This iframe is not allowed
WASHINGTON — Perhaps it was lingering outrage from the election. Or it could have been the explicit language of the bill , which called for the “ disposal ” of millions of acres of “excess” federal lands.
Whatever the driving force, the backlash to legislation from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) that would have sold off 3.3 million acres of public land in 10 Western states was swift and fierce. Outrage erupted on Facebook and Twitter, advocacy groups urged supporters to bombard their congressional representatives’ phone lines, and a petition opposing the sale or transfer of public lands drew tens of thousands of signatures.
Less than two weeks after introducing the controversial bill , Chaffetz pulled it , citing concerns from his constituents. Advocates fighting to protect public lands celebrated it as a victory .
“The first takeaway is that the squeaky wheel still gets the grease,” said Land Tawney , the president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers , a Montana-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting public lands and preserving America’s tradition of hunting and fishing.
That Chaffetz could be swayed on this issue is notable. The chair of the House Oversight Committee has shown little backbone in his dealings with the Trump administration, opting not to pursue an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia. Nor has he seemed to care much about what his voters think, claiming that paid, out-of-state protesters had infiltrated the crowd of angry constituents at a February town hall.
It was hunting and fishing advocates, however, who finally managed to get to Chaffetz. But Tawney and other public land advocates who rallied against his measure recognize that while they won this fight, the war is far from over. And they are prepared to stand firmly against what they view as a threat to national heritage.
For Tawny, a fifth-generation Montanan , access to land is as important as the guns he hunts with in the field. “This issue is our second Second Amendment,” Tawney said. “Any attack on public lands is a non-starter for us.”
Jason Chaffetz, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, has shown little backbone in his dealings with the Trump administration.
The political battle over federal lands is nothing new. But with President Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, the GOP has a golden opportunity to make its move. On day one of this Congress, Republicans approved a rules change making it easier to sell off large swaths of the more than 640 million acres of land the federal government owns, including national parks. The change fits snugly into the party’s 2016 platform, which called for transferring control of federal lands to states and opening public lands for increased oil and mineral production.
Then came Chaffetz’s unambiguous bill to sell off several million acres of land he said had “ been deemed to serve no purpose for taxpayers .”
Chaffetz had introduced the measure every year since 2010, but this time was different ― he had a unified Republican government and a clear party platform to back him up.
The introduction on Jan. 24 provoked outrage from conservationists, hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, who have labeled Chaffetz an “anti-public lands congressman.”
Alan Rowsome, senior government relations director for The Wilderness Society, compared the bill to “ driving a locomotive over the American people and our wild natural heritage.”
In a Facebook Live video on Jan. 27, titled “ Call to Arms #publiclandowner ,” Tawney urged anyone and everyone who cares about public lands to “show up in spades and fight” against Chaffetz, to call their own representatives and to recruit others. He also offered a warning for the Utah legislator.
“ You’ve kicked a hornet’s nest and the army is amassing,” Tawney said in the video. “And I will put my money on the people every single time.”
It wasn’t just in Utah, either. On Jan. 30, more than 1,000 people turned out for a pro-public lands rally in Helena, Montana. Two days later, hundreds of demonstrators — Republicans and Democrats — converged on the state capitol in New Mexico.
People gather at the state capital for a rally in support of federal public lands on Jan. 30 in Helena, Montana.
Kayje Booker , state policy director for the Montana Wilderness Association, told HuffPost that the turnout at their rally was double what organizers were expecting. And while the Chaffetz bill was among the talking points, the rally’s main purpose was to demonstrate the level of bipartisan support for public lands protection.
“At no point were we like, ‘We’ll have a rally and Chaffetz will pull his bill,’” she laughed.
But on Feb. 2, the congressman did just that. In an Instagram post including a photo of Chaffetz dressed in hunting camouflage, he noted that he is a “proud gun owner, hunter and love our public lands.” While defending the bill’s land sales, he acknowledged that “groups I support and care about fear it sends the wrong message.”
“ I hear you and HR 621 dies tomorrow,” he wrote.
Public lands are just that, public lands. They are not there so some bought and paid for politicians can turn them over to corporations for a fast buck.