Beyond The Bears Ears: Legislature

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

News in the West; Bad, Better, and Best ~~Bear Essentials 2/27/2019

News in the West:

Bluff Town Hall Meeting with John Curtis March 21

Recording of 2/19 SJC Commission Meeting (start at 57:53)

George Washington's Farewell Speech: Prophetic Advice

$22 Trillion Debt and both Parties say "Spend More"

Utah Ranked #1 in "Social Capital"

"Variables for ranking: family unity, family interaction, social support, community health, institutional health, collective efficacy, and philanthropic health"

Environmentalists Call on Herbert to Veto Bill Related to Spent Uranium

Current Government Policies would Rather Burn Forests than Log Trees

"Federal wildfire statistics show the average number of acres burned

every year since 2000 is double what it was the preceding four decades."

Zinke Accepts Post with Lobbying Firm

Moab Council Votes for Moratorium on More Building

~~ A Good Site to Follow: Balanced Resources

~~ Winter Storms Help Against Four Corners Drought

~~ Senator Mike Lee Opposes Natural Resources Management Act

It fails to reform federal land acquisition programs and adding new restrictions to how Americans are allowed to use land already under federal control.

25 percent of all Land and Water Conservation Funds have been given to states while 61 percent of the funds have been spent on federal land acquisition

LWCF keeps on buying new federal lands without securing any method for maintaining the land they already own. According to a 2017 Congressional Research Service report, the maintenance backlog on federal land is up to $18.6 billion

The bill creates another 1.3 million acres of wilderness in the West — half of it in Utah

~~ 2019 AUM Grazing Fees Lowered

~~Commissioner Adams Asks State for Litigation Help

~~Signs that Republican Tax Cuts are Working

~~Aztec Commission Passes Resolution Against UnConstitutional Gun Control

~~ Rural Lands Bill "Reflects Utah Priorities, Op ed Mitt Romney,

~~ Land Grabbing Avalanche of Bills Will Harm Rural Economies

~~ SL Trib: San Juan Should Build a Wall Around Itself

~~ N. Arizona Faces 1.7 M. Acre Environmental Land Grab

In defense of mining: "Uranium and depleted uranium are critical to the U.S. military and our national security. The U.S. military uses depleted uranium in armor plating for tanks, Phalanx gun systems, armor-piercing munitions and cruise missiles, naval propulsion reactors, as well as A-10s, Harriers and other military and civilian aircraft. The U.S. Navy cannot maintain its global presence nor maintain its nuclear deterrent against countries like Russia without uranium.

In 1986, the United states produced 100% of the uranium ore used in U.S. domestic nuclear reactors. Today in 2018, 3% is produced domestically with virtually all of the remaining fuel for domestic reactors produced in Kazakhstan, under heavy Russian influence. The U.S. desperately needs domestic uranium given this high 97% import penetration into domestic market. The U.S. Navy is fit-to-be-tied over the prospect of being dependent on Putin for uranium. The situation is untenable.

Americas’ 98 nuclear power plants provide clean energy while generating electricity for one of every five U. S. homes and businesses. Nuclear energy has unmatched reliability in the U. S. electrical system. In 2014, as has been the case every year for the past decade, the nuclear industry’s average capacity fact (a measure of efficiency) was an electric sector leading 91.7 percent."

~~ State House of Rep. Gridlocks over County Government Bill

~~National Debt Spiraling Out of Control $22 Trillion!

~~Massive Land Bill Has Hits and Misses for Ranchers

_____________

Submitting Letters to Salt Lake Tribune

News in the West

San Juan County Commission Meeting

Tuesday Feb. 19 -- Monticello

Bluff Town Hall Meeting

John Curtis is hosting a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, March 21st and wants to hear your perspectives and feedback. Please join him at the Bluff Community Center from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Follow link to reserve ticket.

Follow Bills in the State Legislature

Lee and Romney See New Lands Bill Differently

State Legislature Considers Bills Impacting San Juan

San Juan Record Live News Coverage Feb. 13

Fired Editor Starts Indian Creek Observer

Canyon Echo Revives

Newest Edition of Canyon Zephyr

==================

Week-long Poll garnered 782 Responses

Asking Should San Juan County Be Divided? Results:

68% voted Yes, Divide

32% Voted No

==================

~~ Laws/Greyeyes Suit Appealed to Utah Supreme Court

~~Rep. Bishop Confront's Patagonia Falsehoods

~~Aneth Shuts Down Maryboy's Effort to Change Position on Bears Ears

~~ 4X4 Event Raises Money for Public Land Use Organizations

~~Colorado Commissioners Environmental Lobbying Spurs Recall Effort

~~States Deserve a Voice When Determining Endangered Species

~~Native Group Fights for Jobs and Wise Use of Resources

"National environmental groups Sierra Club and Grand Canyon Trust are behind the campaign to stop NTEC from acquiring Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta Mine by spreading false information and pitting Diné against Diné. Their desire to close both facilities threatens the lifeblood of our Navajo Nation – our tribal sovereignty."

~~Twitter Senator Mike Lee

~~House Bill Would Expand Bears Ears Monument Back to 1.9 Million Acres

~~Despite $500 Million in State Benefits, Friends of Cedar Mesa Sues Over BLM Leases

~~Oil and Gas Lease Money Pose Contradictory Reactions

" Hypocrisy at work in Bluff? CIB (Community Impact Fund) money has been used by the Bluff Community for years, ALL of which comes from The Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund (CIB) which is 100% directly appropriated from [tainted?] Mineral Extraction on Federal lands and BLM lease royalties.

iRONICALLY, we learned this week that Bluff’s Friends of Cedar Mesa filed a lawsuit against the very federal oil and gas leases that help fund the CIB. Is this an example of "Biting the hand that feeds you? or a game of Extreme Double Dipping?

Suggestion: Use the lawyer fees now being paid to Advocates for the West lawsuit, to pay for Bluff improvement projects, instead of draining tax payer's money from two directions for extreme no industry agendas. JW"

Summary of Bluff CIB Projects below: