Public Land

Dept of Interior Press Release: Secretary Jewell Issues Secretarial Order to Encourage Tribal Role in Managing Interior Lands with Native American Connections 10/21/16

Our Public Lands Must Not Go Up in Smoke, by Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett newsletter posted to kbc 9/27/15. "The scope of the mismanagement of our more than 300 million acres of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal lands was once again made evident by the smoke-filled August skies...According to the National Interagency Fire Center, over eight million acres had burned as of the beginning of September... Annual greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires dwarfs our nation’s emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels..."

Judge rules against Forest Service travel plan, Capital Press 2/25/14. "A federal judge has ruled that some of the U.S. Forest Service's road closures in an Idaho national forest are in violation of environmental law... roads are considered closed unless the agency classifies them as open, the complaint said."

Judge Denies Tombstone Water, Townhall, posted to KBC 5/22/12. "Kathleen Nelson, acting ranger..., says the Forest Service has been letting Tombstone do some work to restore its water supply “as long as it complies with the 1964 Wilderness Act”—meaning Tombstone can do the work with shovels and haul the pipe up the mountain with horses... workers were stopped from using a wheel barrow. Rangers say the wheel barrow is “mechanized” and “might damage wilderness and disturb endangered species.” The feds are blocking emergency repairs that are critical to Tombstone’s survival." "If the Forest Service can effectively seize Tombstone’s 130-year-old water rights during a state of emergency— rights that the Service recognized as valid in 1916—no state or local government will be safe from the feds.”

Forest road closures big topic at Oregon town hall, Capital Press, posted to KBC 4/14/12. "...Forest Service plan to bar most motor vehicles from about 3,600 miles of roads in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest."  "Baker City Mayor Dennis Dorrah described the plan as 'a horrible, horrible thing.' He told Merkley on Monday that road closures would make it impossible for irrigation officials to reach diversion dams."

Oregon Sheriff Gil Gilbertson continues stand against U.S. Forest Service 11/23/11, NewsWithViews. "...Where does the USFS’s authority come from?...he takes sharp issue with President Obama who has declared he’ll “circumvent the Constitution” through the use of executive orders..."

Public lands coalition plans to 'Take Back Utah', Deseret News, posted to KBC 4/26/09. "Representatives from a variety of groups met Monday to plan the "Take Back Utah" Rally, a protest over federal rules, regulations, policies, laws and practices that critics say unfairly strip Utahns of their rights of access to public lands."

Secretary Kempthorne Selects New U.S. World Heritage Tentative List, 1/23/08

Public lands photo fee plan goes way too far, H&N, posted to KBC 12/31/07

Increase in fees will hurt park, H&N 1/15/07

Lawmakers oppose fee hike, H&N 1/11/07