Political Quotes

“yesterday, the Senate approved H.J. Res. 44, a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, CRA, that overturned the Bureau of Land Management's resource management planning rule, commonly referred to as the planning 2.0 rule. I oppose this misguided revocation of a rule that would have allowed greater public involvement in the land-use planning process, increased government transparency, and improved the efficiency in making sustainable multiple use decisions for our public lands. The BLM is responsible for administering 245 million acres, or over 10 percent of the total area of the United States, and 700 million acres, or 30 percent, of the Nation's mineral estate. The majority of BLM lands are in the 11 western States and Alaska. Across the West, the economy has changed significantly in recent decades. From 1990 to 2010, the population in the West grew by 36 percent, and the economy of the West has grown faster than any other region in the country. As new people and new businesses have moved West, demands on public lands for outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, tourism, conservation, and renewable energy development have been increasing. These demands have the potential to lead to conflicts with uses such as grazing, timber, mining, and oil and gas extraction.…”