How Obama is locking up our land, continued

By Michelle Malkin  •  August 16, 2010 11:00 AM

Over the weekend, I spotlighted the White House “Great Outdoors Initiative” and the administration’s campaign for federal land grabs-through-executive fiat.

The Obama War on the West continues.

GOP Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah has released the complete Bureau of Lands Management memo outlining a stealth federal land lock-up plan covering an area the size of Colorado and Wyoming combined. Via the Colorado Farm Bureau:

Bishop’s office has release the entire BLM document titled “Treasured Landscapes” of which only pages were released a few months ago. It lays out what some consider a sweeping and detailed plan for changing the way the federal government manages land over the next 25 years.

The document lays out a sea change in the way the federal government manages land. It proposed that rather than manage individual plots of land, regardless of size, the government should consider managing entire “landscapes, ecosystems, airsheds and watersheds.”

The document also gives a not-so-subtle clue as to the size of the land area it seeks to “protect”.

“Of the 264 million acres under BLM management, some 130-140 million acres are worthy of consideration as treasured lands. These areas, roughly equivalent in size to Colorado and Wyoming combined, are valuable for their unspoiled beauty…”

It took Bishop months to get the document, which lays out the context for the snippets released a few months ago.

“They have clearly been dragging their feet, and they don’t want to let us know what they’re trying to do,” Bishop says.

He is especially concerned about portions of the document that recommend using the Antiquities Act “should the legislative process not prove fruitful.” The act gives the president power to designate a national monument with no public or legislative input.

BLM dismisses criticism of the document by characterizing it merely as “brainstorming.” It’s become the standard alibi for Obama officials caught planning radical changes through regulatory means outside the legislative process.

And remember those “listening sessions” I reported on over the weekend? As if you needed evidence they were stacked and biased in favor of the anti-jobs, anti-growth enviromental radicals, the Grand Junction Sentinel reports:

Listening sessions held across the country, such as one last month in Grand Junction that was attended by Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell and BLM Director Robert Abbey, are intended to allow Americans a say in the way those lands and others are managed, the statement said.

The Moffat County Commission, which opposes plans by the BLM to cordon off the Vermillion Basin from natural gas drilling, wasn’t invited to the Grand Junction listening session, “So there you go,” Commissioner Audrey Danner said.

The agency’s description of the Vermillion Basin notes its whitewater river as one of the attributes that makes it worthy of more conservation-oriented management, and that is “absolutely incorrect,” Danner said.

The commission also disputes the description as having wildlife-migration corridors, though it does have animal population centers.

And lest you think the War on the West is confined to the West:

Efforts to designate new monuments, conservation areas, wild and scenic rivers and historic trails “should not be focused solely on the West,” the paper says, “but also include areas in the rest of the country that warrant such protection.”

I repeat: The War on the West is a war on property rights, a war on the economy, and a war on the American way of life.

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Comments


  1. #1
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:07 am, malkin_fan said:

    I heard the land will now only be zoned for…..

    ……Wait for it……

    …….Mosques

  2. #2
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:10 am, babbledabble said:

    My liberal cousin who lies in Utah complains loudly about how Haliburton trucks are tearing up lands where she lives. And workers create shanty towns. Haven’t been there so I can’t say how bad it really is. IF it is.

  3. #3
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:20 am, tarpon said:

    No coal, no oil, no cattle, no lumber, no mining … So I guess we just shut down America and become a socialist pile?

    I don’t think so.

    Fiats come and fiats go.

  4. #4
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:26 am, RedDog said:

    The only “logic” behind these actions is to cripple the American economy and bring the people deeper into Marxist subjugation. There is no other reasonable explanation for these incursions into the economy and the private lives of Americans.

    Why are there virtually no Democrats who stand against this outrage? Not one? They are the domestic enemies spoken of by the Constitution and our Founders. The main ringleaders have got to prosecuted next year.

  5. #5
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:27 am, letget said:

    Michelle, Glenn is giving you a shout out on his radio show right now. Great job for keeping us informed.
    L

  6. #6
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:27 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    I predict that they will find a very effective way to protect the borders of that land. They sure have no problem keeping people out of Area 51 in Nevada and certain areas of Death Valley.

    Irony and cynicism in one package!

  7. #7
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:33 am, prendad said:

    Ah yes, soon the government will be issuing free drugs and everyone will be chasing butterflies. Total control.

  8. #8
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:37 am, RedDog said:

    BLM dismisses criticism of the document by characterizing it merely as “brainstorming.” It’s become the standard alibi for Obama officials caught planning radical changes through regulatory means outside the legislative process.

    Mandating pre-emptive legislative injunctions by Congress would be one new law I would support. Shut down activist judges and regulator bureaucrats who want to bypass the legislative process. These are unelected people with massive power and virtually no accountability. Marxists are past masters at knowing how to destroy democracies and republics.

    We have to call them out and make it very very painful for them. We must systematically dismantle the political and regulatory infrastructures that promote destructive anti-democratic and anti-republic actions.

  9. #9
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:39 am, hawkeye54 said:

    The War on the West is a war on property rights, a war on the economy, and a war on the American way of life.

    Just one front in the Progressives’ overall political and cultural war on our nation. There’s Hope and Change you can believe in!

  10. #10
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:54 am, stevevvs said:

    The modern day Teddy Roosevelt!

  11. #11
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:12 pm, Christian Soldier said:

    Isn’t bho ‘looking’ into seizing land in a state closer to the East coast?–
    I’ll do a search of my other favorite sites and find that little tid- bit of ‘royal’ usurpation –
    The Founders knew – thus the original words of :

    Life-Liberty PROPERTY- were used—

    alienable-the royals owned all of the land-ex-in England-the people were always tenants–

    –the Founders knew it- so – first wording was Life-Liberty -Property (not Pursuit of Happiness)-why-because they knew that if the government ‘royals’ could own all of the land –they would usurp all of the land -PROPERTY….
    and–
    Inalienable Rights-meaning- the government could not take the land of a citizen…nor own all of the land..
    Citizens of the U.S. wake up!!!!!
    C-CS

  12. #12
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:12 pm, thejim said:

    I know, I’m repeating myself. Obambi and crew are America’s enemy. [RedDog] I, too wonder why no Democrat stands up for our country, how is it possible that not one of our Demonrat public servants objects to the dismantling and destruction of this great nation? Do they think that they already have such a hold on the citizenry, that we can’t stop them?

  13. #13
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

    Listening sessions held across the country…. …are intended to allow Americans a say in the way those lands and others are managed

    I hope nobody takes offense to this, but since the majority of Americans haven’t been to areas such as this or lived in the country, giving alot of them a “say” in how lands are managed would be about as smart as having the same sort of “listening sessions” so Americans could have more of a “say” in how the military is ran.

  14. #14
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:31 pm, spaceycakes said:

    the current prez appears to be someone who would screech like a girl & run if a hornet buzzed near him.

  15. #15
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:33 pm, tomg51 said:

    The local tax base for schools, police, and so on takes a hit when the Feds don’t have to pay the taxes.

  16. #16
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:34 pm, letget said:

    spaceycakes,
    It doesn’t seem to bother this bho to have flies land on his face though! Flies like the smell of rotten stuff and this bho fits rotten rather well, IMO.
    L

  17. #17
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:35 pm, irving said:

    Michelle, you’re not going far enough. The use of government power to lock up land is a war on human civilization. It’s a war on the freedom to live where we want and to use natural resources to support the lifestyle of our choice. It’s a war on the entire modern world.

  18. #18
    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:38 pm, right_on said:

    BLM dismisses criticism of the document by characterizing it merely as “brainstorming.” It’s become the standard alibi for Obama officials caught planning radical changes through regulatory means outside the legislative process.

    Gosh, if it happens one time, it may be a fluke, but when time after time, we see the far left trying to find way to cut people out of the loop, it is called a “pattern.” I am getting pretty sick of the “it’s not what you thinkexplanations, aren’t you?

    It’s a pattern of; behavior, deceit, circumvention, obfuscation, dismissing unconstitutional actions, lying, misstatements, arrogant behavior, orall of the above.

    This administration is committed…committed to making America another socialist model (of failure,) led by a cabal of quasi-intellectual ne’er-do-wells, and headed by yet another narcissistic leader, with a penchant for buggery…(isn’t that what he’s doing to us?)

    You kind of get the idea that The Constitution of the United States, and a conscience, are simply inconveniences for Barack Obama, and his legion of malcontents. They are determined to ignore that outdated list of negative rights” as long as they can, lie about their true intentions, until it is too late for the sleeping giant to do anything about it.

    The White House mantra: The People be damned!

  19. #19
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:18 pm, happy2behere said:

    The Chinese government is building many large housing metroplexes in strategic population centers. Better to control the people and to corral them into their “guaranteed” jobs. There’s the future marxist/capitalist trend. And notice the Chinese don’t care much about the environmentalists.

  20. #20
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:27 pm, Blackstone said:

    BLM dismisses criticism of the document by characterizing it merely as “brainstorming.”

    I’ll have to remember that defense if I’m ever put on trial for any kind of conspiracy.

  21. #21
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:40 pm, cheapseat said:

    When I was young, they advertised land for sale for $1 all over the west. They even had ads in bazooka gum pieces, as well as comic books. Now they want to take it back under emminent domain.

  22. #22
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:47 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    Get ready for tomorrow’s WH presser on Fannie/Freddie where the “fix” will require an expansion into “affordable” rental housing. So now Fannie/Freddie will also dominate (destroy) the residential rental property market too.

    Didn’t we do something like this in the 1960s? Weren’t they called slums?

  23. #23
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:49 pm, spaceycakes said:

    letget said:

    well, he is Lord of the Flies!

  24. #24
    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:57 pm, rightisright said:

    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:33 am, prendad said:

    Ah yes, soon the government will be issuing free drugs and everyone will be chasing butterflies. Total control.

    Good one, seems like I saw where your a resident of Orygun also…land of marmalade pie and unicorns.

  25. #25
    On August 16th, 2010 at 2:03 pm, RedDog said:

    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:47 pm, Pasadena Phil said:
    …Fannie/Freddie will also dominate (destroy) the residential rental property market too.

    Didn’t we do something like this in the 1960s? Weren’t they called slums?

    Enough is enough. Time to dismantle this governmental Frankenstein’s monster. Wholesale elimination of entire departments and programs like FANNIE/FREDDIE, Education and Housing would be a perfect start. Follow that up with a comprehensive HR analysis and action on Federal salaries and performance metrics. Outlaw any more government bailouts. Period.

  26. #26
    On August 16th, 2010 at 2:05 pm, RedDog said:

    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:57 pm, rightisright said:
    On August 16th, 2010 at 11:33 am, prendad said:

    Good one, seems like I saw where your a resident of Orygun also…land of marmalade pie and unicorns.

    Oregon and Washington were once great states until infested with the California Plague. It sickens me. There are still Americans there.

  27. #27
    On August 16th, 2010 at 2:49 pm, rambler said:

    What ever happened to states’ rights? Where in the Constitution does it say that the feds can grab private land? I know that the supreme court had that stupid ruling on eminent domain. All of this means that farmers and others can be held hostage to the feds like the businesses in CA had to beg to get water because of those stupid fish. The feds don’t want anything to do with border protection since they prefer to allow the cartels to control our southern border. At the same time, the feds land grab should not be happening. Is this where the gov plans the socialist reeducation camps? When can we charge this administration with violating the Constitution? When can they be arrested for their socialist coup?

  28. #28
    On August 16th, 2010 at 2:50 pm, hawkeye54 said:

    Ah yes, soon the government will be issuing free drugs and everyone will be chasing butterflies.

    Yeah, I can see that. If the pot initiative passes here in CA, smoking it will be considered a right and the gov’t will provide for those who can’t afford to buy…..and extra food stamps for cheetos and pepsi. More stoners chasing butterflies and not paying attention to the shennanigans of politicians. Yup, that’s a perfect world.

  29. #29
    On August 16th, 2010 at 3:36 pm, TigerLady said:

    I’ve never seen such a foolish picture as this one. Obowmao in a cowboy hat? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to see him in a checkered turban?

  30. #30
    On August 16th, 2010 at 3:51 pm, Ron said:

    Having lived in the West, let me tell you this is a crock. The feds already own most of those states as it is. They need to be selling land, not stealing more. The only land they really want is that with development potential, especially energy. Ask Ken Salazar. He’s an expert at that, the looney doofus.

  31. #31
    On August 16th, 2010 at 4:11 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On August 16th, 2010 at 1:49 pm, spaceycakes said:
    well, he is Lord of the Flies!

    Yep, this pretty much covers it.

    The Lord of the Flies
    Namesake of the novel, the Lord of the Flies is literally a pig’s head that has been cut off by Jack, put on a stick sharpened at both ends, stuck in the ground, and offered to the “beast”. Created out of fear, the Lord of the Flies used to be a mother sow who, though at one time clean, loving, and innocent, has now become a manically smiling, bleeding last image of evil. This transformation clearly represents the transformation that Jack and the boys have undergone during their time in the island. In addition, the name “Lord of the Flies” is the literal English translation of Beelzebub, a demonic figure that is often considered synonymous with Satan. The Lord of the Flies is a physical manifestation of the evil that is in the boys, and the evil that Golding believed exists in all of us. The theme of this story is an attempt to trace the defects of society to the defects of human nature.

  32. #32
    On August 16th, 2010 at 5:47 pm, Truesoldier said:

    What would be interesting is to see a map of all the proposed land locking and see if it looks anything like an artery system stretching across the nation.

    We have all seen what these enviormental policies have done to areas near the border by shutting them down to vehicle traffic making it harder for the border patrol to do their job. Now imagine if the Obama administration locked out an artery system of land all across the nation making it basically an unpatrolled route throughout the country.

  33. #33
    On August 16th, 2010 at 9:28 pm, Republicanvet said:

    On August 16th, 2010 at 12:38 pm, right_on said:

    BLM dismisses criticism of the document by characterizing it merely as “brainstorming.” It’s become the standard alibi for Obama officials caught planning radical changes through regulatory means outside the legislative process.

    Gosh, if it happens one time, it may be a fluke, but when time after time, we see the far left trying to find way to cut people out of the loop, it is called a “pattern.” I am getting pretty sick of the “it’s not what you think” explanations, aren’t you?

    The contempt these thieves have for the American people is amazing, and their lousy excuses show it clearly.

    So a Forest Service chief and BLM director go shopping around for ideas because they are “brainstorming“?

    If that truly were the case, what are they doing about firing the useless employees they have working for them since they cannot brainstorm on their own?

    What a waste of money of that is what they want us to believe.

    Lots of federal agencies over the years usually go through some kind of rule-making or policy change, then are required by law to have a public comment period. Having a public comment period, “listening session” or whatever other crap they want to call it suggests they already have their plan…they just need to check off the required boxes.

    None of it means they have to listen to anyone.

  34. #34
    On August 17th, 2010 at 8:21 am, cicerokid said:

    It proposed that rather than manage individual plots of land, regardless of size, the government should consider managing entire “landscapes, ecosystems, airsheds and watersheds.”

    ?!?! Just WTF is an “airshed”?

  35. #35
    On August 17th, 2010 at 9:38 am, Roman Con said:

    What do you think Obammy’s planning to pay the Chinese with, hope and change? War is coming…

  36. #36
    On August 17th, 2010 at 10:06 am, McCloud9 said:

    I believe they are doing this here in South Dakota…
    The Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Sen. Tim Johnson has been pushing this for months now and he seems to have everyones eyes covered by the REAL purpose. The more I read and hear about what this Administration is doing BEHIND the scenes, the more I LEARN to Hate… The Govt.

  37. #37
    On August 17th, 2010 at 11:24 am, Hannibal said:

    #40 On August 17th, 2010 at 10:06 am, McCloud9 said:

    Sen. Tim Johnson has been pushing this for months now and he….

    Tim Johnson, now that is a flash from the past. I just assumed that he was still in a quasi-vegetative state, but that does not appear to be the case. I believe that the Wiki site was very informative concerning him.

    a. “Though suffering from permanent brain damage, Johnson returned to work in the Senate on September 5, 2007″…

    b. “In January 2008, Johnson endorsed Barack Obama for President”…

    Strange how sometimes Wikipedia does get it right.

  38. #38
    On August 17th, 2010 at 12:24 pm, hawkeye54 said:

    ?!?! Just WTF is an “airshed”?

    FYI – From Wikipedia:

    An airshed is a part of the atmosphere that behaves in a coherent way with respect to the dispersion of emissions. It typically forms an analytical or management unit. Also: A geographic boundary for air quality standards.

  39. #39
    On August 17th, 2010 at 12:43 pm, Desert Dave said:

    My liberal cousin who lies in Utah complains loudly about how Haliburton trucks are tearing up lands where she lives. And workers create shanty towns. Haven’t been there so I can’t say how bad it really is. IF it is.

    OK thank you babble…you posted that yesterday…Any proof or are you just another liberal troll? Sounds like it because to libs Haliburton is more evil than Bush. Either quit posting this crap or prove it!

  40. #40
    On August 17th, 2010 at 2:13 pm, MarcoPolo said:

    Have you guys seen this map? Federal land as a percentage of state area.

  41. #41
    On August 17th, 2010 at 2:57 pm, jamesgreenidge said:

    I know from relatives upstate New York that property owners around the Adirondacks and over by the Green mountains are very concerned on this issue, especially if you have even a trickle of a stream passing your property. Some people even need permits to take down trees or store compost on their own land. A side note; on Queens Public TV mentioned that Boy Scouts are on the bottom of any visitors list to the Gateway Wildlife Preserve which takes up all of Jamaica Bay south of JFK Airport (the only wildlife sanctuary with a subway running thru it), which would seem to make this Federal (disdainful) policy towards the Scouts since the place is managed by the National Parks Service.

    James Greenidge
    Queens NY

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