BLM Policy Punted like a Political Football | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 74)



Randy Newberg TAKEOVER!

Marcus and Michael are busy catching Walleye and Smallmouth so Randy stepped in to deliver this week’s news.

On this week’s episode, we are celebrating Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 40th Anniversary. In the last 40 years, RMEF has amassed 12,000 members, conserved 8.9 million acres as well as improved or secured access for 1.5 million acres. The mission continues!

To signup for RMEF visit this link – https://www.rmef.org/join/

40th Anniversary Articles
https://www.rmef.org/elk-network/celebrating-40-years-of-volunteers/
https://www.rmef.org/40th-anniversary/page/2/

Also on this week’s episode, Randy digs into the “politicizing of wildlife management”. Nevada, Vermont and Kansas are in the news for bills that could shake up their Wildlife Commissions appointment process.

Nevada – https://knpr.org/show/knprs-state-of-
nevada/2024-04-26/why-nevadas-wildlife-commission-is-under-scrutiny

Vermont- https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.258
https://www.howlforwildlife.org/vts258

Kansas – https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2530/
https://congressionalsportsmen.org/news/commission-restructuring-bill-gains-
momentum-during-kansas-veto-session/

To get involved and stay in the know, consider signing up for HOWL’s email list – www.howlforwildlife.org

Upcoming news! The Wyoming corner crossing case appears at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. To catch up on the case, check out the below links.
https://wyofile.com/corner-crossing-hunters-cattle-king-era-is-over/
https://publicland.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/opinion-in-wyoming-corner-crossing-
lawsuit.pdf

Lastly, a severe case of Mange will be impacting the Eastern Black Bear populations of Virginia and many neighboring states.

The WyldLife Fund – Pronghorn Fund – https://thewyldlifefund.org/preserving-wyomings-crown-jewel-the-pronghorn-fund/

For this week’s deeper dive, Randy plays referee in the latest game of Political Football. The House of Representatives just passed the WEST Act, an Act that would eliminate the BLMs current
proposal to put conservation and landscape productivity on the same footing as other uses under the “Multiple Use” mandates Federal land agencies are required to operate
under.

To read the entire 176 page proposal, the WEST Act, and editorials from Outdoor Life, check out the below links.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/blm-rule-controversy/
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/blm-public-lands-rule-proposal/
https://www.blm.gov/public-lands-rule
https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-04/BLM-Conservation-Landscape-
Health-Final-Rule.pdf
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/interior-department-releases-proposed-plan-guide-
balanced-management-public-lands

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Ollin Digiscoping System – Save 10% with promo code RANDY https://ollin.co/

Outdoor Class – Save 20% on your membership with promo code Randy. https://app.outdoorclass.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase

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37 thoughts on “BLM Policy Punted like a Political Football | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 74)”

  1. well done Randy, I agree with you on this. thanks. I talk with many hunters, I truly wonder how important conservation is to them. They seem to want their cake and eat it too. I am not saying all, just most I talk to here in Utah and Wyoming. Just my opinion.

    Reply
  2. Every "no" vote in the senate was republican on this act discussed. Half of all republican senators voted against, every Democrat voted yes. Bill passed, trump signed. In my life as a hunter, democrats have protected public lands, Republicans have fought to sell them.

    Reply
  3. Randy, in a world of culture wars and misinformation, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to brake this down accurately for folks in this (our) community.

    Reply
  4. Randy, I worked for the BLM for 12 years. (Recently moved on to a new career). When I worked there what I observed was excitement. Excitement that conservation would have an actual seat at the table for use consideration.

    This political football is absurd.

    Reply
  5. Only concerns I have are the current 30×30 and 50×50 plans that are being pursued. Couple that with this administrations constant over stepping and continued disregard of civil rights. Always apprehensive to give fed gov more power coupled with our current environment of public private partnerships. I admit it have not read this proposal but if there is not an ironclad gurantee for public access to the lands no matter the use exerted then it is a non starter. And with this administration along with the previous constantly allocating non existing powers to themselves through executive orders I am still a little hesitant to change. But as far as conservation rights being able to be bought over other I agree with Randy. But I just can't help but feel in the pit of my stomach that this is just another move to keep hunter and the public off of lands. Prob I have is we have had several instances now where bills are Harold as being one thin only to find it is nothing like that. The inflation reduction act and the latest no warrant search bills being examples.

    Reply
  6. This all makes a lot of sense. I don’t know what the motivation is for those opposing it. My ONLY concern when I hear a proposal giving “conservation” values equal weight in management decisions is how the radical “environmental” activists co-opt the intent of the legislation in order to “protect” every piece of land from use because it might have a detrimental impact on some rare hairless rat species or something equally as stupid. They do it all the time. What’s the chance they could use this policy for their own purposes?

    Reply
  7. Yes, I understand. The problem now is enforcement, in my area. We have existing laws on national forests concerning UTV/ATV use, over grazing on allotments, dispersed camping, length of stay (living in rv’s on public lands) etc that are largely unenforced because the enforcement agencies have been told to not enforce. They are constantly getting threatened & harassed. It seems that folks are willing to kill another person because they were told they can’t do something that is illegal.

    Reply
  8. Randy, the best speech on the truth about the condition of wildlife conservation and wild places I have seen ——- after more than 50 years as an advocate for the same things you addressed. I have been involved with and the leader of several national conservation organizations along with our state and their governing body. I have never heard more succinct, explanatory, on target and just plain common sense ideas than you just expressed. I wish we could clone you! Thanks for all you do and thanks for your work for wildlife and wild places. P.S. I have testified before the US Senate 3 times, before 3 US Sec. of Ag, our state Legislature more times than I can remember, and met with our congressional delegation, both in DC and in our state —– so I am on your team when it comes to action.

    Reply
  9. So Newberg's complaint is about Congress making laws that prevents the executive branch from making laws.

    I guess the accounting degree didn't explain who was supposed to make laws.

    So Congress makes laws. The executive branch enforces the law. The judicial branch decides how the law relates to the constitution.

    So if you're asking me to decide between Congress making laws and the executive branch. I will side with Congress every single time. Amazingly, the executive branch makes approximately 10x the rules and regulations of the legislative branch.

    Reply
  10. It frustrates me to no end that wildlife-oriented policies are not on the list of "Zoning designations" for land-use laws here in Oregon. If I spend a lifetime restoring cut-over low elevation timberland to it's original oak savanna state, rather than replant into a Douglas-fir mono-culture (on marginal quality growing ground) as mandated because its officially zoned "forest", I get no support from the state and can in fact get in trouble.

    Reply
  11. It looks like you read a document I didn't read. Randy, regarding spoon feeding, if you read it and say it is good or bad I'm with you. You are doing the heavy lifting. I wish I could be on a "Randy's list" of followers that you can use as leverage. Whatever you think is best I'm with you on it. I hope you have a lot of influence in Washington. Thank you.

    Reply
  12. Randy, you’re somewhat right. The difference is that this rule is now taking place in the context of states’ packing their commissions with ideologues who are nonconsumptive conservationists.

    Reply

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