Crazy Mountains, Crazy Amendment
Interesting Guest Opinion from John Gibson in the Billings Gazette yesterday, related to access to public land in the Crazies. Landowners wanted a proposed road through public National Forest land to remain private.
Enter politics. The ranch owners hired a lobbyist to encourage our congressional delegation to intervene on their behalf. It appears that Sen. Max Baucus asked questions of both parties and was satisfied with the answer from the Forest Service. Rep. Dennis Rehberg sent at least two letters with tones that appear to favor the landowner’s position.
. . .
Then Sen. Conrad Burns included an item in an appropriation bill from his Senate committee directing the chief of the Forest Service to accept administrative access only on the Big Elk Canyon proposed road, whereby only Forest Service employees on official business could use the road - not the public.
It’s clear that with this proposal, Burns’ priorities oppose run contrary to the public interest and close the door on access to a large chunk of public land, a fact that Gibson presents in closing the op-ed.
It’s time these “good old boy” politicians realized that they can’t deal with the Forest Service without dealing with the public. We own the land. They better stop trying to do special favors for political buddies that run counter to public land policy.
Posted on Wednesday, August 30th, 2006 at 9:40 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
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