Fly fishing 3 of the newest national monuments

Three newly designated national monuments represent just a few of the 19 special landscapes the Obama Administration has marked for preservation over the years.

And these protected lands are home to some of the best fishing.

Fly fishing in Northern California’s stunning Berryessa Snow Mountain, designated in July, is just one example. For a more in-depth look at the new national monuments where they’re really biting, GrindTV caught up with David Lass, the California field director of Trout Unlimited.

LINK (via: Grind TV)

Senate Votes To Help States Sell Off Public Lands

The new chair of the powerful Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee secured a vote Thursday afternoon in the U.S. Senate on a controversial proposal to sell off America’s national forests and other public lands.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) amendment, which passed by a vote of 51 to 49, is now part of the Senate’s nonbinding budget resolution. The proposal would support and fund state efforts — which many argue are unconstitutional — to seize and sell America’s public lands. These include all national forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, historic sites, and national monuments.

Murkowski’s amendment, which would need further legislation to become law, follows a similar proposal from House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-UT) to spend $50 million of taxpayer dollars to fund the sale or transfer of U.S. public lands to states.

LINK (via: Think Progress)

The solution is to vote the poiticians who support selling off our public lands out of office. The hunting and fishing organizations who advocate on behalf of public lands should start urging their constituencies to vote for candidates who support our public lands.

For reference, all 51 votes in favor of Murkowski's non-binding amendment were cast by Republicans.

The biggest source of U.S. carbon emissions is?

Coal extracted from public lands.

Taxpayer-owned coal is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress and The Wilderness Society.

The report, released Thursday, finds that emissions from coal, oil and gas that is mined or drilled on federal lands and waters could account for 24 percent of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2012. The report also concludes that more than 10 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions result from the combustion of coal extracted on public lands in Wyoming and Montana, primarily in the Powder River Basin (PRB), where 40 percent of all U.S. coal is produced.

The report was released as coal companies operating on federal lands in the PRB are coming under increasing scrutiny for allegedly evading royalties by selling coal to their own subsidiary companies at depressed prices.

LINK (via: Think Progress)

All of the advocacy groups that tout, "responsible energy development" need to start demanding that those that profit off extracting resources from public lands should be at least paying their proper share for the priviledge.

Jewell vows to make energy development on public lands cleaner

My responsibility to my grandchildren’s generation is at the top of my mind with every decision we make. That’s why I’m determined to help make energy development safer and more environmentally sound in the next two years,” Jewell said Tuesday to a standing-room only crowd of energy lobbyists, and environmentalists at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

LINK (via:High Country News)

More Breaking News From Planet Bullshit

A proposal to seize and sell off America’s national forests and other public lands could make its way into the House GOP’s budget resolution when it is announced this week.

In a recent memo to the House Budget Committee, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, proposed that America’s public lands be transferred to state control. He then requested $50 million of taxpayer money to be spent to enable transfers to “start immediately.” The memo states that public lands “create a burden for the surrounding states and communities,” and “the solution is to convey land without strings to state, local, and tribal governments.”

Politicians in nine other states are also developing and advancing similar legislative proposals, supported by expensive taxpayer-funded studies.

LINK (via:Think Progress)

Bruce Babbitt blasts Utah’s land transfer plan

Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt was the guest speaker at last week's Outdoor Retailer Industry Breakfast. Babitt took the opportunity to blast Utah Governor Gary Herbert's campaign to force the handover of 31 million acres of public lands. Utah leaders have set aside $2 million for the fight and plan to hire a private legal firm to push the issue.

LINK (via: The Salt Lake Tribune)