On Tuesday, Montana Cogressman Denny Rehberg introduced the “Montana Land Sovereignty Act.” The bill would require congressional approval for a national monument designation. The Montana Community Preservation Alliance has come out in support. Related press releases are below:
CONGRESSMAN REHBERG’S OFFICE
Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today introduced the Montana Land Sovereignty Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation simply requires congressional approval before the White House or the Department of Interior (DOI) can designate any new National Monuments or “Wild Lands” in Montana.
“The open-season on Montana’s land is over,” said Rehberg, a rancher and member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. “This is about standing against the insufferable arrogance of Washington, D.C. that assumes an unelected bureaucrat can make better decisions from behind a desk than the folks who live and work the land in Montana. It’s time to reassert the authority of the people of Montana to manage our lands.”
Rehberg’s legislation addresses two ongoing concerns with overreaching executive action taken to circumvent Congress and the public. In both cases, it protects the people of Montana by requiring Congress to approve executive actions that impact our land management.
Last year, an incomplete version of a “NOT FOR RELEASE” memo drafted within the Department of Interior revealed clandestine plans to declare millions of acres in Montana as National Monuments. This “Treasured Landscapes” plan relied heavily on input from a few special interest groups and seeks to abuse the Antiquities Act for the presidential designation of National Monuments across the west, including Montana.
The abuse of the Antiquities Act to circumvent congressional and public input is not unprecedented. In the eleventh hour of the outgoing Clinton Administration, the President used his authority granted under the Antiquities Act to create the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, despite outright opposition from Montanans across the state.
Then, last Christmas, the Interior Department issued Secretarial Order 3310, which allows the federal government to create a new “Wild Lands” classification for public lands, once again circumventing congressional authority and public input. Specifically, Secretary Salazar’s order directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to designate appropriate areas with “wilderness characteristics” as “Wild Lands”, and to manage them to protect their “wilderness values.” This sets the stage for more public land to be managed as de facto wilderness, stifling job creation by severely limiting agriculture, hunting and recreational uses, along with potential energy and mineral development.
“This legislation is based on what I heard from Montanans at 75 listening sessions across Montana last year,” said Rehberg.
MONTANA COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ALLIANCE
The Montana Community Preservation Alliance (MCPA) announces that Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today introduced the Montana Land Sovereignty Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation simply requires congressional approval before the White House or the Department of Interior (DOI) can designate any new National Monuments or “Wild Lands” designations in Montana.
“The open-season on Montana’s land is over,” said Rehberg, a rancher and member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. “This is about standing against the insufferable arrogance of Washington, D.C. that assumes an unelected bureaucrat can make better decisions from behind a desk than the folks who live and work the land in Montana. It’s time to reassert the constitutional authority of the people in Montana to govern themselves.”
Rehberg’s legislation addresses two ongoing concerns with overreaching executive action taken to circumvent Congress and the public. In both cases, it protects the people of Montana by requiring Congress to approve executive actions that impact our land management.
In December, the Interior Department issued Secretarial Order 3310, which allows the federal government to create a new “Wild Lands” classification for federal lands, once again circumventing congressional authority and public input. This sets the stage for more federal land to be managed as de facto wilderness, stifling job creation by severely limiting agriculture, hunting and recreational uses, along with potential energy and mineral development.
“This legislation is based on what I heard from Montanans at 75 listening sessions across Montana last year,” said Rehberg.
The Montana Community Preservation Alliance strongly endorses this legislation. The MCPA strives to preserve the working landscapes and lifestyles of Montana and promotes sustainable land use solutions to ensure social and economic benefits for local communities and the region.
Posted by Haylie Shipp
