Rep. Bishop Targets Restrictions on Use of Federal Lands

Rep. Rob Bishop (R., Utah), who was just announced as the incoming chairman of a subcommittee that oversees federal lands, issued a call-to-arms on behalf of farmers, ranchers and miners that have tussled with the federal government in recent years over the use of public land. n a press release announcing his chairmanship of the Natural Resources Committee’s panel on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, Mr. Bishop said the federal government has placed “inequitable burdens” on “communities that rely on access to our nation’s natural resources and lands.” Out West, many farmers, ranchers and miners rely on the use of federal lands, and newly empowered Republicans like Mr. Bishop are eager to reassert themselves on behalf of these users in this often-overlooked arena. The Utah Republican complained that the Obama administration has made “unilateral decisions that circumvent congressional process and local input.”...more