This President has relied on the Antiquities Act--originally written in 1906 to provide temporary protection of archeological sites from looting--to lock up 548 million acres of land and water on whim.

H.R. 5780 is a modern day Indian lands grab.

Rep. Bishop claims that the PLI designates 4.6 million acres of public land 'for conservation,' when in fact the PLI substitutes weakened 'national conservation areas' (NCAs) and 'special management areas' for landscapes deserving of…

We want to commend Congressman Bishop and Congressman Chaffetz for their support of this project over the years.

Of all the bills I have seen during this Congress, I believe no one has tried harder to adhere to these principles than Chairman Bishop in the bill before us today, the 'Utah Public Lands Initiative Act.'

This creates enormous problems and economic distress on the communities that are impacted by Federal land ownership, and the bill before us is a result of many years of work, collaboration, and compromise by Chairman Bishop and Congressman…

This President has relied on the Antiquities Act, originally written in 1906, to provide temporary protection for archeological sites from looting, to lock up 548 million acres of land and water on a whim.

Hearing held on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

This bill preempts arbitrary and capricious designations threatened in the final throes of the Obama administration.

If successful, I would suggest naming it the 'Incinerated Forest National Monument,' where schoolchildren can come to see what the surface of the moon looks like.

A return to the failed policies of the 1800s is hardly 'innovative.'

Unfortunately after repeated assurances from Congressman Bishop's Office that the PLI will fully reflect our proposal, we find the current draft varies greatly from our proposal's intent.

I appreciate that statement about our staff. They are not getting a raise. I don't care what they told you.

We appreciate the substantial time and resources dedicated to the pursuit of a legislative solution to this critical preservation issue by local and national stakeholders, including local governments, our partners in the conservation and…

We have also been actively engaged in cultural resource protection issues in southeast Utah--working to ensure compliance with federal laws designed to avoid impacts to historic and cultural properties and supporting thoughtful planning…

I cannot begin to imagine the outcry if the Congress proposed expropriating two-thirds of the state of Massachusetts.

I reject what you said about the oil concept. What we are giving to the state is simply the permitting process.

But what this bill would do is provide a certainty of access somewhere while giving the agencies the flexibility to relocate as issues arise.