Don't Celebrate Yet: Behind Chaffetz's Decoy Public Lands Bill Lurks Sinister H.R.622

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Thursday February 02, 2017 · 7:02 PM PST

2017/02/02 · 19:02

That did seem a little too easy…

In apparent response to public outcry from hunter’s and angler’s groups as well as environmentalists, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has quickly withdrawn H.R.621, the Disposal of Excess Federal Lands Act (while of course taking the opportunity to backhandedly lay blame on a Clinton for misleading him.) Hmm… it took only eight days for him to bow to the actual will of his constituents? Yep, let’s not break out the champaign yet: the Chaffetz spawn’s even eviler twin, H.R.622, is still at large in the House.

The Local Enforcement for Local Lands Act, introduced by Chaffetz on the same day, would “terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and... provide block grants to States for the enforcement of Federal law on Federal land.” Yes, as in giving power to sheriffs to police (or not police) Federal lands, with the attendant funding instability of block grants.

I don’t mean to rain on the victory toast, but this is a scary, democracy-eroding piece of legislation that could additionally still endanger our precious public lands by further delegitimizing the BLM and the Forest Service. Budding Bundys, ALEC, and the CSPOA will be the ones celebrating if H.R.622 is made law.

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