Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship (CRS) is running print ads in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News urging Utah Congressman Rob Bishop, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, to denounce Bundy-style thuggery and lawlessness on our nation’s public lands, which even after numerous arrests, still threatens public safety and the visitor experience. In the face of an alarming escalation of violence and intimidation by armed anti-public land militants, which culminated earlier this year in the take over of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Chairman Bishop has refused to denounce such extremism. Instead, he too often seems to be egging it on. Not only did he refuse to cosponsor a resolution condemning the refuge takeover, he regularly hurls insults at land managers, and he recently co-sponsored a bill to strip federal agencies of their law enforcement authority. When asked if he would hold hearings about the Malheur incident and other extremist acts, the Chairman doubled down, saying that instead he wants to continue oversight of “what we feel is the abuse of individuals by the federal land management agencies…” The “abuse” Bishop rants about is nothing more than fiction. Wyatt Prescott, Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association, recently pointed out in Boise Weekly that the claims that ranchers and the livestock industry are at odds with land managers like BLM is the product of “a misunderstanding at best.” Bishop appears intent on inflaming sentiment against public lands and those who manage them to advance his land transfer goals. This would be irresponsible under any circumstance, but in light of recent threats against land managers and various incidents...
The arrest of the key members of the Bundy clan and recent action to bring an end to the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge were long overdue and CRS applauds the efforts of the FBI and other law enforcement personnel. In June of last year CRS called on the Obama Administration to bring scofflaw rancher Cliven Bundy to justice, along with the militants he rallied to an armed standoff with law enforcement in Nevada back in 2014. Our concern was that failing to promptly do so only further emboldens these radicals to greater extremes and more lawlessness. That concern proved prescient on January 2nd when Ammon and Ryan Bundy, along with a handful of fellow militants, forcibly occupied the Malheur Refuge. In the CRS press statement on the occupation being brought to an end, CRS president David Jenkins said: “We commend the FBI and other law enforcement officers for ending the armed seizure of this beloved refuge and arresting those involved. Blame for this entire episode, including the unfortunate death of Lavoy Finnicum, falls squarely on the militants who, through their lawless and irresponsible actions, endangered lives from day one.” He added: “Despite all of their rhetoric about the Constitution, freedom and God, in truth the occupiers—along with those who support them—are attacking our nation, its laws, its values, its history, and the democratic processes established by our forefathers. The use of armed force and intimidation to get one’s way in a democracy is the worst kind of bullying. It undermines freedom and tramples on the rights of every other American.” CRS also issued a statement...
In June CRS called on the Obama Administration to bring scofflaw rancher Cliven Bundy to justice, along with the militants he rallied to an armed standoff with law enforcement in Nevada back in 2014. Our concern was, and is, that failing to promptly do so only further emboldens these radicals to greater extremes and more lawlessness. The armed takeover and ongoing occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in southeastern Oregon further validates that concern. It is no accident that two of Cliven Bundy’s sons, Ammon and Ryan, are ring leaders in this latest incident, or that other militants who participated in the 2014 standoff are also reportedly involved. “People need to understand that the Bundy strain of radicalism is anti-American and dangerous,” said CRS president David Jenkins. “The Bundys—and the armed militants who back them up—are attacking our nation, its laws, its values, its history, and the democratic processes established by our forefathers. They are also trampling on the rights of every American. They are the opposite of conservative, and they will continue to bully, threaten, and test the limits of civil society until they are stopped.” The initial excuse for taking over the Refuge headquarters was to prevent convicted arsonists Dwight and Steven Hammond, who set multiple wildfires and promised to “light up the whole country on fire,” from serving their five-year prison sentence. It is worth noting that the 9th Circuit Judges who ruled that the Hammonds had to serve the mandatory minimum are all conservative. The militants now say that they want the United States to relinquish control of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,...
A powerful congressman–along with the special interests that support him–is seeking to dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), one of America’s most successful and popular land conservation programs. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, is blocking bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the 50-year-old program and seeking to replace LWCF with a scheme that completely betrays the program’s conservation purposes. If you are a conservative who values our parks, forests and outdoor recreation opportunities, please go to our take action page and let your representatives in Congress know you oppose this radical legislation. LWCF is based on a very conservative idea: use a small portion of revenues from the depletion of one type of natural resource - offshore oil and gas - to support the conservation of others, our land and water. It is a critical tool in the protection of land for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and virtually any other outdoor activity. This is land that belongs to all Americans, and it pays huge dividends in our quality of life, our health, and our economic...
Revered conservative author Russell Kirk once wrote in an op-ed, “Nothing is more conservative than conservation.” He was right. What could possibly be more conservative than safeguarding the air, water, land, wildlife and natural systems that sustain and enhance life on earth? Responsible stewardship, whether it be to protect our fiscal health, our traditions and values, or the environment, has always been a hallmark of genuine conservatism.Theodore Roosevelt’s great accomplishments in land and wildlife conservation, Nixon’s efforts to reign in air and water pollution, and President Reagan’s leadership in repairing the earth’s ozone layer, were all born out of a strong stewardship ethic. We need for that same ethic to be much more prevalent in the hearts and minds of our leaders today–especially those who profess to be conservative. Recently Congressman Chris Gibson and ten other Republican lawmakers introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for conservative engagement on climate change. Passing that resolution would be a good start. Here is a video introduction to the conservative ideas about natural resource stewardship that CRS champions. Join our movement to put the conserve back in conservatism. CRS_Conservative 1 from David Jenkins on...
