Many of you have witnessed the events that unfolded on the Bundy Ranch in Nevada
this past week. I too watched in horror, at the excessive show of para-military
force exhibited by the Federal government. I asked myself, ‘Why, what wrong has
the Bundy family done to receive this treatment?’
In researching this
matter I have learned that this issue of non-payment of grazing fees has existed
since 1993 but only now has the Federal government taken action. The Bundy
family has had grazing rights to this land since before Nevada statehood, so
that’s pretty much a non-starter issue.
Many of you have heard that the
Endangered Species Act was invoked by the BLM. The Bundy Ranch however isn’t on
BLM managed lands and the Desert Tortoise is not impacted by free range cattle.
However, the extremist environmental law/activist group, the Center for
Biological Diversity (CBD) utilizing the practice of “Sue & Settle” had
filed lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act.
But the level of
Federal aggression against an American ranching family was still not making
sense. The Bundy Ranch however is not on BLM managed lands.
Legally,
the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holds title to no lands. They are
chartered to ‘manage lands held in trust by the federal government’. The U.S.
Constitution specifically prohibits the Federal government from outright land
ownership except for some very narrow purposes.
What I have found is
what appears to be a massive land grab by the Federal government to obtain more
direct control of western lands and the valuable resources contained therein
using a overly broad misinterpretation of the Antiquities Act.
In
Colorado, Texas and other Western States, the Federal government appears engaged
in a massive over-reach of their authority in an attempt to increase land
holdings they have direct control over.
This may be in response to the
renewal by the Western States in seeking their lands back from the Federal
government. Utah recently enacted legislation demanding that the Federal
government return lands to Utah retained improperly at
statehood.
Whatever the Federal government’s motive is, Arizona must be
protected!
Your donation of $5, $10 or $20 will help me fight
back against federal overreach!
As a sponsor of
several bills this Session addressing this issue, I urge you to contact your
state senator and representative and insist they vote in favor of the
following:
- SCR1016
calling for an Article V States Convention be placed before the Arizona voters
this November (before the House currently)
- HB2700
enacting an inventory of, and valuation of all state lands acquired or obtained
by the Federal government without just compensation, since Arizona statehood.
(before the Senate currently)
- HB2699
calling for reimbursement by the Federal government of the economic costs
related to the Endangered Species Act, (before the Senate currently)
- HB2305
calling for Arizona to join a compact of states (a contract among states)
demanding Congress to enact a Balanced Budget Amendment to the US Constitution
(Held in the Senate Rules Committee)
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