. Even a few hundred acres of sagebrush and rock is a better place to recreate than a city park in town.

One thing that has changed is the public's understanding of the landowner tag program in WY. How desirable is a few hundred acres of sagebrush and greasewood in the Red Desert now that people realize they could be hunting unit 100 elk and unit 60 pronghorn every year? And where does that leave the public when there are none of those highly desired tags left for the regular draw?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

While I also support land trades more than disposals, I think we have to be very prudent in studying the impacts that any exchange's may have on our ability to access other public lands. How those exchanges will impact resource management of all kinds. How these exchanges will impact things 100 years from now.

I just don't want to be too quick on the trigger to "dispose" of lands that meet some set of guidelines. Disposals and exchanges need close scrutiny on a case by case basis.

Agreed. Which is why I oppose this Bill. I personally think the way the system works now if pretty solid. Not perfect but good. You may be aware but the Gov of our State wants to build an Industrial Park somewhere in our State. I am involved with the group that is working on proposals for SW Wyoming. We had a meeting yesterday to review proposed sites to present to his office. With this area of WYO being so much of a mix of BLM and private, I can tell you that the BLM was heavily involved in helping to choose the three proposed sites and that recreational value of the land is something they take into consideration. They do not take that lightly. In my opinion the areas chosen are better served by industry than recreation but I have no doubt that someone has hunted antelope, deer and elk on each one of them recently. This fact was not lost on the BLM either.

 

[MTGomer]

That page allows you to look up the lands identified as suitable for disposal by BLM field office. So you can go to the pages in the RMP referenced for each field office on that page to see which lands they have deemed suitable for disposal.

The problem I run into when I go to the link though, is that there is a link for every little section of the RMP, so I can't pull up the full thing and go to the page that is referenced. I'm sure the info is there, but man it sure takes a lot of digging to find it.

 

[BuzzH]

One thing that has changed is the public's understanding of the landowner tag program in WY. How desirable is a few hundred acres of sagebrush and greasewood in the Red Desert now that people realize they could be hunting unit 100 elk and unit 60 pronghorn every year? And where does that leave the public when there are none of those highly desired tags left for the regular draw?

Oh yeah, big-time. I've seen property listed for sale in the very area you mention, advertising the very thing you referenced, the ability to get quality landowner tags. That pushes the price of that land through the roof, no question.

I also agree with your "gentle nudge" that something needs to be done about the landowner tag issue in these areas with very few available permits. I see what you did there.

Working on it...

 

[Deleted member 18333]

MTGomer,

If you are looking for the Missouri Breaks this link should have what you are looking for. Page 57.

https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/...oposed_rmp/vol_i.Par.13347.File.dat/chap2.pdf

 

[Oak]

Working on it...

I know.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I actually just put my rep's number into my cell phone earlier today. But, I put his DC number in. Is there a reason I should be calling his local office vs his DC office? I want to be as effective as possible.

Here is the logic/reasoning behind calling the local office vs. the DC office.

The DC office is staffed with people trying to run the Congressman's affairs, schedules, policy, etc. When their phones start ringing, whichever intern is charged with answering the phone just starts grabbing extra people for a few minutes to take calls. Then, as soon as possible, the extra people go back to what they are doing.


Whereas, the Local office is staffed with people who are hired to take phone calls from constituents and to listen to constituents. (Solve problems with Social Security, etc...). So, the local staffers are a bit more atuned to their neighbors who start calling.

Plus, somebody out in the local office starts getting overwhelmed with calls, they start passing that up the chain to DC, and try and convince the DC office that something is happening in the District. The DC office just assumes that all phone calls are part of some organized group and just mark it down as "those guys are against us again".

At the end of the day, the calls will be logged / counted as "Opposed HR 621" either way, the extra oomph is when you can get internal staffers to start talking about the number of phone calls disrupting their normal, sleepy day.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Missouri Breaks Disposal Lands in red. I can zoom in on an area if any one is interested.

 

[NCSU_Lewis]

^^^^THIS!

I cannot overemphasize how effective that advice will be. That is what it's going to take to get those Congressional delegates who are somewhat disengaged on public lands to become our advocate. This is even more important if your Senator is Daines (MT), Gardner (CO), or Burr (NC).

Burr will be hearing from me regularly.

 

[Nameless Range]

Missouri Breaks Disposal Lands in red. I can zoom in on an area if any one is interested.
View attachment 67303

Thanks wllm1313. It's amazing that the BLM does not produce more straightforward data or maps/webmaps.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Ok, here is an opportunity for action from anybody that lives in the shaded area, represented by Jason Chaffetz, perhaps the biggest coward in DC.

If you are one of his constituents, send his office an email, follow up with a phone call. Let them know you saw this thread, on some hunting forum, and in 24 hours, it had hunters from across the nation commenting and opposing Jason Chaffetz', perhaps the biggest coward in DC, bills.

Send them the link. Get them monitoring the thread. That is what will cause him to pause.




as for the rest of you, share this thread on other message boards you frequent, and see if the opposition to Jason Chaffetz, perhaps the biggest coward in DC, is nearly UNANIMOUS across the hunting community.

 

[BuzzH]

Here is the logic/reasoning behind calling the local office vs. the DC office.

The DC office is staffed with people trying to run the Congressman's affairs, schedules, policy, etc. When their phones start ringing, whichever intern is charged with answering the phone just starts grabbing extra people for a few minutes to take calls. Then, as soon as possible, the extra people go back to what they are doing.

This is true...and for the record, I just got off the phone a while ago with Congresswoman Cheney's staffer in Cheyenne. We had a great conversation about the importance of public lands and why I oppose HR621. She also asked me to email her specific information regarding the economic impacts to the economy of WY that public land has.

Very nice conversation and I will call back next week to make sure that the Staff person received my information and that she let Cheney know about it.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

These are the kind of innocuous small disposal tracts that concern me the most as the only access to 500+acres is this small little strip of BLM. Selling this block locks of even more land.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Damn, yesterday I got three requests to ban you from this forum. And look at you, giving some of the most helpful input of the month. Hopefully these people will retract their requests for your banishment.

Seriously, thanks for posting this. I think those of us who deal in this political activity as our daily efforts make some huge assumptions about the comfort level others have in doing it. I am guilty as hell when it comes to that. A post such as this, is immensely helpful and I thank you for providing it.

Fin, in your experience, would you say 3 requests to ban me is more than the daily usual, about average, or slightly less than the normal number of requests to ban me?



For those who are contacting their congressman, store the Contact information in your phone.

• First Name; Raul
• Last Name: Labrador
• Company: Congress
• Phone: 208-888-3188

(or however you store contacts.)

Then, and this is the important part, SHARE this contact with your family/friends via the text message function that your Apple or Android phone has. This will allow your friends to save the phone number.

If you want people to get involved, you have to make it easy for them. You do the hardwork, then allow them the 90 second effort, and results will start multiplying.

Then, when you need them to contact your Congressman, you can shoot them a text, or a quick call, share the contact, etc... in quick time.

 

[BuzzH]

This^ is exactly why each land swap needs to be scrutinized. IMO, its on sportsmen, recreationists, etc. to stay on top of this. Monitor your area and be a watchman for the BLM. FS, and other public lands in your area.

When you find this type of stuff, get it out on social media, get it out there on boards like this, involve local businesses, and by all means contact your county commission. Contact your State elected officials...make NOISE.

The world doesn't wait on people that remain silent...

 

[JoseCuervo]

The maps/descriptions the blm provides are a huge pain in the butt to use. Below are the tracts in the Gunnison Resource Area RMP, I can provide .kml layers for google earth or .pdf maps if anyone is interested in a particular area on their website. I think a big issue with the land transfer is a lack of transparency, I'm sure there are some landlocked parcels that could be swapped for the benefit of everyone, but if the BLM is going to provide such crappy resources how is anyone supposed to know what is going on. It wouldn't take a BLM employee more than a couple of weeks to map every tract here and make them available on a .kml layer for the public.
View attachment 67296

Can you get a map of Idaho?

 

[MTGomer]

ArcGIS online interactive map of this is highly needed.

So simple even a surveyor could do it.