Public Lands Update: Baucus Encourages Montanans to Oppose The Bush Public Lands Grab
congresswatch | Land
On February 23, 2006, Montana Senator Max Baucus held a public town hall meeting at the Missoula Children’s’ Theatre to discuss the Bush Administration’s proposal to sell off public lands, which include U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands, to the highest bidder. Before a standing room only crowd, Baucus vowed to remain steadfast in his opposition to the Bush scheme to sell 300,000 acres of public lands, which would effect 14,000 acres of public lands in Montana. The Bush Administration claims it needs to sell public lands to pay for everything from rural education to the reduction of the national debt.
As reported by the Missoulian (Feb. 24, 2005), Baucus’ meeting was billed as a “call to arms.” Baucus urged citizens to get involved in defeating the proposal contained in the Bush Administration's budget. “It's an issue that keeps raising its ugly head,” stated Baucus. “We have to continue to be very vigilant. This is a very live issue that has a good chance of succeeding,” he said.
The Bush proposal would sell up to 300,000 acres of Forest Service lands to offset costs of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Act (SRSCA). That legislation, scheduled to expire later this year, was enacted to stabilize funding for county governments and rural schools in areas with large tracts of forested federal lands. The Bush budget proposal also calls for selling up to $350 million of BLM lands over 10 years to help pay down the national debt. Baucus said that proposal is murky and probably intentionally vague to make it more difficult to defeat.
The Bush Administration’s budget proposal comes on the heels of the defeated “Public Lands Grab Bill”, introduced by Richard Pombo (R – CA) in late 2005. The Pombo bill proposed, and the House approved in the budget reconciliation bill, a scheme to sell millions of acres out of public ownership and into the hands of mining companies and other developers. Rep. Dennis Rehberg voted for the measure. Public outcry from anglers, hunters, western governmental leaders, ranchers and business people, successfully thwarted the provision, which was eventually scrapped in the Senate with bipartisan support before approval of the final budget resolution.
Montana Senator Conrad Burns has also stated his opposition to the Bush Administration’s scheme. In a February 17, 2006 press release, Burns stated, “From what I’ve learned this week, I have no interest in including the Administration’s proposal in my Interior bill. It’s dead in the water. The right place to make these decisions is in the Energy Committee, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee to reauthorize this legislation. We’ll find a way to get this done without shortchanging Montanans’ access to public lands.” (www.burns.senate.gov)
Taking Action:
Please contact Senator Baucus and thank him for his leadership in providing Montanans an opportunity to voice their questions and opinions about the Bush Administration’s public lands sale scheme.
Please contact Senator Burns and thank him for voicing his opposition to the sale of public lands and the Bush scheme. Urge him to use his leadership to convince his Senate colleagues to oppose this give away.
Please contact Represenative Dennis Rehberg and ask him to explain his stance on the Bush Adminsistration’s public lands sale proposal.
For More Information/Organizations Working on This Issue:
