Road Closures in Colorado

Thanks to Better-Community-News for sharing this important story:

 Powderhouse Becomes Powder Keg

WESTERN COLORADO - About 45 angry residents gathered to protest the closure of Powderhouse Road in Pitkin Colorado. The sleepy town is a launching place for all kinds of outdoor tourist activities as well as a home to residents who grew up roaming the mountains on their ATVs and snowmobiles.

David Justice, who was at the event, said, "This road has been here longer than the forest service has even existed...They tore it up with rippers and heavy equipment. It's an outrage!"

District Ranger, John Murphy said, "The road had been scheduled for closure since 2010 due to the (5-year) travel management survey that was done for the Gunnison National Forest. The plan wanted (sic.) to create a very large, uninterrupted area for the wildlife."

When asked why the wildlife needed a "large, uninterrupted area," and what a "large, uninterrupted area" would accomplish for the wildlife, Ranger Murphy stated that he didn't know the benefits of such a closure (since he is not a wildlife specialist).

Murphy arrived in Pitkin after the travel management plan had been made. He said many groups participated in the travel plan survey. He listed the environmentalist and other special interest groups that have worked to take away motorized access to the public lands for decades, all of them are from out of the local area. Their input was the basis of the travel management plan that closed the roads.
                                                                                                                 Murphy said, "Very little input was received from the locals who use the trails. Most of them didn't even know the process was going on at the time. Now they're furious that they can't use the trails they've always been used."

Murphy said his neighbor, who had participated in the travel management process years prior, was irate at the process because they didn't listen to what the local citizens wanted, only to the special interest groups.

Murphy mentioned that he has received complaints that the use of the road has been used in the past to fight fires that could threaten the town. He also said that a citizen told him that the road had always been a part of their evacuation plans in the event of fire and that citizen was concerned that his escape route would be cut off.

Click here to read the entire story.

Well said, Kathleen. Well said.

This morning, after our weekly e-mail went out, I got an interesting response from someone.  It basically said, "American lands belong to all Americans, not just to those of a particular state."  It's not the first time we've heard that argument, but I find it interesting.
If the lands of my state belong to all of America, when is New York going to start sending us taxes for the right to come here and enjoy our mountains?  If the American lands belong to everyone in America, shouldn't we be pooling all America's property taxes together?  Or how about sharing all the taxes that come from every state's trust funds and distribute it evenly among all  the schools in America?  Utah, ranking last in the nation in per-pupil funding may only be all-too-anxious to adopt that strategy.  But you see, we can't.  Because public lands do not belong to every American.  They were given to each state at statehood, deeded to the Federal Government only for a temporary time, to allow them to dispose of (or sell) them in a timely manner to help fund our national debt  (see the History of our public lands).
Just as I was wondering how to respond to this obviously well-intentioned person, I received a copy of an article that appeared in today's Deseret News, written by Kathleen Clarke, our Director of Public Lands.
Kathleen's article very articulately spells out the situation that we find ourselves in here in Utah...a situation which many of our neighboring states find themselves in as we struggle to meet our state's financial responsibilities while being able to tax such a minuscule percentage of our land.
I am sharing her article here and hope you will share it with everyone on your contact list.  For we can only claim our rights when we know what they are.

My View: The need for a balanced public lands policy

By Kathleen Clarke

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 14 2012 12:00 a.m. MST

                                    

                                                                            

                        

                        A hiker takes in the view in Bell Canyon in the San Rafael Swell.  (Ravell Call, Ravell Call, Deseret News)

                    

                                        

In its 2012 general session, the Utah Legislature passed HB148: The Transfer of Public Lands Act. This bill charged the Constitutional Defense Council with the duty to study the many complex issues pertaining to the public lands and to report its findings to the Legislature. As director of the Governor's Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, I have overseen this ongoing study. 

                                    

My experience as the previous executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the national director of the United States Bureau of Land Management has given me a unique insight into public lands policy: Utah's public lands would be better managed, more productive and more accessible under state stewardship.

                                    

Current federal land policy and management is inefficient, ineffective and threatens the long-term use and enjoyment of the public lands. Washington gridlock has resulted in a system where rigid and often conflicting management policies shackle federal land managers and prevent them from actively managing the lands. 

                                    

Outmoded federal policies have resulted in forests that are vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire, insect infestation and disease. Our rangelands are deteriorating and restoration efforts are underfunded. While land is rich in timber and mineral resources, production efforts are either precluded entirely or greatly limited by regulations, endless administrative red tape and lawsuits brought by interest groups that oppose any use of the land. 

                                    

As long as the public lands remain under federal control, they will continue to deteriorate, and Utah and its citizens will be deprived of the many economic benefits to which we are entitled and so desperately need. I am confident that, in state hands, the public lands will be restored, protected and more productive. 

                                    

Utahns have always been good stewards of the land. We have a long track record of both environmental protection and fiscal responsibility. Utah has the expertise in existing agencies —including those within the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Agriculture and Food — to address the many complex and interrelated issues of public land management. Utahns know that people from around the world flock to our state for its unmatched beauty and incredible scenery, and to experience meaningful outdoor experiences. 

                                    

No one in state government would permit the degradation of Utah's wondrous beauty. Under HB148, all national parks, all but one national monument, and all wilderness areas will remain under federal ownership and control. Other lands with similar qualities will also be protected. Lands with less aesthetic or recreational qualities that contain resources will become more accessible for development and revenue production. With ever improving technology, this can be done with minimal environmental impact. 

                                    

Multiple use will be the objective, and multiple users will all be given voice, including tourists; conservationists; hunters; fisherman and other outdoor recreationists; energy industries; farm and ranch interests; local governments; water districts; and other engaged stakeholders. 

                                    

HB148 is neither a "land grab" nor a "political stunt," as some have maliciously alleged. It is an earnest effort to draw attention to a federal lands policy that does not protect the land, does not pay for itself and does not meet the economic or energy challenges of today. There is no intent to sell transferred lands. Rather, these lands will be retained in state ownership and control so that they forever benefit not only the people who live, work and recreate on them, but all Utahns who look to government services to educate their children and enhance their lives. 

                                    

Utah has amazing public lands, and always will. Like my fellow Utahns, I care deeply about Utah's majestic mountains, still forests and quiet desert landscapes. This land is my home. The lands we all love and treasure won't be any less public when they are managed by the state. 

                                    

With proper examination and analysis, and a good faith dialogue, a more balanced lands policy can be achieved which will restore the public lands for the use and benefit of all.

                                    

Kathleen Clarke is the director of Public Lands Policy Coordination Office in the state of Utah.

    

Copyright 2012, Deseret News Publishing Company

Got 12 Minutes?

One of my favorite comedians, Brian Regan, once pointed out that on the back of a package of Pop Tarts, are two sets of instructions:  one for the toaster and one for the microwave.  Seriously?  Because one minute in the toaster just takes too long?  As Brian points out, if you only have the three seconds it takes to microwave a Pop Tart before you have to run out the door in the morning, you may want to loosen up your schedule...
But in reality, most of us, though hard at work most of the day, still find time to update our status on social media sites once or twice a day, "re-pin" a webpage, or catch the newest episode of our favorite show.   We all find a way to do the things we really want to do.
Everyday, people tell me, "I'm really worried about the direction our country is headed, but what can I do?"   They say it as if there is absolutely nothing that they can do to affect change.  And nothing could be further from the truth.
Today, I'm going to show you how you can take those random moments of time in your day to make a powerful difference in your community, and in our nation.  In only 12 minutes, you can be a catalyst for change.
This week's e-mail (entitled "Did You Know?") shares how in 12 minutes, you can contact all of your representatives and share your support for them as they move forward to protect our access, use and ownership of our lands.  In the e-mail, I promised you that it will only take 12 minutes of your time.  So I am going to do it for you, and I will time myself.  (Shoot.  The pressure's on...)  My stopwatch is next to me ready to go.  I promise...

Step One

Find 5 minutes to look through the Resource Tab at the American Lands Council website.  Pick a paragraph or two that you feel teaches an important principle worth sharing with your representative.

OK.  That took me exactly 4 min. 47 seconds.  (Cutting it close!)  It would have been faster, but my computer froze for a second.  Technology.  You can't live with it...you can't live without it.

Step Two
Spend 2 minutes finding the addresses of all of your elected officials.  Make sure to include our County Commissioners or Supervisors.  These can usually be easily found by Google-ing your county's website.

OK.  This was pretty easy to do.  Took me about 10 seconds to find each one.

Step Three 

Spend 5 minutes drafting a quick e-mail to all of your elected officials, lending your support and courage for them to do the heavy lifting of restoring our lands back to the people of the states.  A quick copy and paste of the paragraphs you chose in Step one, and you have just let your voice be heard.  You have helped to educate your representatives and let them know that you will stand with them as they make the tough stands and refuse to take "no" for an answer!

OK.  It took me longer than I thought it would as I had chosen a graphic to share and explain, and when I got to their websites, I could only use text.  So I had to start again.  But after spending about 3 minutes typing what I wanted to say, it was quick to send and then just copy into the next person's page.  Here is a copy of the e-mail I sent just now:

Dear Senator Hatch,

I was present this past Spring at the bill-signing for Utah's HB148 "The Transfer of Public Lands Act" where you spoke to the importance of requiring the Federal Government to return to the states the lands that it has held in trust, as is required in our state enabling act.  

In a recent court case, Hawaii vs. Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2009), the Supreme Court dealt with the preeminence between a state's enabling act and subsequent, inconsistent acts of Congress.  "The consequences of submission are instantaneous and it ignores the uniquely sovereign character of that event ...to suggest that subsequent events somehow can diminish what has already been bestowed."

Senator, while running for re-election, you promised several times to address this matter forcefully if re-elected to office.  I am writing to ask, now that the elections are over, what do you plan to do about it?

Respectfully,

Rebecca Ivory

Good luck!  If everyone on our mailing list sent just ONE e-mail a week, the nation would be flooded with information, determination, and inspiration, to stand together and claim our rights as sovereign states.  And if you want to send a copy of your letter to me to share with others, I would love to hear from you.  Send it to:

Becky Ivory (Director of Communications for the ALC)

becky@americanlandscouncil.org

I hope to hear from you soon!...Let's say, in about 15 minutes?

Where Are We Today?

The elections are over and many people find themselves thinking, "Now what?"  Well, regardless of your political persuasion, the mission of the ALC has not changed.  We will continue to move forward to secure and defend the local control of land access, land use and land ownership, and help restore the sovereignty of our states.  

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!

The Supreme Court recent stated in the Affordable Care Act decision:

Federal Government … must show that a consti­tutional grant of power authorizes each of its actions. The same does not apply to the States, because the Con­stitution is not the source of their power. … The States thus can and do perform many of the vital functions of modern government—punishing street crime, running public schools, and zoning property for development, to name but a few—even though the Constitution’s text does not authorize any government to do so. Our cases refer to this general power of govern­ing, possessed by the States but not by the Federal Gov­ernment, as the “police power. … Because the police power is controlled by 50 different States instead of one national sovereign, the facets of governing that touch on citizens’ daily lives are normally administered by smaller governments closer to the governed. The Framers thus ensured that powers which “in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people” were held by gov­ernments more local and more accountable than a distant federal bureaucracy. The independent power of the States also serves as a check on the power of the Federal Government: ‘By denying any one government complete jurisdiction over all the concerns of public life, federalism protects the liberty of the individual from arbitrary power.’ … In the typical case we look to the States to defend their prerogatives by adopting ‘the simple expedi­ent of not yielding’ to federal blandishments when they do not want to embrace the federal policies as their own. The States [by and through their political subdivisions] are separate and independent sovereigns. Some­times they have to act like it.”  

And THAT is exactly what we intend to do.