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| Commissioners from San Juan and Grand discussed land issues with Chris Herrod July 15 in Monticello |
Chris Herrod is a candidate for 3rd district congressman hoping to replace Jason Chaffetz who retired earlier this year. Herrod visited San Juan County Saturday, July 15, and was hosted by Commissioners Curtis Wells from Grand County, Bruce Adams, and Phil Lyman of SJC. All three commissioners support Herrod’s candidacy. (All have signs if you wish to put one up in your yard.)
While discussing land issues, Herrod explained, “We’ve lost understanding of what Stewardship means.” He compared it to care of a garden. "You don’t just leave it alone to tend itself, hoping something will grow. . . .It is offensive to me to think that people over 2000 miles away think they can care better for public lands than Utah stewards." He emphasized that “Locals should have the loudest voice” and not be the victims of “political payback.”
Commissioner Phil Lyman complained strongly about the BLM Master Leasing Plan, whose goal seems to be to delay decisions as long as possible and then give a plan they know San Juan County won’t like.” Adding salt to the wound, the Master Leasing Plan, "only applies to Grand and San Juan Counties, NOT other counties," Lyman stressed. He also emphasized, "This is a “pivotal time in history.”
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| All three of these SE County Commissioners support Chris Herrod in his bid for Congressman representing District 3 |
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Herrod referred to a book on State's Rights written by Bill Redd and Bill Howell, given to him by Howell several years ago. After reading it, Herrod bought 30 more copies and sent them to constituents who needed to be informed about state and county access rights and property rights. He emphasized that it is not enough just to “vote right” but there is a need to education people. “It is easy for public lands states to understand these issues, but we need to do a better job forming coalitions with other states and help them understand. Utah has already given their share of land for federal parks and monuments.
"The Antiquities Act has been the most abusive of all federal legislation passed," Herrod stressed. “We need to claw back the BLM and other rule making authorities and ask, 'What is the true intention of the Constitution?'"
He expressed concern about Emery County with its two power plants and Kane and Garfield counties which have nothing for kids to come back to after earning college degrees. “We need to push as much authority back to the state.” We need to push back on policies which "cause terrible fires like Brian Head."
Commissioner Bruce Adams complained that when laws are passed, then employees have to write hundreds of pages to explain the regulations. For example, FLIPM (land management act of 1976) used to be fairly simple, but has overgrown and expanded excessively.
Herrod entered state politics in 2007, and referred to the Patrick Henry Caucus which has been a force helping push back federal overreach. It was created in Utah In 2009 to fight against socialism. He also described flying for 2 hours in a Black Hawk Helicopter over Bears Ears when Secretary Zinke came to San Juan. Bruce Adams, also referenced the 2 hr. 15 min. helicopter ride with the Sec. of Interior, which "just covered the boundaries of the Bears Ears Monument, not the interior of 1.3 million acres. He also emphasized, "As commissioners] we are responsible for the boundaries of San Juan County. We are not a sub-division of the Federal Government.” Our county has existed for decades on mineral extraction.
Herrod also stressed the need for multiple use of the land, including resources. “PILT in lieu of tax monies, are nothing compared to actual taxes generated from a business. This “Big Brother” philosophy causes many problems in foreign economies. When you visit them, you will see the differences. “Socialism wants us to be dependent upon the government.” (See links at the end.)
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| Grand Councilman, Curtis Wells with Herrod |
He also referred to the inspiring words included in both the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials in Washington DC, and compared them to those on the FDR memorial, most of which allude to citizen rights coming from government.
Curtis Wells, Grand County Councilman, stressed three things in his comments as top concerns. 1) Need to claw back regulations. 2) Foreign policy: help make the US stronger. 3) Need to address “entitlement” issues
“It is a misnomer to think that a National Monument is the only way to protect lands, Herrod emphasized. “Environmentalists use it as a hammer to get their way. We should use the legislative process." He mentioned that in the Howard-Redd book, it explains that states gave up rights and jurisdiction to Reservation Lands, BUT that is not true of Public lands. “Minerals are the great equalizers of public lands vs. the eastern forests.”
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| Members of Stewards of San Juan attended the meeting: L-R: Jami Bayles, President, Members: Kim Henderson, Jodi Lyman, and Janet Wilcox. |
Herrod also encouraged citizens in the rural west to tell the tough stories about what happens to a community when regulations, such as “protecting the spotted owl, become more important than people not having a home.” He mentioned the overreach of militant BLM personnel like Dan Love, and the punitive overreach against Ken Brown and his son-in-law Dustin Felstead, who were only repairing an historic road built by an ancestor, yet ended up with horrific fines. The case against them was built on fabrication and lies not the truth. Herrod told of living in the Soviet Union, where any entrepreneurial effort (such as kids selling biscuits) is considered criminal. He alluded to the 150 “Nazi” officers who came into San Juan County, interrogated Dr. Jim Redd, and its sad aftermath. “They acted as judge, jury, and executioner,” he emphasized. They sold “untruths.”
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| Richard Ryan, Dennis and Stella Lightfoot from Spanish Valley attended and are very involved in politics. |
He also asked for help from San Juan County is showing life as it is, and how it will be affected. In answering a question on the Antiquities Act from Kim Henderson, he said one plausible avenue is to ask for Utah exemption from future designations, as part of an omnibus bill, which is how the “other” side works. Right now, environmentalists are funded through “Sue and Settle” lawsuits. They win enough that way that it funds all their environmental activities. He also emphasized that there is a “difference between land management and land exclusion.”
Another major concern in his view is the National debt, which is “a national security issue.” Utah has the resources we need for a strong country, but "not when they are locked up." Richard Ryan from Moab mentioned that Kate Cannon of Arches Nat’l Monument indicated that Arches will soon go to “visitation by reservation only.”
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